Slower music in South Korean gyms, all thanks to Covid rules

Although severalgymgoers lovegood tunes to help them get through intense workouts, it seems to be a no-go zone inSouth Korea as per the new Covid-19 rules. Theoptions of music havebeenreduceddrastically by the measures.

With the aim to ensure coronavirus spread can be curtailed,South Korea has placed somestandard restrictions such as social distancing and travel curbs. Uniquely, along with these,the countryhasalsoadded an additionalrequirement that gyms do not play music with higher than 120 beats per minute (bpm) during group exercises,such as aerobics, etc.

According to the health officials, themeasure intends to preventfastbreathing or splashingofsweat on other people. The authorities areavoidingthe possibility ofclosingsuch businesses entirelyaswas thecaseduring previous waves of infection, a report in TheGuardian newspaper said.

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Some opposition lawmakers and gym owners haveridiculed the rule as ‘nonsense' orbarely effective or unrealistic to maintain.

Kang Hyun-ku, an owner of a gym in Seoul, said, “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.”