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| New York City’s Kettlebell Shortage: ‘People Are Kind of Freaking Out’ | New York City’s Kettlebell Shortage: ‘People Are Kind of Freaking Out’ |
| (14 days later) | |
| In Syracuse, N.Y., one exercise equipment store’s sales skyrocketed more than 600 percent in a couple days. At online retailers like eBay, Amazon and Walmart, some equipment, if not on a three-week waiting list, is being sold at markups as high as 150 percent. In Brooklyn, a man ordered kettlebells — twice. Each time they were delivered, someone stole the package before he could get to it. | In Syracuse, N.Y., one exercise equipment store’s sales skyrocketed more than 600 percent in a couple days. At online retailers like eBay, Amazon and Walmart, some equipment, if not on a three-week waiting list, is being sold at markups as high as 150 percent. In Brooklyn, a man ordered kettlebells — twice. Each time they were delivered, someone stole the package before he could get to it. |
| When the coronavirus forced Americans indoors — out of offices, away from grocery stores and off public transit — gyms under went an economy-rattling shift. | When the coronavirus forced Americans indoors — out of offices, away from grocery stores and off public transit — gyms under went an economy-rattling shift. |
| Suddenly fitness enthusiasts were forced to reimagine not only where they could work out, but how. People snapped up benches, resistance bands, dumbbells and kettlebells. In New York, the demand led to a citywide shortage of workout equipment. | Suddenly fitness enthusiasts were forced to reimagine not only where they could work out, but how. People snapped up benches, resistance bands, dumbbells and kettlebells. In New York, the demand led to a citywide shortage of workout equipment. |
| “People are kind of freaking out,” said Jahkeen Washington, co-owner of JTW Fit, a boutique gym in Central Harlem. “They feel like all of the hard work they’ve been putting in for so long is at risk of going to waste.” | “People are kind of freaking out,” said Jahkeen Washington, co-owner of JTW Fit, a boutique gym in Central Harlem. “They feel like all of the hard work they’ve been putting in for so long is at risk of going to waste.” |
| Mr. Washington, 35, and Thomas Boatswain, 36, opened JTW Fit last summer and had about 300 regular clients when the coronavirus forced New York into lockdown in early March. | Mr. Washington, 35, and Thomas Boatswain, 36, opened JTW Fit last summer and had about 300 regular clients when the coronavirus forced New York into lockdown in early March. |
| After the stay-at-home order was put in place, the two began holding virtual workout sessions. But clients would need to supply their own basic equipment. | After the stay-at-home order was put in place, the two began holding virtual workout sessions. But clients would need to supply their own basic equipment. |
| The problem? Basic workout equipment was all but impossible to find. | The problem? Basic workout equipment was all but impossible to find. |
| “I did not see this coming,” said Meron Tamrat, 32, a Harlem resident and JTW Fit client. She purchased a dumbbell and kettlebell immediately after the stay-at-home order was announced in March. But a few weeks later, when she needed more weights, she hit a dead end. “Everything was just gone,” she said. | “I did not see this coming,” said Meron Tamrat, 32, a Harlem resident and JTW Fit client. She purchased a dumbbell and kettlebell immediately after the stay-at-home order was announced in March. But a few weeks later, when she needed more weights, she hit a dead end. “Everything was just gone,” she said. |
| Ms. Tamrat wasn’t alone. | Ms. Tamrat wasn’t alone. |
| So many JTW Fit clients struggled to find kettlebells and dumbbells that the gym began renting them out. | So many JTW Fit clients struggled to find kettlebells and dumbbells that the gym began renting them out. |
| “It’s pandemonium,” said Ed Pryst, the chief sales officer of Gym Source, a New Jersey-based workout equipment retailer with several offices in New York. “I’ve been in the business for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.” | “It’s pandemonium,” said Ed Pryst, the chief sales officer of Gym Source, a New Jersey-based workout equipment retailer with several offices in New York. “I’ve been in the business for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.” |
| In recent weeks, Mr. Pryst said, when he visited closed Gym Source locations in New York preparing for reopening, he would encounter passers-by tapping on the storefront glass, asking about kettlebells. | In recent weeks, Mr. Pryst said, when he visited closed Gym Source locations in New York preparing for reopening, he would encounter passers-by tapping on the storefront glass, asking about kettlebells. |
| An April study of consumer interests by Yelp, the local search and reviewing site, found that interest in fitness equipment had risen by 500 percent in the United States since March. | An April study of consumer interests by Yelp, the local search and reviewing site, found that interest in fitness equipment had risen by 500 percent in the United States since March. |
| In March, a study of e-commerce trends by Stackline, an analytics firm, found “weight training” to be the eighth-fastest growing category — ahead of milk, paper towels, hand sanitizer and toilet paper. | In March, a study of e-commerce trends by Stackline, an analytics firm, found “weight training” to be the eighth-fastest growing category — ahead of milk, paper towels, hand sanitizer and toilet paper. |
| The unforeseen swell in demand caused headaches for every tentacle of the fitness ecosystem, from equipment manufacturers and retailers to fitness professionals and gym goers. | The unforeseen swell in demand caused headaches for every tentacle of the fitness ecosystem, from equipment manufacturers and retailers to fitness professionals and gym goers. |
| And while all kinds of equipment has been hard to come by, the most difficult item to find, in New York or elsewhere, is a kettlebell. | And while all kinds of equipment has been hard to come by, the most difficult item to find, in New York or elsewhere, is a kettlebell. |
