Gyms in Metro Manila have reopened and I was in my home branch on day one!  Could I be any more predictable?

Currently, restrictions are eased up a little for those who are fully vaccinated and I’m so glad to be one of them.  While I understand that not all people want to or can be vaccinated, I also understand that we’d have to figure out to live with COVID-19 to kickstart the economy.  I agree that there shouldn’t be any discrimination against those who aren’t vaccinated, but at the same time I also agree that those vaccinated be allowed to do “riskier” things.  The economy is not going to run itself and we all have mouths to feed.

As the Philippines’ capital region reached a significant number of vaccinated individuals, some business were allowed to operate to accommodate fully vaccinated individuals: restaurants, barbershops, gyms, etc.—while still having a cap on capacity.  Essential services still cater to everyone though.  Unvaccinated individuals only lose out on higher risk services like dining in, or anything that would require extended periods in confined spaces.

The reopening of gyms last weekend is relevant for me for both physical and psychological reasons.  Working from home for more than a year and a half really erased the line between work and personal life.  Before, you look forward to going home after working.  Now, you wake up with work already waiting for you!  And for many, where you sleep is also where you work!  Going to the gym gives me the opportunity to get out of the house (which had become the office) and do other things.  I felt like there wasn’t much to look forward to after official working hours back when gyms were closed.  And I’m my case, “working hours” is a trivial concept so it often felt like I was just waking up to work.  Seeing my clothes fit differently, not in a good way, didn’t exactly add to keep my mental state up.

I’ve waited for so long for this day to arrive and I’m so glad that I’m also fully vaccinated when it did!  Now, I’m less worried of dying from COVID-19 as my body has a better chance of fighting the virus, and that people around me are also less likely to transmit the virus as they’re also vaccinated.  Health protocols are also still in place for added security.

I really think it’s possible to get back some normalcy despite the pandemic.  I just hope that things start getting better from here, for everyone.  For the sake of everyone’s health and sanity!