COVID-19 Musings - Exercise

Exercise and well being is the prompt fpr week six of the State Library of Victoria Collaborative Isolation Project (#SLVMemoryBank).

With the Stay at Home regulations currently in place in Victoria it is still important to remain fit via regular exercise though a little imagination may be required to enable this.

For many years going to the local gym has been a regular part of our weekly routine. Mondays and Tuesdays are gym days and after walking  the grandchildren to school we spend part of the morning at Knox Leisureworks. We also go to the gym sometimes on Fridays and also on Sundays in the non-cricket season. Therefore when all the gyms in the state were closed it was necessary to look at other ways to exercise. Our back verandah is now referred to as the family gym.

Last year when one of our sons decided that he no longer needed the exercise bike it was relocated to our house and the verandah. I used it occasionally but now my husband and Nick give the bike a thorough workout several times a week.

When Nick moved home he brought some weights with him which also live on the verandah and Robin found a box of small weights that had been retired to the shed many years ago. These are now used in exercise routines, particulaly by Nick. I occasionally use the smaller weights and also sometimes do the exercises from my gym plan that do not require equipment.

Nick is the golfer in the family and with the golf courses closed he now practices some of the strokes in our back garden. He also uses the back garden as a walking track during the day when he needs a short break form sitting at a computer.

Fortunately the cricket season for the veterans and the under 10s finished just before the restrictions on the number of people who could gather in one place were imposed. However the finals were due to be held the weekend after the closure. Unfortunately the Firsts and the under 14s lost as they were below the team on the ladder that they were meant to play. The Thirds however won their division.

The cricket season therefore came to an abrupt end with all end of season functions cancelled. The exception was the veterans team who had wisely held their end of season dinner at the beginning of March. The annual veterans' cricket competition held each year at Mildura was cancelled part way through when new restrictions were implemented. Needless to say over 70s cricket team tour of  England that was to be held in the middle of this year was cancelled and the chance of the over 70s national championships, due to be held in Launceston in November, going ahead is problematic at this stage.

With the cancellation of most sport throughout the world, those who like to sit in front of the television watching sport almost continuously are gradually recovering from withdrawal symptons.

My main exercise regime has always been walking so I now try and go for a walk each day unless the weather is too cold and wet. The main difference now is that Robin often comes with me.

There are a variety of options for walks near home including short walks around the block; walks around an extended block and longer 'block walks' that can last for an hour usually involving a walk through the cricket ground and then continuing on to Mountain Highway, Stud Road, Boronia Road then home. For a change there is also another 'larger block' walk heading in the other direction past the Tabulam & Templer Homes then on to Boronia Road and home. Several times we have walked to Wantirna where we discovered a Japanese restaurant that we were not aware of. On some occasions we just go to the cricket ground and do laps of the ground before returning home. As the area where we live has lots of small hills walking is not just  accumulating steps but also exercises the leg muscles.

There are signs at the cricket ground reminding people that this is a time of physical distancing.

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There is also  sign at the nearby playgound reminding people that the playground is closed for the present. Similar signs exist in areas that provide exercise equipment for walkers and joggers.

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When going on these walks it is not unusual to pass people walking their dogs or people, like us just going for a walk. At the cricket ground there are often joggers and / or cyclists on the track that surrounds the ground. Older people usually smile and say hello or comment about the weather while younger walkers usually concentrate on their devices and are oblivious to others on the track. There are exceptions, of course.

Several weeks ago it was not unusual to encounter drawings like this on the footpath along with words of encouragement such as Stay Safe, You are not Alone and Smile to passersby. Today when I went for a walk they had all disappeared, probably due to foot traffic and the heavy rain in the eastern suburbs recently.

Several times a week, especially when the weather is sunny, we also go for a longer walk by Dandenong Creek which is not far from where we live. When the weather is inclement we still try to go for a walk if there is a break in the weather, even if it is a brisk walk around the block.

Walks therefore not only provide a good form of exercise, there is also opportunity to enjoy fresh air and maybe sunshine (and Vitamin D) as well as exploring the local neighbourhood.

Further information:
Chalk drawings - ABC

See also the following links for posts on some of our walks near home during the past two months:

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Exercising on Shared Paths

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (1)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (2)
COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (3)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (4)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (5)

COVID-19 Musings - Exercise - Dandenong Creek (6)

See all posts relating to COVID-19