| On the Dick’s Sporting Goods website in May, kettlebells — iron, weighted balls with handles attached — were not available within 100 miles of New York City. For months, the Gym Source website has stated that kettlebells are “currently unavailable due to high demand.” | On the Dick’s Sporting Goods website in May, kettlebells — iron, weighted balls with handles attached — were not available within 100 miles of New York City. For months, the Gym Source website has stated that kettlebells are “currently unavailable due to high demand.” |
| Kettlebells — which are valued for their versatility and used in endurance, cardiovascular and weight training — are so hard to come by some New Yorkers have paid mysterious vendors nearly $400 for one set, more than four times what the average kettlebell cost two months ago. | Kettlebells — which are valued for their versatility and used in endurance, cardiovascular and weight training — are so hard to come by some New Yorkers have paid mysterious vendors nearly $400 for one set, more than four times what the average kettlebell cost two months ago. |
| GQ Magazine has coined the current equipment epoch “The Great Kettlebell Shortage of 2020.” | GQ Magazine has coined the current equipment epoch “The Great Kettlebell Shortage of 2020.” |
| Like most of American fitness equipment, kettlebells have for decades been forged in Chinese factories; most of which have been shut down as a result of the coronavirus. | Like most of American fitness equipment, kettlebells have for decades been forged in Chinese factories; most of which have been shut down as a result of the coronavirus. |
| The shutdown overseas created a bottleneck in the kettlebell supply chain. The shortage is a problem, factory workers said, that could have been prevented were the U.S. not so reliant on foreign manufacturing and iron production. | The shutdown overseas created a bottleneck in the kettlebell supply chain. The shortage is a problem, factory workers said, that could have been prevented were the U.S. not so reliant on foreign manufacturing and iron production. |
| Updated July 7, 2020 | |
| The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| “Over the past 30, 35 years, there has been a concerted effort to take foundry work to Asia,” said Richard Jefferson, vice-president of marketing and communications for the American Foundry Society. | “Over the past 30, 35 years, there has been a concerted effort to take foundry work to Asia,” said Richard Jefferson, vice-president of marketing and communications for the American Foundry Society. |
| There are more than 3,000 foundries that work with the iron needed to create kettlebells, but their efforts almost wholly go to larger industrial items like car parts or iron gates. | There are more than 3,000 foundries that work with the iron needed to create kettlebells, but their efforts almost wholly go to larger industrial items like car parts or iron gates. |
| Consumer goods like kettlebells have become the domain of foreign foundries that are able to mass produce goods at a cheaper price. | Consumer goods like kettlebells have become the domain of foreign foundries that are able to mass produce goods at a cheaper price. |
| “It’s devastating to our economy,” said Thomas Lucchetti, the owner of Cumberland Foundry in Rhode Island company, which has been one of the few American foundries able to step in and make kettlebells. | “It’s devastating to our economy,” said Thomas Lucchetti, the owner of Cumberland Foundry in Rhode Island company, which has been one of the few American foundries able to step in and make kettlebells. |
| In March, as demand grew out of control and with no access to their foreign supplier, Rogue Fitness, one of the nation’s largest retailers of workout equipment called Cumberland, a shop with less than 50 workers, to fill their growing need for tens of thousands of kettlebells. | In March, as demand grew out of control and with no access to their foreign supplier, Rogue Fitness, one of the nation’s largest retailers of workout equipment called Cumberland, a shop with less than 50 workers, to fill their growing need for tens of thousands of kettlebells. |
| The process of equipping a foundry to make a new product is expensive and time consuming. In the case of a kettlebell, a design mold of the equipment has to be created, which can sometimes cost up to $100,000. Then a foundry must equip itself with the necessary materials (for a kettlebell, gray cast iron) and possibly, special machinery. | The process of equipping a foundry to make a new product is expensive and time consuming. In the case of a kettlebell, a design mold of the equipment has to be created, which can sometimes cost up to $100,000. Then a foundry must equip itself with the necessary materials (for a kettlebell, gray cast iron) and possibly, special machinery. |
| The process, Mr. Lucchetti said, typically takes three months. Cumberland, however, had worked with a smaller gym that had gone through a similar experience during the 2008 financial crisis, making the company uniquely prepared when Rogue called. | The process, Mr. Lucchetti said, typically takes three months. Cumberland, however, had worked with a smaller gym that had gone through a similar experience during the 2008 financial crisis, making the company uniquely prepared when Rogue called. |
| Since then, the shop has been churning out about 40 kettlebells a day, the most Cumberland workers can do while still handling their regular workload. It is still not enough to satisfy demand. | Since then, the shop has been churning out about 40 kettlebells a day, the most Cumberland workers can do while still handling their regular workload. It is still not enough to satisfy demand. |
| Despite the steady business from kettlebells in the short term, Mr. Lucchetti said he was not planning on them becoming a permanent part of his business, nor was he expecting companies like Rogue to stay with him once Chinese factories opened back up. | Despite the steady business from kettlebells in the short term, Mr. Lucchetti said he was not planning on them becoming a permanent part of his business, nor was he expecting companies like Rogue to stay with him once Chinese factories opened back up. |
| “There’s a demand for it now, but how long is that going to last?” Mr. Lucchetti asked. “When people go back to gyms and the craze is over, is all of this worth it?” | “There’s a demand for it now, but how long is that going to last?” Mr. Lucchetti asked. “When people go back to gyms and the craze is over, is all of this worth it?” |