Staying Active - Mind & Body

This experience really is unlike any other. I think I have heard the word unprecedented at least 1000 times in the past week.

Here in Ohio, I think we are at the point where it might be easier to keep a list of things that are open. I get it, whether you refer to it as sheltering in place, isolation, social distancing, or some other phrase, the goal is to keep people apart to mitigate or at least slow the spread.

With schools closed, our library closed, and the gyms closed, keeping the mind and body active is a new challenge, an unfamiliar challenge. It is funny how dependent you become on the outside world for things to engage your mind and keep you moving.

Our schools are treating this week as a series of calamity days, because fortunately, we hadn't yet taken any snow days this year. This is to allow the teachers to put together plans for distance learning and to find ways to remedy for students that don't have access to a computer and/or the internet at home. Even with that, both the kids start their day with some reading. My daughter because she likes it and my son because he has a book that they are reading in school that he figures he can at least pick away at. Then, my son does the homework from his math syllabus that his teachers gave him a while back. I'm leveraging LinkedIn Learning to learn some new things and to enhance my resume. I should be reading...but just haven't been motivated to read a book, maybe too much time reading on the computer. In anticipation of the closure of school, I also picked up a puzzle and we are spending some time working on that.

My daughter is also interested in baking and cooking, right up until when she isn't. She is great at starting but soon I find that I 'can just finish' it. We have had cupcakes and muffins so far. I am sure we will do more baking and cooking. It helps pass the time, is a good life skill, and is entertaining. My daughter also was supposed to be in home ec starting this week. I offered to bring out my sewing machine and teach her but she is willing to wait on that one.

We are trying to get outside each day for some physical activity too. Fortunately, we have had some decent weather and we can get out before or after the rain on days where it has rained. I have been walking. My husband has been running. My son is getting together with one friend to throw and hit. My daughter is using the swing set with a neighbor. Our one principal also sent out a challenge that includes planks, crunches, push ups and squats, another way to stay active. Working out at home, alone, is hard. Sure there are apps and streaming and I even have equipment and videos I could use, but the challenge is the motivation...what's the hurry, I can do it later, I have no where to be and nothing specific to do.

The rest of our time is downtime - movies, shows, internet, video games, and such.

How are you staying active?