Holding each other tighter than lovers, the wrestlers smear each other with sweat, spittle and — when they inadvertently cut each other — sometimes blood. Lungs heaving, mouths agape, they huff and puff into each others’ flushed faces. On their glistening bodies, it’s impossible to tell their opponents’ fluids and theirs apart. Underscoring the health risks of such proximity: They are the only people in the cavernous hall not wearing face masks. Watching Olympic wrestling in the midst of the pandemic of a deadly airborne disease feels like being part of a virological experiment, a real-life study of droplets, aerosols and fluid dispersion. A germophobe’s nightmare, it’s a messy spectacle best observed from the stands where volunteers hold signs reading “keep physical distance” for non-existent crowds, barred from the Tokyo Games because of surging coronavirus infections in the Olympic host country where less than one-third of the population is vaccinated.But because wrestling is the most close-contact sport of the Olympics, it also speaks loudest of the all-out war against the virus that athletes have waged to get to Tokyo and, once here, continue to fight to stay free of infection and compete. Wrestlers are the Games’ equivalent of the canaries that alerted coal miners to noxious gases in the air of closed-in mines. That even they say they feel safe going body to body in combat testifies to extraordinary efforts that Olympians are making to stay healthy, exercising a sanitary discipline that has made competition possible but has also squeezed a lot of fun from their Olympic experience. READ: Olympic families find solace, create bonds far from Tokyo Which Brazilian wrestler Aline Silva says is a necessary price to pay. She hopes the Tokyo Games will serve as a counterweight to COVID-19 fatigue by sending a sobering message that until the virus is beaten, people everywhere should exercise greater caution and take better care of themselves and others. Brazil has the world’s second-highest COVID-19 death toll with 556,000 fatalities. “In Brazil, everybody knows that it is best to not be in parties and do things like that. But I don’t know why they don’t care, they do anyway,” Silva said. “So we need to show people that we need, right now, to be focused on doing our jobs as safely as possible.” The 34-year-old had set her sights in Tokyo on making amends for her failure to win a medal at her home Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. But when the pandemic struck, she decided to put wrestling on hold indefinitely, in part because it no longer felt safe but also to set an example that life couldn’t, shouldn’t, simply carry on as before. She has an uncle who spent 13 days in the hospital with COVID-19. Only this year, in a small bubble of athletes who were tested and lived together with limited outside contact, did she resume preparations for the Games. “I believe that, right now, people should be thinking about lives. That matters more than any sport. But we are here, trying to beat this virus, too,” she said. “We need to do our part for everybody to survive. I might not die of COVID but I don’t want to pass the disease on to somebody that might die. A lot of people, I think, don’t think about that.” In Tokyo, Olympians can’t not think about that. They are sealed off in a giant sanitary bubble built with daily tests, oceans of sanitizer and strict restrictions on their movements. They are instructed not to mix with people outside their teams. They are told to avoid hugs, high-fives and handshakes — all deemed “unnecessary” by Games organizers — advice they often ignore in the heat and joy of competition. They cannot watch sports other than their own or wander around the city. The dining hall in the athletes’ village where most of them are confined has hospital-like cleanliness. Matilda Kearns, a water polo competitor from Australia, detailed the sanitary procedures in a TikTok posting. They not only sanitize their hands but also wear plastic gloves before touching food trays that have also been sanitized, she said. They then eat in small cubicles, which they wipe down with disinfectant wipes, separated by see-through plastic screens that make meal-time chat “pretty difficult because it’s hard to hear through them,” Kearns said. She added that they also have an additional team rule “that once the mask is off, you only have 10 minutes to eat to reduce exposure.” Preventive measures extend also onto fields of play. Table tennis has barred players from blowing on the ball before they serve, which some used to do to rid it of dust, and from wiping sweaty palms on the table. Before the pandemic, players were only allowed to wipe themselves down with towels after every six points, to avoid slowing play. Now, they can use towels liberally, to avoid sweat on the table. Players also must wear masks and gloves when selecting their stock of balls before matches. In badminton, when players need to replace a damaged shuttlecock, they now get a new one themselves from a dispenser, so they are no longer handled by the match official who used to distribute them. At the Olympic boxing arena, uniformed cleaners attack the ring between most fights to wipe down the ropes, corner pads and canvas of any sweat or blood, before the next pair of boxers forces them to do it all over again. In weightlifting, the bar is disinfected with surgical alcohol between lifts. READ: At an extraordinary Olympics, acts of kindness abound Outside the Olympic bubble, fueled by the more contagious delta variant, infections in Tokyo have logged new daily records and nearly tripled in the first week after the Games opened on July 23. Japanese officials say the surge is unrelated to the Olympics. Inside the Olympians’ bubble, infections have been limited. Since July 1, 222,000 tests on athletes and team officials yielded 32 positives, a strike rate of 0.01%, Games organizers say. Fully vaccinated and as careful as he can be, Finnish wrestler Elias Kuosmanen said he felt safe enough to shut off his mind to the risk of infection when he competed and got all sweaty in the men’s Greco-Roman heavyweight class. “We’re tested all the time, so I am pretty sure that the opponents and everyone are COVID-19-free,” he said. “I don’t need to stress about it.”

