My goal this summer has been to run and train every single day outdoors. Playing outside right now feels like the most natural, soul-satisfying medicine, and I really recommend it. It’s safe, and it’s the best stress relief I’ve found. Months of being cooped up and socially isolated during coronavirus have taken a toll on my family’s mental health.

As a mom, I worry a lot about my family’s health during the pandemic—my worry about this new abnormal eclipses my fear about the virus itself. And my worries about this virus are not small by any measure, it’s just that the toll of social distancing is more tangibly felt right now in our everyday lives. So I’m leading by example and making this a commitment for myself. Although I would love to lose those 10lbs that have crept up on me during quarantine, it’s not the point. The point is to do the healthiest, most grounded thing possible and to be present in every moment. 

Being outside in unstructured environments feels so good that I’m in no rush to get my old fitness routine back. There is no waiting in lineups, no partitioned areas, and no equipment is needed – just getting outside and doing my workouts and getting some vitamin D while I’m out there. Unstructured play is what we all need, adults and children alike! Being physical makes us grounded. 

The lululemon Strava Challenge in June really set my fitness back on track after relying on the comforts of snacks and daily afternoon naps to get me through quarantine. The dangling carrot of a discount code was such a great motivation to sign up.

The lululemon Strava challenge reminded me that I didn’t need a gym structure to get active or any special equipment. The most significant benefit of taking the leap with the Strava challenge was not my physical fitness but also my mental health fitness. I noticed it eased a lot of anxiety and tension, and I was finally sleeping better. Those positive benefits helped me better able to  work from home with a full house. I’m now signed up to do the Virtual Seawheeze 10km, and although it feels like a stretch signing up so last minute, I know I can do it. That finisher’s medal will have extra special meaning for me.

I’ve added a full training routine to go along with my running, including some tough stair climbing for a good VO2 Max workout, and Tabata workouts. My kids and husband do the stair climbing with me daily, and my husband has joined me with the run challenges. The kids do one round of the steps and then wait for me to do a second or third lap. The stair workouts give me the pukey feeling about halfway up my second lap, so I know it’s a good one.

I’m throwing in many of my Crossfit bodyweight workouts and improvising a lot with a roster of different familiar exercises. Skipping variations has been in heavy rotation, ab workouts and squats too!

Another excellent resource for Do-Anywhere workouts is the lululemon community page on their website and their YouTube channel. It’s such a great resource! lululemon has been such a great positive motivator for me during this time.