April is “Move More” Month

And no, your governor’s stay-at-home order is not an excuse to become a couch slug, binge watching that loathsome show about the guy who kept big cats as pets, in tiny cages or sedated so he could hug them without being mauled.

And yes, it is possible to “move more” while under a stay-at-home order, especially since these orders do NOT prevent you from venturing outside as long as you practice proper social distancing and don’t participate in a rousing game of rugby (scrums would be bad) or basketball.

Anyway, the American Heart Association established “Move More” month a few years ago for obvious reasons.  Among those reasons: heart disease is the leading cause of death in America as one person dies every 37 seconds from heart disease or almost 650,000 every year.  18.2 million American adults have coronary artery disease with most going undiagnosed.

Finally, over 800,000 Americans will have a heart attack in 2020.  Perhaps the saddest statistic is that 80% of cardiovascular disease is preventable with a healthy diet, proper diagnosis and medication AND regular physical activity.  It is the last item we are concerned with in this particular post.

Remember, during this COVID-19 crisis you are not forced to climb stairs in your home as your only form of physical activity.  With modern technology, there are numerous options to get your recommended 20-30 minutes of aerobic activity per day, with free on-line videos being the cheapest (nothing is cheaper than free) and most convenient as you can participate at your…well, convenience.

There are also plenty of ad-free subscription sites that give you access to live classes, from spinning to HIIT.  The American Heart Association has combined the best of both worlds with free daily “Move More Together” videos that feature proper stretching, yoga and Pilates.  Check them out here.

And in most localities, if you feel the need to get outside for your solo daily workout, that is permitted.  By their nature, outdoor aerobic activities are conducive to being done alone.  In fact, some people (myself included) actually prefer to run, bike, walk or hike alone.  I’ve also read quite a few articles describing how the current crisis has re-connected many people with nature.

Many national, state and local parks have seen an increase in visitors as more people participate in one of the few physical activities still permitted under national, state and local guidelines.  There’s nothing like a walk through the woods, listening to the birds sing, watching the squirrels and chipmunks and listening to a brook babble on and on to bring a sense of calm and relaxation while, simultaneously, getting some exercise.

By the way, regular exercise, aside from reducing stress, also lowers your risk for numerous diseases, builds stronger muscles and bones, improves mental health and cognition, lowers the risk of depression and aids sleep.  All things we could use during our almost-house arrest.

However, you aren’t required to travel to a park for your outdoor exercise.  Your neighborhood or backyard could serve that purpose quite well.  Walking or jogging through your neighborhood, while staying at least six feet from others, allows you to wave or shout a quick greeting to friends and neighbors you might not have seen in awhile.  Heck, you could also take a break and have a quick convo with a non-family member, face-to-face (albeit eight feet apart).

You can also do a circuit workout in your backyard where you create different stations that require a different exercise such as push-ups, burpees, jumping jacks, jump rope, lunges, squats, mountain climbers or anything else you might like.  You can then rotate through the stations at your own pace, just make it brisk in order to derive the most benefit.

To sum up, just because we have restrictions placed upon us (for our own good, I might remind you) that’s no reason to become overly sedentary.  The American Heart Association has declared April “Move More” month and we should heed their advice so that we’re ready to restart our lives, whenever that may be.  Be well and stay healthy.