David

In these COVID-19 pandemic days, where going to a gym or a recreation centre to ride a stationary bike or a rowing machine isn't an option, I'm trying to Live Active by getting outdoors. I start each day with about a 20-minute Yoga routine; nothing too crazy, lots of stretching, sun salutations, tree poses and core and lower body work.

During the summer months I had started a routine of getting up early to skip rope on my patio. If, like me, you haven't skipped for a while, give it a try. It's a tremendous aerobic work-out in a very short period of time. For beginners, like me, it is suggested 3 sets of 2 minutes of skipping with a rest of 2 minutes in between each set. Trust me, there's a reason trainers recommend skipping. I chose an early morning session to avoid being entertainment for my neighbors... my technique needs work.

I supplement my summer routine with daily walks (with a mask in my pocket) through some of Edmonton's outstanding neighborhoods and parks, like Hawrelak, Gold Bar and Laurier. I also bought a basket for my bike and use it to run small errands to local shops and grocery stores. This is in addition to longer rides through our city's terrific river valley trails.

On Friday nights, my wife Denise and I practice our waltzes and two-steps around our kitchen for about 15 minutes. It's fun and a great way to start off the weekend. We haven't had too many opportunities to go dancing in recent years so besides being active, it helps us keep the rust off for the next time we actually get to step out on a dance floor.

Winter sees me continuing my walks and incorporating about a 30-minute skate at the Victoria Oval about every second day. I like the Oval because there's lots of room, the ice is ready early in the season and they don't allow hockey sticks and pucks on the ice.

Edmonton really has a lot of great neighbourhood parks and outdoor spaces. During the past year Denise and I have really enjoyed driving our car to somewhere we haven't been and spending about an hour walking around and exploring our city and getting to know it better. For me, that's been the real "up-side" of the physical distancing requirement that all of us have had to endure.