Hello blog friends! How are you doing? I hope you’re doing well. Today is time for the 5th monthly Wellness Weekend link-up in 2020. The optional prompt is Commitment.
In this post, I’m sharing how I keep my commitment to stay fit and have fun before and during the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Yes, the Fun factor keeps the commitment alive. Let’s start with what Commitment means.
The Definition of Commitment
According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, Commitment means:
- a promise or firm decision to do something.
- willingness to give your time and energy to a job, activity, or something that you believe in.
- something that you must do or deal with that takes your time.
Committing to a Wellness Journey
I make a commitment to carry out a balanced wellness routine for my mind and body because I believe good health is essential to enjoy life. I have many ideas to live an enriched explorer’s life. I want to realize as many of them as possible.
I adjust my wellness routine whenever it is necessary such as when I travel, or as I age, or during the current physical/ social distancing situation. All along, I make sure to have fun in my routine.
In case you’re interested in knowing more about me and my wellness journey, I’m listing two guest posts and one page that I’ve written before:
- Living a Car-Free Lifestyle guest post on my blogger friend Donna’s Retirement Reflections blog.
- Thriving by Diversifying Fun and Wellness Activities guest post on my blogger friend Sue’s Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond blog.
- The Wellness page on my blog.
Staying Fit While Physical/ Social Distancing
Working out, meditating, and practicing yoga are three of the few things we can do at home and they’re great for our physical and mental health. In my city, during the lockdown phase, we can go outside for walks to exercise so here’s what I’ve been doing for my wellness since mid-March:
- Smile greeting and meditation at home: daily.
- Walking outdoors: Monday to Friday. Sunday is optional. No walking on Saturday as it’s the busier day in my neighbourhood.
- Strengthening workouts at home: Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
- Yoga at home: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
The good news is we can get a good workout including strength training with minimal or no equipment. I allocate a small area in my home for my workouts and yoga practice. I use a chair, a resistance band, my own body weight, and my yoga mat.
If you recently start or resume doing exercises and you have your doctor’s approval to proceed, my suggestion is to start off small, build up over time, and track your progress. The gradual process prevents injuries and soreness. It also builds your confidence and good healthy habits for the long term.
If you’ve been good at regular exercising, keep it interesting. Complacency and repetition lead to boredom or plateau and make our workouts less effective. Some of the ways to spice up our workouts include: increase number of repetitions, change the sequence of exercises or the exercises themselves or the play list or the video, or add something new. The possibilities are endless.
Having Fun While Staying Fit
The Fun factor is important to keep me committed to my wellness routine. When I walk outside, I change my route frequently, I look at public art or nature and enjoy my time outdoors. I make it count.
I recently tried Chloe Bent’s Dance Cardio Workout video. Chloe is a CanFitPro certified Group Fitness Instructor in Canada. The video is one of five videos in the Fit Class Live series released in 2018.
What I like about this dance cardio workout is that it’s 20 minutes long, it’s fun, there is no rule, no equipment required, I learn something new, I do it at my own pace, I make up some moves, I enjoy the music, and I smile. Chloe is clear, energetic, and friendly, and one of her teammates shows the low impact version.
There are no affiliated links on my blog. If you’re looking for something fun to freshen up your fitness routine, click here to try Chloe Bent’s Dance Cardio workout on YouTube. Skip the ad and dance like no one is watching!
When was the last time you danced and smiled? I’d love to hear your comments.
Click here to join the May 2020 Wellness Weekend link-up.
Copyright © 2023 natalietheexplorer.home.blog – All rights reserved.
Natalie the Explorer 
I do love a dance, Natalie! I was still on my first cup of coffee when I put the video on but I’ll come back to it. What a lovely personality she has 🙂 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
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Hi Jo, Dancing is fun and good for our mind and body. We can choose the music and dance we like. The dance in the video is just one example. I hope you have a good time if you try it. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
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Great tips here Natalie. I do agree that fun must be involved for commitment to happen. I’m going to check out the cardio dance link. I always loved cardio dance but haven’t done it for a while
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Hi Jennifer, I hope you give the dance cardio workout video a go and let me know what you think. Thank you for joining me on this Wellness Weekend link-up. Have a wonderful week!
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Thanks for sharing the cardio link, Natalie. I love to dance! Gorgeous photo of the walking trail. Enjoy your day!
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You’re welcome, Jill. The video is only 20 minutes so not too long of a time commitment 🙂 There are all kinds of music and dances that we can do. We choose! I took that photo of the walking trail in Ecuador when I was hiking there in December. It was a glorious hike. Have a wonderful Sunday and upcoming week!
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Natalie, I used to take a Zumba class and loved it. Will check out the video. Adding variety to avoid complacency is good advice!
