Self-Quarantine Does NOT mean STAYING INSIDE. 8 Best Solitary Outdoor Activities

 

Quarantine DOES NOT MEAN RESTRICTED INSIDE YOUR HOME!
(yes, I’m yelling that.. ..AND waving my arms!)

GET OUTSIDE!!!! 

Granted ‘get outside’ means solitary activities outside.
⚠ NOT hanging elbow to elbow on a beach
⚠ NOT pic-nicing with all your pals in the park pavilion
⚠ NOT playing a sweaty body-bumping game of basketball in the courtyard

“Go Running. Take a hike. ”

-Said Gov. Cuomo of New York in regards to New York's statewide mandate requiring citizens to "quarantine at home."

 

Listen Up, staying INSIDE while quarantining can be extremely harmful to your system.

Thus making you MORE susceptible to infection. 

💨You NEED fresh air💨    

☀️you NEED sunshine☀️   

🏃🏻‍♀️you NEED exercise.🏃🏻‍♀️

Here are 8 SOLITARY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES to escape your house during this “Quarantine Season”

 

1.) CoRUNavirus

Running/walking. Running is my go to. Taking deep restorative breaths, clearing your lungs and mind, getting all of your muscles and joints moving, blood flowing, sweating, sun beaming on your skin, stress falling off behind you as you run forward! 

All good things that help clear your body of toxins and boost up your immune system. 

Not to mention the endorphins that positively affect your mental health!  

Not a runner? WALK then, as briskly as you can, even if it’s just around your neighborhood. Taking deep breaths and extended exhales along the way! 

Don’t like to run or walk alone? Facetime someone! No joke, this is what my sister and I do ALL THE TIME, social distancing or not! Besides, talking and laughing during exercise only bumps up your calories burned! 

The DON’Ts:

• Don’t run with a group of people
• Avoid crowded trails, sidewalks, or parks
• Avoid touching hand rails or really anything on your walk/run
• No using stationary objects outside for stretching (better to stretch before and after, inside your home)
• Don’t drink from a public water fountain. Take a small bottle of water with you that you don’t intend on setting down. 
• Don't wear your shoes back into your house! People spit, sneeze, and cough allover the sidewalk. If you're in an area seeing a lot of cases, I would bet the bottom of your shoe would test positive for this virus after a run. It can live on many surfaces for 3 to 5 days so Kick those suckers off and give the soles a SERIOUS clorox, lysol, or rubbing alcohol scrub down before bringing them in.  

 

 

2.) Quaratine Camping

Camping and Backpacking. I tell you what! Nothing’s more “self-quarantining” than CAMPING! A retreat to the fresh, wide open spaces of the wilderness is WAY better than confining yourselves to your stuffy home with its dust and recirculating air. 

Think about it. They’re telling you not to go in to work, not to be around people, avoid crowded locations, don’t take public transit...they are literally describing backpacking and camping. lol . Why not use this time to get away from the chaos and head out on that wilderness trip you’ve been meaning to take.

The DON’Ts 

• Don’t camp with a large group of people! Take whoever lives in your household that you’ve been pent up with already.
• Avoid popular public campgrounds. Find a spot that you can hike out to, and set up away from others.
• Don’t use public amenities. Check out these blogs about pooping in the woods and peeing in a hammock. (Yep. There’s really blogs about that.. It’s a freeing experience really. WAY cleaner than using a shared toilet)
• Don’t take the wrong gear. This is meant to be relaxing, if your gear fails, your trip fails. Click here to see the best camping (aka quarantine) shelter for one or two people.

3.) Covid-Hiking

You can safely drive to nearby trailheads without technically “coming out of quarantine”,  granted you drive straight there and straight home and pack your own lunch and water.  Whether it be a gorgeous day-hike to the peak or just a long walk in the woods it’s typically very easy to keep your distance from others on the trails. 

The DON’T’s

• Don’t hike with a large group. Go solo or take a few that you’ve been pent up with already.
• Avoid the VERY popular public trails that you know will be crowded.
• Don’t use public amenities.
• Avoid using your hands on rails or gates. If you know you will need to use rails, put on a pair of one-time-use gloves and throw them away before getting back in your car. This is to avoid spread onto the rails from your own hands, or taking potential virus home with you.   
• Don’t tread ON ME. Move over. Let people pass and maintain distance from others on the trail.

 

4.) Row, Row, Row Your Boat Far Away From Me

Paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, shoot even TUBING! Want to be somewhere where there are literally no surfaces for the virus to land? Try on the water.  Besides, it’s easy to keep a safe social distance while paddling down a river.

