Going stir crazy? You’re not alone. COVID-19 and cold winter weather have left millions stuck at home for months. Shake off your indoor blues with these tips to get outside as often as you possibly can, while naturally incorporating more outdoor exercise.
If you’re feeling especially cooped up and restless, take heart. The weather is warming up and you can find plenty of reasons to get outside. You’ll still want to wear a mask and stay 6 feet from others when outdoors, even if you’ve already been vaccinated. But try these 9 tips to help get yourself out of the house for some outdoor exercise and fun.
1. Bring your indoor workouts back outside
Try to swap some of your indoor exercise for outdoor exercise. Walk, run, cycle, or hike. Or, if you can, set up a backyard workout space for your indoor cardio, yoga, or strength training routines. Some gyms and fitness centers now hold outdoor spin, cardio, and bootcamp classes. Try one!
2. Schedule outdoor chores
Chores may not sound fun, but any chance to get outside is a chance to enhance your mood. Schedule 10 minutes of yardwork 2 or 3 days each week. Get outside to weed, trim, or mow. Wash your car or give your bike a tune-up to get outside for a while. You’ll get to check chores and outdoor exercise off your list at the same time!
3. Fly a kite
Head out to the beach or a local park to fly a kite. Have members of your household join you or fly your kite solo.
4. Go on a picnic
Pack a picnic lunch and head to the park or beach with your spouse or other members of your household.
5. Try your hand at sidewalk chalk drawings
Add some colorful chalk drawings on the sidewalks around your home. You can leave encouraging, inspirational messages to share with neighbors or deliverers. Or draw your pet, a tree, or anything that comes to mind.
6. Spend time at the dog park
Even if you don’t have a dog of your own, head out to your local dog park to watch or join the pups at play. The joyful abandon of dogs romping together will lift your mood. If there’s a dog park within walking distance, let your feet take you there for some added activity! If dogs enjoy outdoor exercise, you can, too!
7. Chat with a neighbor over the fence
Next time you bump into your next-door neighbor, have a fence-side chat.
8. Seek a change of scenery
Research suggests that new locations and activities may help enhance mood and well-being. Drive to another neighborhood or a local park for your outdoor exercise. You might walk, cycle, or run. Take in the view from a hilltop. Stop for some takeout at a restaurant you’ve not tried.
9. Stay safe outdoors
Follow pandemic guidelines for your region. Stay aware of your surroundings and traffic. Bring a charged cell phone with you. And let a friend or family member know where you’re going if you plan solo outings further than your own backyard.
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This information is not intended to take the place of regular medical care or advice. Please check with your doctor before using this information or beginning any self-care program.
References
Harvard Health Publishing. (2018). Sour mood getting you down? Get back to nature. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/sour-mood-getting-you-down-get-back-to-nature
Mayo Clinic. (2020). Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/safe-activities-during-covid19/art-20489385
McCarthy, C. (2020). Not a staycation: Isolating at home affects our mental health (and what to do). Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/not-a-staycation-isolating-at-home-affects-our-mental-health-and-what-to-do-2020041319519
Shi, T. C., Chiemeka-Ezi, C. E., Reneau, T. R., Baez, L. M., Gibbons, C. J., & Hartley, C. A. (2020). Association between real-world experiential diversity and positive affect relates to hippocampal-striatal functional connectivity. Nature Neuroscience, 23, 800–804. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-020-0636-4
Wang, H. C., Ting, W. Li, Z., Tianyu-Sun, E., & Wang, X. (2020). Mental health problems of individuals under the stay-home policy. Psychiatry Investigation, 17(7), 712–713. doi:10.30773/pi.2020.0219
This article was written by Gail Olson; edited by Candace Hodges; and, clinically reviewed by Jossue Ortiz, DC.
