Exercising in Quarantine

When the first cruise ship was quarantined due to an outbreak of COVID-19, news outlets shared footage of passengers wearing face masks while exercising on their private balconies. My first thought was, “Oh, that’s smart of them to keep moving.”

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As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 increases around the world, more and more people are going to be spending time in isolation. Whether you live in an area that is under quarantine or have chosen to self-isolate for whatever reasons, you can still—and should—be physically active every day. Not sure what to do? Read on and I’ll give you some tips on staying active. But first…

Doctor’s orders. If you are sick and have been advised to not exercise, your doctor’s orders trump mine and any other fitness professional’s advice. It is, after all, a respiratory illness that causes shortness of breath. For the latest updates on COVID-19, visit a trusted source. In Canada, that means listening to Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer, and her team at the Public Health Agency of Canada.

“Don’t panic.” Those are the words on the front of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and they are relevant even today. The same principles of healthy living apply even if you can’t leave your current location: eat a healthy diet, stay active, get a good night’s sleep, stay positive (i.e., don’t panic), and maintain contact with friends and family (phone calls, emails, texts, video chats are all great ways to stay connected). All of these factors will help you maintain a strong immune system.

Move. Just because you can’t get to the gym or fitness class, you can still get up and move. Here are some tips:

1. Dust it off. Did you see the latest clip on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon? Called “Use it and Lose it,” host Jimmy Fallon is finding old pieces of exercise equipment and giving them away to lucky audience members. I’m sure if you were to check the basement or other oft-neglected storage, you’d find one or two fitness gems hidden there.
2. Sit down. Stand up. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Congratulations, you just completed a set of squats! There are lots of bodyweight exercises you can do that don’t require equipment: squats, lunges, sideways stepping, sit-ups, pushups, bird dog, the list goes one. You can visit sites like Bodybuilding.com and use the exercise finder. On the left, you can select muscle group, exercise type, and equipment (hint: choose body only if you’re light on equipment) and voilà!
3. Dance, dance, dance. Turn on some music and just move to it.
4. Obstacle course. Winters in Ottawa can be tough. So when our kids were little and the windchill kept us indoors, we’d create obstacle courses to complete, over and over. Other days, our main floor became a large blanket fort — try crawling around for a few hours and you’ll appreciate standing up.
5. Go online. There are tons of free workout videos on YouTube that you can follow, should you need some guidance with what to do. There are also lots of paid fitness streaming services and apps too, but I’m here to share the free stuff with you. Another great source are the workout videos on Fitness Blender — also free. 
6. Virtual workout buddies. If you have already have a workout buddy, connect via Skype and do your workouts together there. 

I hope this list helps you to stay active and maintain a positive outlook during these challenging times. Remember: move more, feel better.