The DON’Ts

• Don’t paddle with a large group. Others on the river want their space too.
• Try and find a non public launch area. Even if that means pushing off a little ways down the river in the trees.
• Don’t drink the water. OK OK, that’s a given on any paddle trip. Lol
• Don’t use rented or borrowed gear unless it’s been cleaned first. (I’d still even wipe the paddles and surfaces down with lysol/clorox wipes first, or even just rubbing alcohol on a washcloth)

 

 

5.) Social Distance Climbing

Ahhh climbing. My favorite sport in the world. If you’re a seasoned climber you’re probably already out there at the crag anyway, so this one goes out to you! You know where the most secluded spots are, go there. And unless you’re soloing, you only need one other person to belay anyway so avoiding hanging in a crowd is already done! 

The DON’Ts

• Don’t forget your hand sanitizer. Use it before and after every climb.
• Don’t put the rope in your mouth!! I KNOW this is a mindless habit, but just don’t. Even if it means climbing something a little easier for the time being. Every other precaution is useless if you’re putting your rope in your mouth.
• Don’t crowd waiting for a route. If a route is occupied move on to another location.
• Wear a mask. I know, I know, it seems excessive. But think about how close your mouth comes to the rock at times- lets not spread anything where others hands are going to be grabbing. Besides, it will remind you not to bite your rope!
• If you do not have climbing gear already, bouldering is a great place to start. All you need are climbing shoes, chalk bag, and crash pad. 

 

 

6.) Fishing for Sunny Solitude

Fishing is SUCH a great solitary outdoor activity for one or two people.  ‘Six feet away friend, or I’ll hook ya!’ lol.  Peaceful fresh air, sunshine, exercise, nature, relaxation, being ALONE... need I say more.

The DON’Ts

• Avoid touching anything on the pier or railings.
• Find a spot away from others, typically right by the waters edge is not a high traffic area anyway 
• Don’t forget to wash your hands before you leave your house and first thing when you get home. 
• NO PICKING YOUR NOSE while you wait for a bite! Jeeeze. (great way to jam the covid right up in there!)

 

7.) Drafting-Free Biking/Cycling 

If you’re already into distance cycling, you’re good to go with your normal biking activity, ride with the wind my friend!  If not, how fun would it be to pull out some wheels and feel like a kid again! Or better yet, get out of the city and try trail riding! Great exercise, wind in your hair, exciting, fun- just get your juices flowing, while going too fast for others juices to get on you…(grosss) 

 

The DON’Ts

• Don’t use a communal bike unless you intend to wipe it down with lysol/clorox wipes first, (or even just rubbing alcohol on a washcloth) I’d even go as far as wearing gloves
• Don’t bike in a group
• Don’t bike directly behind anyone. What if they spit into the air, where’s it gonna go? Your mouth probably.

 

8.) Backyard Yoga or Workouts

There are hundreds of thousands of online workouts you can follow just on your phone from your porch or in your own backyard such as Sweatwithlaurenhrfez and Sydney Cummings on youtube.  Many are free and others, like @downdogapp a fantastic yoga ap, have currently waived their fees during this time. 

The DON’Ts

• THERE ARE NO DONT’s here! If you can’t get outside away from your home, exercise on your porch or even just the curb in front of your residence! The point is to get your body moving with sunshine on your skin! 
• Wash your hands after you’re done with your downward dogs.

 

FOR ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITY DURING THIS CRAZY QUARANTINE TIME: 

Take the 6 feet rule seriously! Even if it means awkwardly moving far away from someone as you run, bike, paddle, or hike past. 

You really never know when someone may cough. 

And seriously,  you really wanna suck in their mucus droplets? Didn’t think so.

Remember to be NIIIIICE!!!!!! I have personally taken this”social distancing” on the trail as a que to move away, not make eye contact, or speak to others. 

It’s like my brain has inadvertently equated distance as removing all social human interaction and kindness.

Force yourself to wave, smile, say “hi, how are you?” from a distance, then move on.  We are beings built to desire human interaction. A simple smile and hello to someone who spends the majority of their day at home alone can make a massive difference for them and for you!  

 

To everyone reading, I suggest this for your health and sanity:

☀️☁️🏃🏻‍♀️🏋🏻‍♀️🧗‍♀️   GET OUTSIDE  ⛰🚴🏾‍♂️🧘🏿‍♀️⛺️☁️☀️

But do it responsibly and away from others. 

Most importantly, and I WISH this was a given, STAY HOME IF YOU’RE SICK!

So tell me!  WHAT‘S YOUR go-to solitary outdoor activity? 

If you're ready to get started with a self-quarantine camp out download our free checklist here!