A doctor has explained why it is safe to not wear masks in a gym when they reopen.

As of today, the public will have to wear face masks in shops and on public transport in England, as the government tries to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

If people refuse to wear a mask they could be slapped with a £100 fine.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Dr Sarah Jarvis said at the moment, masks will not be compulsory in the gym.

The TV doc, who is filling in for Dr Hilary Jones, spoke to Alex Beresford after he raised concerns about returning.

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  • GMB doctor Sarah Jarvis explains why it is safe to not wear masks in a gym (Image: ITV)

Avid gym-goer Alex said he was unsure as to whether he needs to wear a mask in there.

Speaking to Dr Sarah, and hosts Ranvir Sing and Adil Ray, Alex said: "I can’t wait, actually.

“I'm planning to go to the gym tomorrow but I'm unsure as to whether I should wear a mask during training or not, I don’t know.”

Dr Sarah explained that they are not compulsory as they are in shops.

She explained: "It's not mandatory to wear a mask when you're training and the thing about gyms is that they've been set up so that they've got really regular cleaning.

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  • Masks will not be compulsory at gyms

"The big concern about gyms is that people breathe a lot if they're doing their workout properly because you're supposed to get breathless when you go to a gym.

"I think they're banning sweat towels because you sweat onto it and put it down and somebody else has touched that because people change their equipment quite often."

It's been a long wait for an indoor workout for fitness fanatics, who will have to stick to new coronavirus safety rules if they plan on visiting a gym while the coronavirus pandemic continues.

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Gyms in England can reopen from Saturday, July 25.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden confirmed that gym-goers will not have to cover their faces while working out.

Speaking earlier this month, he said: "We have not taken a decision to require the wearing of face masks in respect of gyms."

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.