Don’t let COVID-19 or the colder temps stop you from staying active
during the winter months.
With fall upon us and winter already announcing her snowy calling in many
parts of the country, it's certainly a beautiful time of year. But
it's also one in which exercise and staying active can begin to take
a backburner. With colder weather and our days darkening earlier, there
are fewer daylight hours to work out in. And now, in 2020, there's
a pandemic, and we are doing everything in power to avoid contracting
and transmitting COVID-19. These are all understandable reasons, but really,
only one of them is justifiable. Even still, there is plenty you can do
to keep your body healthy with regular exercise during the winter months,
all while taking safety precautions against the spread of illness.
Play it Safe Outdoors
While some parts of the country render it nearly impossible to exercise
outside during the colder winter months, some states’ moderate climate
makes outdoor exercise an opportunity year-round. Based on what we know
right now about how COVID-19 moves, keeping activities where other people
might be around isn't completely risk-free, but it's a safer bet
than congregating indoors. If your desired exercise activities find you
outdoors, try as best you can to keep them limited to the people in your
immediate household whenever possible. When that isn't possible, or
for safety reasons where the activity isn't one you should do alone
(hiking, for example), wear a mask and maintain a physical distance of
at least 6 feet or more from the other person. If you've been involved
in a running, walking, or cycling club that boasts double-digit numbers,
it is best to wait out these broader group activities until this pandemic
has run its course.
Prepare to Mask-Up ALWAYS
On the outdoor exercise topic, I know it can "feel" safer than
working out indoors, so the idea of not wearing a mask may seem justified.
My advice is to enter into EVERY workout situation prepared to wear a
mask anyway. While it is, for the most part, correct that your risk of
contracting COVID-19 outside while exercising alone is relatively low,
whether or not you'll be alone for the duration of your workout is
the risk. If you're running in a suburban neighborhood, for example,
there may be stretches of the run where you've got the street to yourself,
and then others where you encounter an entire family (or two) out for
their evening stroll. At the very least, always prepare to wear a mask
(even if you're outside) when you find yourself in exercise situations
where the ability to maintain a 6-foot distance from others continually
is unpredictable, compromised, or impossible.
Towel It, Don't Touch It
Whether working out in the great outdoors or inside at a gym or fitness
studio, be sure to bring a clean towel with you every time. Use it to
wipe sweat from your face and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
with your bare hands. Though some fitness facilities are open with limited
offerings in some parts of the United States, it is essential to know
that using your equipment whenever possible is the safest bet. Though
the research varies on how long COVID-19 can stay on surfaces and how
far it can travel when airborne, the bottom line is that it CAN and DOES
for some time, at least long enough for the person who visited the equipment
you're about to use 5 minutes before you do.
Sanitize and Disinfect
Of course, there will be times when you will have to touch a surface that
someone else touched, whether you're exercising or not. A stair rail
during a steep hike. The door handle to the gym entrance. The squat machine.
Touching stuff other people have put their hands on is unavoidable if
you're exercising outside the home. Avoid high-touch or highly-utilized
surfaces when you can, but come prepared with hand sanitizer and sanitizing
wipes if touching such surfaces can't be avoided. Better still, if
you can find a restroom with soap and running water, you're best bet
after a workout is to wash your hands vigorously with soap and water for
at least 20 seconds.
At the time of this writing, we are beginning to enter the colder months
of our calendar year in certain parts of the country. And unfortunately,
COVID-19 cases are on the rise again and face the real possibility of
a “twindemic” with flu season here. While it is prudent to
remain vigilant against this silent viral foe, you don't have to skip
out on the many health benefits of staying active to do it. Even during
this pandemic winter, you CAN achieve the benefits of exercise, all while
keeping yourself and others safe.
Be well; stay healthy. We're still all in this together.