Fast music ban in Seoul gyms

Excerpts from a report in The Korea Herald:

South Korea’s virus authorities are asking those in the Greater Seoul area to give up high-speed running on treadmills and fast dance music for group exercises in fitness clubs, as they worry that intense workouts could exacerbate the spread of COVID-19 during its most challenging wave to date.

The running speed on treadmills is capped at 6 kilometers per hour. Music played at group exercise classes at fitness clubs cannot exceed 120 beats per minute.  That means some famous pop songs like “Gangnam Style,” 132 bpm, cannot be played.

Authorities have defended the restrictions on fitness clubs, saying fast music and strenuous cardio exercises could generate more respiratory droplets and cause the virus to spread further.