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Hi Suzanne, Zumba sounds like a lot of fun. There are Zumba videos on YouTube, too. Dancing is a great stress reliever. I hope you give the dance cardio workout a try and let me know what you think. We can choose the music and dance moves and just have a good time.
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Great advice, and I’ll have to check out the dance video. I’m not one for that kind of exercise, but there’s a fist time for everything! Thanks for sharing, 😀 ~Diana
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That’s the spirit, Diana. Try something new once in a while. The good news is we can choose the music and dance moves we like, and have fun. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
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Good morning, Natalie, I agree with the Fun factor with fitness activities. You make great points, especially being prepared to adjust our fitness routine throughout life.
I incorporated weight training many years ago since I was having increased aches and pains working twelve hour days at my job. I have free weights at home, plus other forms of strength training. A significant improvement in my health. As you know, mixing it up is very beneficial when strength training. A great post! Thank you for sharing. ‘Keep dancing as if no one is watching.’ xx
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Hi Erica/ Erika, Good for you for incorporating weight and strength training to improve your health. Mixing up the exercises keep our mind engaged and use different muscles. Dancing is fun and it’s great for body toning. I love it 🙂
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Hi Natalie, I am revisiting with #MLSTL and sharing on SM 🙂
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Thank you, Erica/ Erika. Have a great day and weekend!
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I really enjoy reading your positive balanced posts! I try to stay fit by adding exercise to my daily routine as well. I walk a lot, do yoga in the morning and evening while I am getting ready, and I have gymnastics with the kids at work several days a week, and I also play soccer and other games with my students. In the weekends my daughter and I like to go for hikes. We can just walk out the door, m and access many different hiking trails, with around lakes, and in forests by just walking there. This morning I packed our backpacks with a picnic lunch and we asked up the hiking trails in the forest behind our house. It was wonderful, we got both exercise and fresh air. WE said hello to two elderly people at a distance, besides that we didn’t see anyone. Thank you for a beautiful post!
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Thank you, Maria, for your kind comment. I’m glad you enjoy my posts. It’s great that you’re staying active with various types of movements and taking your daughter with you for hikes and such. Your area sounds like a hiker’s paradise. I’d take advantage of what nature offers if I lived there. Have a wonderful week!
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Thank you! It’s the best thing we can do, take asvantage of what’s available locally
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Those dance routines sound so fun! I really need to try something like that as I definitely need more motivation to do other exercises besides walking and hiking.
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Hi Joanne, The dance routines are fun and many dance videos are available on YouTube. I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think. I like that dancing can be a solo activity, a couple activity or family activity. Thank you for joining me on this Wellness Weekend link-up. The next link up is on June 21. Optional prompt Mind exercise. Hope you join again. Have a wonderful week!
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HI, Natalie – Thank you for this important reminder. I agree that commitment is more important now than ever, espeically since many ‘commitments’ have fallen off of our calendars during the past two months.
You’ve inspired me!
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Hi Donna, This COVID-19 virus has turned many plans upside down but it has also been an important reminder that we need to stay fit and maintain a strong immune system. I’m humbled to have inspired you. Have a wonderful Sunday and upcoming week!
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Great attitude and advice Natalie. Thanks for the coffee.
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Thank you, Antoinette, for your kind comment. I greatly appreciate it. Have a great week next week!
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Hi Natalie, your photos sure bring out the best in Toronto. You always make me miss it. Blessings.
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Thank you, Gary, for your comment. I greatly appreciate it.
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You won me over! I’m going to do the dance cardio this morning! #Lifethisweek
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Excellent! I’d love to hear what you think of the dance cardio workout. It’s 20 minutes so no big time commitment there.
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Sharing for #MSTL
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Thanks, Lydia. Have a wonderful week!
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Natalie, so true. Fun and flexibiltiy are key when it comes to fitness. I’ve been adding pilates and power walks to my weekly routine. It has kept me motivated as I find them challenging in different ways to what I usually do for fitness.
SSG xxx
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Yep, got to keep it fresh, fun, and challenging, not too hard but enough to stretch our mind and body. Good for you to add pilates and power walks. I mix them in my walks and workouts, too.
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I have to say, I love dancing around the house – even if they are watching and shaking their heads. The other day I was at the stove and stirring a curry and bopping along to something or the other. I’d forgotten though that the neighbours over the back fence had cut their hedge down during the week and can now see into our window. Oh well.
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Good for you, Jo. Dancing is such a great stress reliever and fun with upbeat music on. Keep on dancing and smiling.
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and right back at you Natalie! Here’s to a great week.
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So many great ideas…. I was going to try to do some Fitness Marshall YouTube videos but haven’t got around to it.
My goal fitness-wise for this week was to try to do more steps and I’ve proudly hit my 5000 step target every day except one.