While traditional sports like running, cycling and swimming are seen as the face of what weight loss and general fitness looks like, many unconventional sports hold their own while teaching practitioners additional skills - martial arts being one of these activities. Skipping, jumping and static exercises are just the preliminary steps before getting into the meat of your training. While all martial arts implement some form of said exercises, here are the best ones for you to maintain the best fitness.  Top martial arts for muscle-building and weightloss Muay Thai While many martial arts are seeing proper representation by fight companies like One FC and UFC, the sport that has everyone talking is Muay Thai. It is possibly one of the most prevalent striking martial arts in the competitive and casual scene right now and for good reason. Read Tips to Get Marathon Level Endurance and Stamina Aside from being known for its eight limb technique (shoulders, elbows included), clinches and sparring are other tiring routines to expect in a Muay Thai class. As the entire body is constantly engaged, and having a larger selection of strikes than most other martial arts, it’s key to keep it all together with decent stamina and endurance at the very least. While Muay Thai may be gruelling and every strike is meant to be practical and not flashy, the classes that represent the art know better than to throw newbies off the deep end when they first start - hence the appeal to newcomers. If you’re interested in getting fit fast and having fun while learning to defend yourself, there are few striking martial arts that can top Muay Thai.  Read Benefits of Leg Workouts: Why You Should Never Skip Leg Day Brazillian Jiu Jitsu Many casual martial artists tend to have varied preferences that are based on body type, style and ultimately practicality. Like Muay thai, Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is the dominant art of its category, that being grappling. When the fight happens on the ground, there are few who know exactly what to do in situations like those to defend themselves - which is where this martial art fills a void in the industry. Many classes offer a gi-based way of training that measures skill by belt colors, but more casual versions, without grading are also available. Read How to choose the best shoes for running BJJ requires a strong core, flexibility and stamina to endure escaping locks and having strength to subdue your opponent. While cardio is important to keep going on the ground, stamina is slightly more prevalent here as your muscles will have a substantial time under tension when wrestling. If you don’t mind getting into your opponent’s face, this could be the choice for you.  Wrestling  Another grappling art that requires a lot of physical contact, wrestling has been a reliable tradition that has lasted this long due to how effective it can be when done correctly. Despite being a grapple sort, wrestling requires far more endurance than one might assume. Sussing the opponent out and finding the right opportunity for a takedown. Read Which Swimming Style Is Best For Fat Loss? Going through the motion of wide-arching swings and pinning the opponent requires big movements, involving multiple muscle groups. When doing this frequently, you can imagine how easy it is to run out of breath and strength in a matter of minutes. Keeping up with an hour of lifting people and watching out for injuries can be daunting, however wrestling classes are safe hands that will prepare you for the art with a good mix of cardio and strength training. If you are slightly on the heavier side, this martial art could be made for you.  Read Is There an Age Limit to Put On Muscle? Boxing This stylish and sophisticated martial art has been around for a long time and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. To say that boxing puts up a sweat is an understatement. While boxing favours upper body strikes and tons of different ways of punching (jabs, hooks, uppercuts, etc), the feet are doing more than meets the eye. Constantly maneuvering and bending to ensure your hips are thrusted correctly as you extend each arm for a punch can be a lot to deal with, especially when smaller movements are required for evasion of any sort. Ducks and weaves are a core buster, relying on many muscles from the hips down to the ankles. Overall, it is a well rounded striking sport that is respected for how much it keeps fighters on their feet at all times.  Read How Effective Are Machines At The Gym? Judo Similar to wrestling, Judo does require a lot of throws and takedowns, but is slightly different from the other grapple sports. While each of these grappling techniques require the fighter to understand exactly how to safely land to avoid injury, Judo training does have a fair amount of cardio involved while also prioritising on mental wellness. This is often a gi-focused martial art which requires a proper uniform and grading system. It may not have the same level of fame as BJJ, but many professional fighters use Judo to this day for its ability to use minimal effort to get a takedown in. Judo is slightly more passive and requires more techniques that are based on reacting, but it is still crucial to maintain a good amount of stamina while waiting for the right throw.  Read The risks of the extreme diet Mixed Martial Arts Of course, this is by far the most staple “fighting style” in the martial arts scene and for good reason. In the entertainment and fitness industry, many look up to the versatility and customizability of mixed martial arts (MMA) as it can always be improved on by fighting geniuses and still be considered “correct” if it works in a competitive environment. From throwing to striking to groundwork; there are many ways to tackle your unique approach to MMA, however if you are not a risk taker, the combination of Muay Thai and BJJ will be a safe combination to try out. Read Running vs. Swimming vs. Cycling: Which Is Best for Burning Fat? Be warned that since you are juggling multiple techniques, practicing often is good in order to ensure that you are getting the most out of the different aspects of your combination. Also, keeping fit while learning these special techniques is a must and that can’t be done without practice. 

The Victory Day Wrestling Competition, organized by Bangladesh Amateur Wrestling Federation, began on Monday (December 30) at Sheikh Russell Rollar Skating Complex in the capital.