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All physical training facilities in the Wilhelmsburg Barracks, home of the Joint Support and Enabling Command, had to be closed for several weeks due to COVID-19 precautionary measures.

With the decreasing numbers of infections, the overall situation in Germany slowly allowed restoring a kind of normality, at least in the barracks’ gym. Most of the JSEC-members received recently the information of the reopening with great relief. Many of them used the opportunity for individual workouts immediately.

It´s a great opportunity to stay fit during summer

One of them is Sergeant Linda Wenzig, a former competitive athlete in figure skating, who really struggled to keep up her level of ambition without being able to exercise in the gym. “It´s a great opportunity to stay fit during summer and to prepare my body for the figure skating season”. During the lockdown, she had to replace her usual exercises with running and home workouts. “But that’s not the same as exercising in a well-equipped gym”.

Sergeant Lina Wenzig takes the chance to work out in the first week after reopening.

The heavy breathing of the athletes in cardio sports is increasing the infection risk so the training equipment had to be set up further apart.

Not more than three people are allowed currently in the small room of the gym at a time.

There are still some precautionary measures to comply with, like maintaining the omnipresent 1.5 metres physical distance between the athletes at any time. After completing their training session, the soldiers have to sanitize the equipment they used.

In spite of all those regulations, JSEC-members are more than happy to return to the gym.

“While keeping my fitness at level, the restrictions don’t bother me,” said Sergeant Wenzig, smiling.