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Right on and congrats on hitting your step target! Give yourself a big pat on the back and keep it up. There are some good videos on YouTube. Different instructors bring different styles to the workout.
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Natalie, I agree with you 100% that we must keep it fun to keep our fitness commitment. I am a runner. I like to mix up my running routine, varying the distance, speed, and (most of all) the routes I take. I also love to include trail running once or twice a week just to give myself a little more variety. This time of year is a wonderful time to run trails. The woods near my house are so pretty and I can hear birds singing as I run. I also bike and do yoga. I must check out the dance video. Thanks for sharing. I can’t remember the last time I danced and smiled! 🙂
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Laurie, Your area sounds like a runner’s and hiker’s dream. There are so many types of activities that we can do to stay fit and have fun. Spring and fall are great seasons for running and biking. Thanks for sharing your experiences. It’s motivating to hear from active people.
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Hi Natalie – you’re doing so well to keep your exercise program fresh and fun. Loved the idea of you grooving away in those dance classes (I’ll have to check out the link) I have zero coordination when it comes to dancercise so I’ll probably stick with my walking. The weather here has been perfect for taking long walks and bike rides and making the most of it before winter sets in.
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Hi Leanne, Spring and fall are great for long walks and cycling. Good for you for doing them. With this dance video, it’s easy to do freestyle, whatever works. It’s just 20 minutes long so I use it to spice up my usual workout routine and have a good time.
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Hi Natalie – just back for #MLSTL and to say I’ve shared this on my SM x
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Thank you, Leanne. Have a wonderful week!
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I love that you have made this a priority during these tough times. Variety is the key to keeping motivated to exercise I find. I’m not much of a dancer though but I’ve been trying to find different fitness challenges and different ways of mixing up my strength training.
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Thank you, Sanch, for your comment. Good for you to have variety to keep your fitness routine fresh. Staying fit has always been my priority. The dance video is about keeping my mind open to try something new. I had a good time and that’s a nice bonus.
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I love the Silver Swans ballet routine from the Royal Ballet in the UK. Now online for the over 50’s, makes me feel young and svelte what could be better!
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Thank you, Pamela, for mentioning the online Silver Swans ballet routine. Dancing does make us feel young and offers many benefits to our body overall conditioning.
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No Dad Dancing in this little corner of the universe, I’m afraid, Natalie!! Walking the dogs and kicking football badly with my son will have to suffice! #SeniSal
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Thank you, Enda, for your comment. Dog walking and soccer are great activities that get you outside and have fun. Maybe a family dance party on a rainy day, have your son create the playlist and let him show off his best dance moves 🙂
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Exercise is even more important at times like these than when we are very active with normal life. A few years ago I bought some dumbbells, a bench and a good book, so i do my strength exercises a couple of times a week at home, as well as a lot of daily walking and my three times a week runs… So, yep, firm commitment here.
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That’s great to hear, Trent. Once a healthy routine is set, it’s a part of our day to look forward to. I can relate to the healthy feeling after a run or a walk in the woods. Plus Cape Cod is really a slice of paradise. I agree with you that exercise is even more important at times like these than when life is stable.
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I’ve been so inconsistent about working out the past couple of months. Your post made me miss doing yoga. I think I’ll start again but really commit this time. I think working out during these weird times can help so much, not just physically but mentally as well. Great post. 🙂
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Thank you A. for your visit and comment. I hope you start yoga again. It doesn’t matter if you practice for 10 minutes/ day or longer. At the beginning or when you resume after an absence, it’s all about forming good habits. YouTube has a series of Yoga with Adriene videos that are very popular. You can do one video per day and since it’s a video, you can pause and replay any time.
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Those are the videos that I found this past weekend when I was looking for a new routine! If that ain’t a sign… 😅
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I was just thinking yesterday that I needed to find an on-line dance fitness thing and there you go – Boom! My friend who was doing her classes live is returning to her in-studio… which is not convenient, nor am I willing to go to that level of connectivity yet. (Everyone has their own risk level tolerance, i’ve found). Thanks for the link and I will be checking it out… when my friend’s not longer on line with her’s.
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Hi Pat, Are we telepathic or what 🙂 I hope you try Chloe’s video and let me know what you think. Different instructors bring different styles to the workout. The main thing is to move our body and have fun in the process, and at 20 minutes, we can do it!
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Hi Natalie, I just read about a study that shows if we do things that are fun and gratify us immediately we are more likely to keep up the commitment to it. That’s an important reason why I attend #MLSTL. So many wise words, helpful suggestions, and posts that bring me pleasure. Will reshare and wish you a lovely day.
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Thank you, Nancy, for your comment. I’m glad to hear a study has backed up what I’ve been doing. Stay safe and well!
