Southport Magazine

As we ride out Phase 2 of the efforts to control the pandemic, many of us are looking for things to do at home to keep our mind and body active. Sometimes it is worth breaking away from the TV bingeing session to change things up a bit. Below are a few ideas to help make your time at home feel more like a stay-cation instead of a lock-down.

If you do happen to venture out of your home, please do your best to support our local businesses. They are getting creative and working hard to continue to provide services and keep their doors open until we can get back to life as usual again.

READ – this is great time to rekindle or start a new reading habit.

·  Download free eBooks from your local library

·  Have a family read-along where everyone takes a turn reading passages from a favorite book; this is something that can also be done over video with family members living apart

·  Check out storyonline.com, which features videos of celebrities reading children’s books

·  Looking for some good reads that you may not have heard about? Check out some of the award winners (or runners-up) at the National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize, Edgar Award, the Booker Prize, etc.

·  Start or join a virtual book club on social media

LEARN – There are dozens of sites offering incredible learning opportunities – for FREE!

·  Visit edx.org, which was founded by Harvard and MIT, and offers free online classes on everything from art and astronomy to zoology from major colleges and universities across the world: Stanford, Dartmouth, Sorbonne, Stanford, Oxford, University of Queensland, and more.

·  Check out Yale’s popular free course on happiness, “The Science of Well-Being.” It promises to guide you through challenges that will increase your happiness and build productive habits – while teaching you the science behind well-being.

·  Teach yourself a new hobby or skill, or get better at an existing one! There are literally hundreds of sites online to learn or brush up on fun, creative, or helpful skills. Check out Skillshare, Bluprint, the Khan Academy, and good old YouTube for everything from learning to play guitar to speaking a new language or sewing a new workout outfit.

PLAY – Yes, there are an almost infinite number of games you can play on your phone, game console, and computer…but what about non-digital games?

·  Grab a deck of cards and gather round the table for a game of Crazy 8s, War, Go Fish, or Cribbage

·  Bicycle Cards has a long list (along with easy to follow rules) of new games to check out, for all ages and abilities

·  Look in the closet for your stash of board games and have a marathon session of classics: Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, etc. (have a friend or family member far away…play via video conference and share some face time)

·  Put together a jigsaw puzzle

·  Grab a book of crosswords or sudoku games on your next venture to the grocery store or order one in your next online order.

MOVE – Don’t get stuck in the trap of sitting on the couch all day. Instead, find fun ways to incorporate movement into your routine.

·  Set up a scavenger hunt list of things to find outside; share with friends and family. Have everyone go for walks and find the items on the list and have them take pictures.

·  Work on your landscaping or other outdoor projects. On those hot or rainy days, work on the never-ending list of indoor projects (painting, closet organizing, cleaning, etc.).

·  Put some fun, upbeat music on and dance around your house like no one is watching.

·  Work out in your living room. Do one of the numerous workouts available online or sign-up with yours truly for a personalized one-on-one training session via Zoom…it is just like we are in the same room…but not!

·  Go for a walk outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. If possible, try new hiking/walking trails in the area.

Remember an active mind and body does wonders for your overall health and well-being. While everyone loves a good TV binge from time to time, we also know the power of moderation. A little couch time coupled with healthy food, workouts, and fun activities can equal a happier, more balanced you.

If you have any questions or other thoughts to share, I would love to hear from you! Even though we are all separated right now, we are still Better Together.

Brian@BetterTogetherFitness.com

BetterTogetherFitness.com