MSI Press Blog

  excerpt from  Exercising in a Pandemic   by Pat Young:  (note: good information for any time where opportunities are limited)  Exercising Outside My good friend and a retired nurse, Merisa, lives on acreage in a remote area of the Southwest. She has some exercise equipment in her home, bought long before the pandemic became a reality, but she is also an advocate of exercise outside. “Of course, exercise enhances and improves health and wellbeing,” she says. “It also improves appearance and mental health.” “If you can’t go to parks, or use tennis courts or golf courses, then walk,” she says. “It’s possible to keep your distance, even when walking in your own neighborhood. Varying the pace is a good thing to do, too.” If you live in an area near resources, swimming, dancing, yoga or other exercise classes are a good alternative to walking. Many gyms reopened as the pandemic waned, while limiting the number of people in each class to keep social distancing in pla...

  excerpt from Exercising in a Pandemic   by Pat Young:  (note: good information for any time where opportunities are limited)  Healthy Advantages             A leading medical journal, Lancet, states that people who are physically active have only 35 days of poor mental health per year on average, compared to those who are not physically active, who have closer to 53 down days.             Another medical establishment, Nuvance Health, states that exercise boosts the immune system and keeps it functioning optimally. This is certainly an advantage during a pandemic such as the corona virus outbreak. Exercise reduces stress, prevents weight gain and improves sleep. Many exercise enthusiasts say they are actually energized after a workout. Exercising also offers the opportunity to enjoy social activities, something curtailed by pandemic safety precautions...

  The following is the story behind Exercising in a Pandemic (Young) From the author: When the pandemic hit, I talked to many people who were dismayed at the temporary closing of places like the YMCA (where I used to be a volunteer and where I frequently went to exercise) and other fitness centers around town. Especially for women, ongoing exercise is important in order to retain muscles and flexibility. For everyone, no matter what age or gender, exercise is so good for keeping the brain and the body healthy. Many of us were working out at home, and that inspired my book, Exercising in a Pandemic. There are so many ways to work out at home, even while doing chores or watching television.  The idea is to just keep moving. One example from my book is to include kids or pets in the action – lift them instead of weights. They might think it is fun. The ideas are simple and imaginative. Even now that the pandemic is behind us, working out at home is easy and convenient to add to ...

excerpt from Exercising in a Pandemic (Young) -  Exercising In the House             Exercising at home doesn’t involve travel time to the gym, and it sets a good example for kids and other family members who might be parked in front of the television set or computer screen. Maybe they will get up and exercise with you. Maybe you can switch the television or computer to an exercise program and involve the whole family, or just leave the television on and exercise while you watch something the whole family enjoys. If the television is turned off, find some lively music on the radio to work out with. Stretch to classical or new age music. Work out to jazz or rock. Find whatever lively music your whole family likes if you are working out together. Working out to music you enjoy makes exercising more fun. You will be more likely to continue an exercise regimen.             Sta...

  Excerpt from Exercising in a Pandemic Isolation             COVID-19, with all the pandemic’s accompanying closures and self-isolation, required a change of lifestyle, especially for those who were used to being active and following an exercise regimen. For several months, people were not able to go to the gym, the golf course or the tennis court. You couldn’t go for a walk in the park or on the beach to stay active, because parks and beaches were closed as well. With the stay-at-home order in place, even socializing was curtailed, and socializing goes hand-in-hand with staying active and exercising. Businesses and restaurants were closed. Shopping malls, where many people would go to enjoy their walks, were closed.             Innovative ways to stay active were born almost overnight, because exercise is the known core to staying healthy, both physically and mentally. Di...