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Hi Natalie I do love dancing and a Dance Cardio session sounds perfect to me. I recently gave one of these sessions as an assignment for my Fitness certification. I did it through Zoom and had 8 attendees and it was so much fun. Thanks for hosting Wellness Weekend and you are one of the most committed people I know. Thank you also for sharing at #MLSTL and have a great week. xx
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Congrats, Sue, for not only giving a dance cardio session as an assignment but also tackling it using Zoom during the pandemic. Thank you for linking up with me on this Wellness Weekend. It’s motivating to hear from active people like you. The next WW2020 link up is on June 21. Optional prompt Mind exercise. I hope to see you there.
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Your commitment and dedication to wellness is to be applauded. Well-done on the flexible approach during COVID..which I suspect will be the constant theme until a vaccine is eventually developed and available.
Thank you for linking up for Life This Week. Next week the optional prompt is 21/51 Self-Care Stories. #3. 25.5.2020 But I will take the chance to add another chapter in Telling My Story. Hope to see you there too. Denyse.
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Thank you, Denyse, for your comment. Yes, flexibility looks like a constant theme for a while. I look forward to joining your LTW link-up next week.
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I definitely need to focus on my fitness a lot more. Yoga once a week and the occasional walk doesn’t cut it anymore. I like your idea of having fun while staying fit.
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Thank you, Veronica, for your visit and comment. A gradual increase of frequency or intensity of our fitness activity improves our fitness level. Having fun is important to make us stick to fitness activities. Have a wonderful week!
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You’re very inspiring Natalie! I am always impressed by your commitment to your health and wellbeing at all levels. I can get a bit slack. I am walking but not every day. I miss my pilates but that’s a no go right now. I have a yoga mat and would love to do yoga at home but get put off by apps that cost money to use. Love the sound of that dance class. I’ll have to check out that link! xo
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Hi Min, Check out Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. It’s free and there are many 20 to 25 minutes videos or a 30-day series that you can do in a month. I’d love to know what you think of the dance workout or the yoga videos if you try them. Thank you for stopping by.
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ooh, yes I really do need to make more of an effort to exercise more now that the gym’s closed. Tomorrow!!! Thanks for the reminder.
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You’re welcome, Christine. Start off small and build up. You’ll feel stronger with regular exercising. Have a wonderful week!
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I’ve never been able to do dance cardio for long, but I could walk for miles along that trail in your first photo.
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Hi Frank, That is a glorious trail and it leads to a beautiful waterfall. The dance cardio video is only 20 minutes long and of course, I can pause or replay any time 🙂 Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
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I went and read your article in Sizzling toward 60, great piece! I think I have been hibernating a bit since I retired. Maybe I need to get moving in different ways to expand my horizons!
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Hi Dawn, Thank you for reading my guest post on Sue’s blog. We humans tend to get into a rut so we have to make an effort to do something new once in a while. I think the key is to choose something fun and make small changes in small increments so our mind and body are engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
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I’m loving my walks. Living in a new area means so many news things to see.
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Walking keeps you fit while getting to know your neighbourhood better. It’s a win-win!
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I’m also on a wellness journey. Trying to eat more greens & exercise in some way each day. Covid also taught me I don’t need a lot to be happy. Here’s the post if you are interested. 🌿⬇️
https://mindbeautysimplicity.wordpress.com/2020/07/20/you-are-not-defined-by-your-possessions/
– B
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Thank you, B, for your visit and comment. Sounds like you’ve got a plan. Enjoy your wellness journey!
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I’m really lucky because my retirement community has an outdoor exercise class (limited to 10 people, six feet apart) offered twice a day, six days a week. It’s been wildly popular because it’s the only game in town, ha ha. Gyms are closed in my California county. I hold a yoga teacher certificate so yoga and meditation is always in my repertoire, but I have to get outdoors or I will go insane. I continue to walk, hike, bike and play golf.
Recently, I added water aerobics to my routine as I’m blessed to have a pool in my backyard. I put on music and go to town with water dumbells, and running in the deep end. It’s good for my aging, arthritic joints. With temperatures in the 114* range in my California desert region, my pool has become too hot to go into, believe it or not.
My husband and I play pickleball every Sunday with friends, so we get our human and social connection that way. Without human connection, I’d go insane! Needless to say, I’ve been categorized as an extrovert by the enneagram system, hee hee. I don’t do well with lockdowns or isolation, but I’m doing the best I can by taking it a day at a time, and not letting prayer fall by the wayside.
Thanks for sharing all this great info!
Susan Grace
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Susan Grace, Thank you for your visit and comment. Your community and your fitness routine sound wonderful. Like you, I have to get outdoors to stay sane. Luckily, the weather has been nice where I live so I walk, bike, and paddle regularly. Although the gyms have been allowed to reopen here, I still do my strengthening workouts and practice yoga at home. I’m glad you’ve got the human and social connection while staying safe and well. Have a wonderful week!
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