Staying Fit While Staying Safe

By: Brendan Epps

Social distancing and safety precautions do not have to mean distance from your fitness. There is an on-going debate whether exercise can "boost" the immune system or not, most agree that it is shown to strengthen your immune system to help fight off, or fight through viruses and illnesses. Additionally, keeping active can help reduce the stress that's been building up around us over the past year. Here are a few ideas to stay fit while staying safe. Be creative and share your ideas:

● Walking/running (around neighborhood)*

● Nature walks/hikes/runs*

● Outdoor Stair workouts (Behind Downtown YMCA or Riverscape Metropark)*

● Bike rides*

● Visit to your local YMCA branch

● Create a home gym (or do bodyweight workouts at home)* ○ Gather home workout ideas from the DaytonYMCA.org or Pinterest

● Swimming (pool at home*)

● Canoeing/Kayaking*

● Dodging the things my wife throws at me from driving her up a wall

Staying hydrated is an underrated aspect of fitness, particularly with a shift in our routines. Please remember to drink plenty of water 64-128 ounces a day. We don't have the trusty "water cooler" to gather around and remind us to hydrate, so let's search for other reminders like timers, creative water bottles, or even hydrating backpacks.

Even after vaccination, medical professionals encourage healthy practices of reducing potential for exposure in large gatherings, regular hand-washing, and covering your mouth for coughs and sneezes. By staying healthy, you have more energy to stay fit.

Remember, fitness isn't just physical. There's mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects, as well. Part of staying safe, includes recognizing when you need to take breaks. Several remote workers have experienced burnout and exhaustion from working longer hours, remaining more accessible to employers/co-workers, and having difficulty disconnecting. Please, take breaks. Remember, you took necessary breaks when you were in the office setting. If you're able, perhaps combine physical and mental fitness by taking a walk outdoors during your next virtual staff meeting. If weather doesn't permit, or you can't get outdoors, perhaps you can do a few pushups, squats, crunches, or jumping jacks at the end of a meeting or conference call to keep active.

Please stay safe. Take care of yourself and be kind/considerate to others. Whatever staying safe looks like for you, there are ways for us to stay fit. Sometimes we have to think outside the box. Other times, perhaps we think box...jumps. If nothing else, you can be sure your fitness efforts are better than my attempts at humor. Stay safe. Stay fit.