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Years ago, my grandfather lived in the remote wilderness of Alaska. I remember his stories of walking a couple of miles, shooting a moose, quartering it, and carrying it back to the cabin. While this was admittedly required for food and survival, it also provided him with valuable exercise.
One thing you will find living in isolation is this: Sooner or later, the walls start to close in.
When people develop cabin fever, people’s moods can begin to deteriorate. Exercise is one of the best ways to combat this. It provides a great outlet to keep you happy and healthy. While my guess is during the coronavirus pandemic you’ll be hard pressed to find a moose to shoot, there are nevertheless many new exercise programs you can begin.
For example, USA Martial Arts of Morgantown (morgantowndojo.com) has converted their classes to online – and nothing combats depression and the moodiness like practicing hitting and kicking!
Another good routine you can work in your home is BeachBodyOnDemand.com.
My household is a family of five and our nights are jam-packed with each of us taking turns doing different workout routines with BeachBody. My entire family and then the entire family gathers to take instructions from USA Martial Arts’ Shihan Woods on everything from sparring techniques to kata, which are individual training exercises for practitioners of martial arts.
If the above workout doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, why not start a dance class with your significant other? Or take your dog for a walk around the neighborhood. The rivers aren’t closed yet, so if you’ve got a kayak or canoe, you can row row row your boat a few times a week.
It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise you do, just do it. Get up and get moving and make exercise a major event in your day. We all have the time now.
Exercise also directly plays into another tip, your calorie intake. When isolated, we all have a tendency to be more sedimentary – so along with increasing your exercising, cut back on your eating. Only eat two meals a day or three small ones. And watch the junk food in between meals.
While isolated in Antarctica, it was not uncommon for my colleagues there to leave there 30 pounds heavier than when they arrived. In this time of quarantine, don’t let this happen to you!
By Mike Masterman, President & CEO, Extreme Endeavors
Mike Masterman spent 28 months isolated in Antarctica, including two winters at the South Pole. He is writing this blog during the coronavirus pandemic to share the strategies and suggestions he learned during his time in the remoteness of the Antarctic.
