Lockdown season: Making the most of it
How to stay fit at home
“Fitness centers across the country have shut down, but that doesn’t mean all exercise is canceled,” said Carly Mallenbaum in USA Today. There are hundreds of workout apps and virtual classes accessible from home, and many are currently waiving fees. Peloton, for example, is offering its app free for 90 days, and you don’t need a stationary bike to take advantage of its thousands of fitness classes. In a rush? One “booty- and leg-focused” training app, Tone It Up, is now free until April 13.
For those seeking more low-key activity, Yoga With Adriene “has a video for everything, from long morning routines to movements for neck pain.” On her free YouTube channel, Adriene recently uploaded a video called “Yoga for Uncertain Times.”
Dating while distancing
“Call me old-fashioned, but this virus just might be a boon for our love lives,” said Anna Pulley in ChicagoTribune.com. Having to initiate any potential romance remotely, rather than face-to-face, “forces people to actually get to know each other, to connect emotionally and not physically.” With dating-app companies advising users to stay home, the unattached are learning to conduct get-to-know-you dates via phone, text, and video chat—“which in some ways seem more preferable than your typical first date: no commute! cheaper drinks!” Social distancing can encourage candor, too, so “ask those bigger life questions that are usually too taboo to ask on a first date.” You might try cooking a dinner together via Skype. And if that’s too challenging, try Netflix’s “watch together” feature for a remote movie date— “a good litmus test for compatibility.”
Addressing Covid-19 anxiety
You’re not alone if the coronavirus crisis is causing you anxiety, said Brianna Provenzano in Vox.com. To manage it, begin by giving it its name and reminding yourself what anxiety is: a very common emotional response to anticipated danger. Doing just this “puts you back in control.” You can then list the specific threats causing your worry and think about them rationally. Moving from paralysis to minor action helps, such as making a grocery run while observing due precautions. To diminish the power of uncertainty, “try to keep yourself grounded in the present.” One reliable trick is to count your breaths. “Being mindful about your breathing helps switch off the neural circuitry that anxiety ramps up, leading to an overall feeling of calm.”