Omicron worry stalling a workout? We talked to a Danielson gym owner on how to stay safe.

Many New Year's Resolutions focus on losing weight. So many, in fact, that it ranked #1 in Go Skills "Most Common New Year's Resolutions (and How to Follow Through on Them)." Omicron, however, has raised fears about signing up with a local gym and getting in shape. 

"The body needs to stay active to be at its best to fight a virus," says Josh Pratt of Just Performance Fitness in Danielson. More than anything, he wants to stress that gyms like his own take numerous steps to keep their guests safe.

"General gym practice is to wipe and sanitize all machines after use and at end of day. We use an electrostatic sprayer with disinfectant. It aids the disinfectant in sticking around on surfaces and killing COVID-19 and other viruses. We use mask policies as the state directs, too."

Of course, as Pratt notes, a lot of the safety is up to gym goers, as well.

"Maintain proper social distancing. If you feel sick in any way, stay home; that's the best advice you can give anybody. People will go to the gym and think they have the sniffles or a little cough. It's important to just stay home, regardless if you're sick with COVID or something else."

Connecticut has seen day-by-day growth in cases for the last month, with 5,000+ new cases every day since the start of the new year. While Pratt says he and most other gyms take every precaution they can, there's inevitably a risk of catching the disease.

"You have to think of it as risk-versus-reward," says Pratt. "Is it better to stay away from the gym and physical activity, or is it better to keep yourself healthy and do as much as you can to stay safe from COVID? There's data suggesting obesity contributes to exasperated COVID symptoms. It's important to not let fear keep you from being active, whether it's attending a gym or working out on your own."