This is not a scrub brush...

I know that a lot of people are trying to hunker down and spend some quality time in a bathtub full of hand sanitizer, but there are alternatives.  One thing, according to the Mayo Clinic, that helps us resist viral infections, is aerobic exercise.  (The list includes some other good reasons to get moving, too!)

More good news:  there are lots of ways to get some aerobic exercise without going to a crowded, potentially germ-infested class.  People who are still willing to go outside can walk, jog, run, bike, rollerblade, swim, or hike.

If we really don’t want to leave the house, we still can manage.  Kitchen dancing is a thing.  Stair repeats work (bonus points if you carry laundry up and down at the same time!).  And, of course, there are exercise videos on tape, DVD, and that swanky internet thingie.

Bottom line, we could say that sweat kills germs.  Go play.

If only politeness went viral...

The news is full of corona virus, so I’m going to talk about… gym etiquette.  We go to the gym to improve our fitness, not to get sick.

First things first:  if you are sick, stay home.  No one wants your germs.  You don’t even want your germs, so why would anyone else?

Next, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not your hands.  This helps contain the spread of all our little microbes.  It’s also less gross.

Use the provided cleaners to clean the equipment you use.  (My kid recently sent me a photo from his gym that encouraged folks to clean up after themselves.  It included the sentence, “Your mom is not a member here.”  He said I am now not allowed to join his gym, but I don’t think that was the point.)  We all should do this anyway because no one wants to feel our sweat even when the issue isn’t germs.  (While we are wiping down the weights and other equipment, we can make sure to put everything back in the appropriate location—this is good manners and it helps keep everyone safe when the floor is not cluttered with random stuff to trip on.)

We all need to be diligent about washing our hands.

Now:  go get a polite workout in.  It’s good for you.

Monday Workout: Round lunges!

This week we keep jumping (when appropriate for our bodies!) and I have thrown in round lunges to work on core strength and balance.  I haven’t explained those in a while, so here is how they work.  We lunge forward on the right leg and then come back to our starting position.  Then we lunge to the side with the right leg and return to start.  Then we lunge to the back with the right leg and return to start.  That is one.  When we have ten of them, do five with the right leg and five with the left.  The change of direction means that we have to pay attention to core stability.  Three rounds.

(jump) squats	30
bench press	20
round lunges	10
plyo/reg/mod jacks	30
rows	20
kickbacks	10
Xiser	30
deadlifts	20
brains	10