In an effort to control the spread of the coronavirus, gyms in South Korea’s capital have banned the playing of fast music to prevent residents from sweating as much during their workout.
The guidelines, which were implemented Monday in Seoul, South Korea, require that gyms do not play music with more than 120 beats per minute (bpm) during group exercises to prevent fast breathing and immense sweat.
Treadmills in Seoul gyms are also limited to a speed of six kilometers per hour, which is nearly 3.72 miles per hour.
“When you run faster, you spit out more respiratory droplets, so that’s why we are trying to restrict heavy cardio exercises,” Son Young-rae, health ministry spokesperson, said in a radio interview Monday, as reported by the Korean Herald.
In an interview with Reuters, Kang Hyun-ku, a gym owner in northern Seoul, says he is questioning how this will be controlled and whether fast-paced songs are actually causing an increase in positive cases.
“Playing bright tracks is to cheer up our members and the overall mood, but my biggest question is whether playing classical music or BTS songs has proven to have any impact on spreading the virus,” Kang told Reuters. “Many people use their own earphones and wearable devices these days, and how do you control their playlists?”
According to Kim Yong-tae, opposition member of the People Power Party, the new coronavirus restrictions appear to be ineffective and make no sense.
“So you don’t get COVID-19 if you walk slower than 6 km per hour,” said Yong-tae. “And who on earth checks the bpm of the songs when you work out? I don’t understand what COVID-19 has to do with my choice of music.”
New lockdowns placed on South Korean residents Monday pressed President Moon Jae-in to speak on the issue of small businesses struggling to survive. “I can’t help but feel very sorry to once again ask the citizens for a bit more patience,” he said at a coronavirus response meeting on Monday.
South Korea is currently seeing an increase in the number of coronavirus cases. On Monday, South Korea reported 1,150 new cases, reaching a seven-day average of 1,251.
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