No one can or will deny that this is an unusual time in our lives due to the presence of Covid-19. No one alive today has experienced the physical and emotional health and economic devastation of such a wide-spread pandemic, and we’re all somewhat confused about the dos and don’ts surrounding it. One thing we know – physical activity is GOOD for body and soul.
Staying active during this time is one of the best things you can do for your personal mental and physical health, and below are a few ways to make it easy and fun. We hope you get to enjoy these activities throughout the next couple of months with your loved ones!
Take a hike
This is a good idea anytime and right now it’s one of our most recommended activities. It’s summer in Kelowna and what better time to explore the countless walking and hiking trails the Okanagan Valley has to offer. For the best in physical distancing, venture out away from the paved walkways and you’ll likely find you have the trail to yourself and your own little social bubble. Take your kids, your dogs and your lunch, and you can spend the day getting physical in a much safer way than at the local Gym.
Cycling:
My personal favourite! For those who want to travel a bit faster and farther than your feet will take you, jump on your bike. It’s easy to maintain an acceptable physical distance while increasing your heart rate to the recommended level. Again, it’s best to stay away from the more popular paved biking trails in order to avoid potential crowds. Be adventurous and go exploring. The Kettle Valley Railway Trail is easily accessed and if you go early in the morning it’s usually quiet. If you’re going to venture out on the unpaved tracks, be sure your bike is sturdy and that you have plenty of water. If you prefer paved trails, the early mornings are also quieter so you can stay safely distanced.
Online Exercise
What a great opportunity to take advantage of the many online exercise classes being offered. We’re all being encouraged to stay home as much as possible so let’s get this party started! If you live alone, you can pick and choose anytime of night or day and if you have a family, it’s a wonderful activity to do as a unit. A 5-year old learning jumping jacks is fun for the whole family, and the teenager who thinks this is so “uncool”, well even they’ll be unable to stop from laughing at the learning antics. There are a lot of local studios offering online classes at the moment, so be sure to check them out and support your local businesses in the process of staying healthy and active.
Gardening
Here’s one of those magical activities that’s as good for the mind as it is for the body. The systematic, methodical movements required to plant, weed, pick and prune is matched by the zen-like peace and serenity arising from having your hands and feet firmly grounded on earth while nurturing a living plant to maturity. One of our favourite parts about this meditative activity is that it produces a bounty for you to consume down the road! If you get on this quickly you will be able to grow some fall vegetables in time for thanksgiving.
Hop-scotch
We’re throwing it back to this old-school playground game that’s perfect for your own driveway. All you need is some chalk, a bit of concrete or pavement and a marker (that’s what you throw into your square). You draw a diagram of squares and rectangles on the ground and then throw your marker into an empty square. You then hop on one foot to that square, lean down and pick up the marker and hop to the next one. Now your kids have a chance to laugh at (with) you. Find the rules online if this game is new to you or you need a refresher. Tons of fun and really good exercise!
Hit the water
One of the best parts about living in the Okanagan is the plethora of lakes and water sources around. Kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and even simply floating on the water are peaceful and good for the soul. Take lots of drinking water and enjoy the warm water…it’s too hot to do much else this week anyways!
Physical, Not Social Distance
Social and physical distance aren’t the same thing, so although we need to maintain PHYSICAL distance to stay safe, we can still continue to keep our social circle alive and thriving. Here are some ideas for how you can still socialize while maintaining physical distance.
Take an online dance class with one or two (or 10) of your friends and then enjoy a beverage of choice while you have a video visit. One of the silver linings of the quarantine for us was that we actually started having regular video chats and games nights with friends who lived out of town, who we would only typically see and visit with once every few months.
Hold a book club meeting in a virtual room – it’s as easy to have lively discussions and lots of laughs in a virtual room as it is in your own living room.
Play cards online. We have an international card-playing group with friends from Canada, US and Mexico. It’s free, it’s fun and it allows us to maintain contact while being physically distant.
We hope you’ll be inspired to give some of these ideas a try and let us know some of your favourite things to do to stay active and engaged during this time. Use these last couple weeks of August to spend time with your family, getting outside and soaking up the sun!
Stay healthy and safe!
~ O&C