How to Tackle Quarantine and Social Distancing

March 30, 2020

Keep the Spirit of the Outdoors at Home

During last week’s announcement when officials declared outdoor activities such as hiking safe from the bans and closures as long as we practiced social distancing, this gave us a brighter way in dealing with the outbreak. Getting some exercise and taking our minds away from the overcrowding of supermarkets and cooking your 17^th meal of the day, would at least keep us calm, let alone sane.

As the week progressed, trails became overcrowded and deemed unsafe and closures started to be implemented by many parks. Parking lots, trail heads, and even the remote zones were closed to the public. We are now advised to now stay home.

As we scroll through our archives of past hiking and camping trips, one can’t help to feel wistful. Pretty bummed to hear this, but it’s for the best to flatten the curve. If you’re reading this, we want to encourage our community to focus on the positives and try to make the most out of each day that we’re in.

Here’s a list of things you can still do that would bring some of that outdoor spirit indoors:

Camp in the backyard – With spring in full swing, campout in your backyard and cook your meals outdoors with your family. This would give you the perfect time to practice pitching your tent or even test out new gear.

How to have all the fun of camping without leaving home

(Photo: Active for Life)

Read – Catch up on your favorite novel or check out our recommended list that every outdoor enthusiast should add to their reading list

Watch Movies – Grab some popcorn and a projector and watch a movie in the backyard. Here’s a list of some recommended movies for the outdoor enthusiasts:

Free Solo
Touching the Void
A Walk in the Woods – A movie based on Bill Bryson’s best-selling book
Leaven No Trace
Homeward Bound – Great for kids and dog/cat lovers
The Grey

Train for your backpacking trip – Let’s face it backpacking is super strenuous and demands a lot from your body. We’ll provide a list of workouts you can do from home that will strength your legs, core, lower back, and shoulders.

Start with what you’re most comfortable with and work your way towards each workout. Perfect practice makes perfect progress. Optimally, you should train at least 8 weeks before you trip. A good mix of each workout type each day would guarantee you to be at the best shape for your next backpacking trip.

These workouts are not for everyone, please consult with a doctor or certified training professional if it is right for you.

Warmups – Warm up at least 5 to 10 minutes before going into each work out, a few warmup exercises can include:

Jumping Jacks

High Knee-Ups

Casual Walk

Legs
Jump Squats

Curtsy Side Lunge

Stepups

Single Legged Deadlifts

Core

Plank to Dolphin