Stay Proactive by Staying ACTIVE: Quarantine and Social Distancing
Coronavirus, the Unexpected Enemy
On Thursday March 12th, 2020, most major professional sports leagues cancelled not only their games, but entire seasons due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Little did we know, this was the tip of the iceberg as a cascade of new rules have been implemented, markets tanking and businesses across the globe are now shuttered. This is truly an unprecedented event and it reminds me of my grandfather talking about the Great Depression where businesses were closed, food came from the breadlines and many tragedies occurred. It’s no wonder he was so frugal throughout his life. Unlike other tragedies the country has endured in recent memory, like 9/11 — where cancellations were numerous, but short lived — this time the enemy is much different and not one we can eradicate with traditional warfare. The battle against COVID-19 will take patience, discipline and focus to put behind us.
We Need a RESET Button, not the PANIC Button.
First and foremost, everyone’s health and well being is our primary concern. As I mentioned in our previous blog post, we encourage everyone to become VIGILANT by following best practices in order to help keep yourself and others healthy. Stay up-to-date with the constantly changing information! This is no time to become lax with regard to hygiene and proper social behaviors. If you haven’t fully memorized the list of basic “Do’s and Don’ts” yet, you’re living in a cave – and should stay there! There is no excuse for not being informed in today’s world.
This is a time to be Proactive, not just Reactive.
As we now know from the virologists and scientists, COVID-19 is easily transmitted via extremely close proximity to an infected person (like if someone sneezed on you and droplets came in contact with your eyes, nose or mouth) or from picking up the virus on a hard surface that humans touch. This complicates life for sure, but it’s not all bad news. COVID-19 does not seem to adversely affect most healthy individuals and in particular, young people. Now is not the time to panic. What is most important now is containing and controlling the spread of the virus to ensure that our healthcare systems can provide proper medical care for the most vulnerable among us. If you haven’t yet heard the concept of Flattening the Curve, it can help you understand why this is so important!
Quarantine and Social Distancing
In addition to mass cancellations and official or corporate shutdowns, we are seeing more government mandated quarantines beginning to crop up around the country, as well as a universal recommendation for even asymptomatic or currently healthy individuals to self-quarantine and socially distance ourselves as much as possible.
Unfortunately, one of the byproducts of declaring a national emergency, cancelling so many events and closing businesses, is that it just created millions more sedentary souls – confining themselves to Netflix and Amazon Prime for weeks or months. The daily activity of everyday life has come to a halt. And Americans all across the country are suddenly doing the worst thing possible for their health — becoming couch potatoes. No more jumping up and down, yelling and screaming during games (they call it March Madness for a reason). No more walking 18 holes at major golf tournaments. No more winter sports. No more professional, college, high school or club games – most likely for the rest of the season.
How to Take Care of Your Health Under Quarantine
While we encourage EVERYONE to follow the recommended guidelines and do their part to help slow the spread of the virus, it is important to remember to take individual preventative measures as well! We need to be as proactive as possible when it comes to boosting our immunity and health to improve our own chances against COVID-19. Just because the world seems to have come to a stand-still doesn’t mean we have to!
Now is the time to be proactive and stay active!
Exercise has proven immunity-boosting benefits, as well as being a great stress-reliever during this uncertain time, and of course being great for your overall health and longevity. Fortunately, being outdoors in fresh air with fewer individuals in proximity is not dangerous. Don’t get caught up in the panic… take some of your new-found free time to move your body!
Exercise is Key
As long as you are following the guidelines for your particular area, we urge everyone to maintain a Proactive lifestyle by getting outside for at least an hour or two each day – even if it’s just a walk in the neighborhood (abiding by the social distance rule of 10 feet, of course). In order to stay healthy, we need to boost our immune systems by eating well (and in moderation), and by getting enough exercise. It’s the best way to stay healthy and safe from an enemy for which we don’t yet have a cure. Don’t react to the panic and become a couch potato during this challenging time – be Proactive and get outside (again, only if your local government has deemed it safe to do so) for some exercise to remain healthy.
If you don’t feel safe going outside, or are in a densely populated area where social distancing recommendations may be stricter, there are plenty of amazing ways to get your body moving without leaving your front door! Our coach Nicole Cavarra — fitness instructor and LPGA certified Golf Coach — has some amazing stretches and mobility exercises on her website! Or, you can try some Yoga, search YouTube for a quick HIIT routine, or just dance around your living room to your favorite song. We don’t care! Just get that blood pumping and those endorphins flowing. It’s the best thing you can do for your physical and emotional health.
Stay Healthy, Stay Safe
This is a painful time for all of us, but life will get better! Let’s all work together to make our world safer and our lives more rewarding by hitting the Reset Button and becoming better going forward. This includes ceasing to hoard TP during this Coronavirus outbreak (which is probably the only thing about this event we can laugh about! Maybe it’s time for the US to follow in Europe’s footsteps… choose a bidet, save a tree!) Don’t give in to the panic and the herd mentality! Follow social distancing and quarantine guidelines, stay informed, stay smart. But don’t forget about your own health in these trying times!
