By Allison Croley

In the 1930s, when Kurt Hahn, the founder of Outward Bound, was diagnosed with an allergy to the sun, he was ordered to stay inside. Sound familiar? We may not all be allergic to the sun, but we are all being asked to stay inside, away from other people, to help decrease the spread of the novel coronavirus, Covid-19. 

This affects all of us — in many different ways. For those of us with the privilege to stay at home, maybe you’re feeling stir crazy sitting at home all day or are bummed to be missing your first OBCA course. Maybe you’re confused and frustrated because someone in your family is unable to stay home. Maybe you’re really missing your friends and teachers. Maybe, like me, you’re super introverted and are enjoying an excuse to sit and contemplate life rather than socially engage all day. However you’re feeling, I’m sure Kurt Hahn was feeling it too.

In his journals, our friend Kurt wrote about how he kept himself grounded while staying inside away from the sun. One of those ways was continuing to keep his body fit and active. Years later, physical fitness became a pillar of Outward Bound. So, in light of our shelter in place order and Kurt Hahn’s wisdom, here are six ways to practice physical fitness while sheltering in place.

1. Do an online guided workout. Many fitness companies are offering free at-home classes during this pandemic whether it be HIIT, crossfit, or full-body workouts. With many parks and beaches closed, it’s important now more than ever to keep that body moving! Try one of these apps for at-home workouts:
   1. 7 Minute Workouts 
   2. Running & Strength Training 
   3. FitOn: Cardio, Barre, Etc
   4. Daily Workouts: 5 to 30 Minutes 
   5. Sworkit 
2. Do some backyard (or living room) yoga. Staying inside all day distance learning or scrolling social media can do a number on your body, making it stiff and achy. Yoga is an efficient and relaxing way to stretch out and release some stress, and it can be done virtually anywhere! Many local yoga studios are offering online classes right now. Support your local businesses and hop in on a class if you have the means. Or try one of these apps for a free at home yoga flow that will open your hips and stretch out your back:
   1. Yoga for Beginners 
   2. Lotus Yoga 
   3. Simply Yoga 
3. Go for a walk around your neighborhood (while still practicing social distancing of course!). Does that sound boring? Make it a scavenger hunt. Before you leave, make a list of things to find (ie: a bluejay, a welcome doormat, a pink mailbox, a different state license plate, etc). Give yourself 30 minutes to find everything on your list. If you find it all, good job! Treat yourself with an Outward Bound classic treat — a cup of hot cocoa.
4. Practice a whole day of micro workouts. Don’t know what micro workouts are? Well, they’re exactly as they sound! Micro Workouts are small exercises you do throughout the day to fill time you would otherwise spend on a screen. For example, do you scroll through Instagram while waiting for your shower water to heat up? Try doing squats until the water is hot instead. Do you add to your Snapchat story while waiting for the pasta water to boil? Snap yourself doing push-ups off the kitchen counter. See how many squats, pushups, and lunges you can do in a day, then try to beat it the next day! For more information on micro workout, check out this post. 
5. Deep clean your room. I know, it might not sound like your first choice. But, cleaning and organizing is really good, sustained physical movement. Get into those closet drawers — you know, the ones you haven’t opened since you were a little kid — pull everything out, and either find a spot for it or toss it! Even better, find a playlist you’ve never listened to before and find some new music while you organize. Follow some of these people on instagram for tips and tricks on decluttering your space:
   1. @ailsachristina
   2. @mariekondo
   3. @theminimalistwardrobe
   4. @konmarie
   5. @adetailedlife
6. Have a dance party. Put on that 2010s Party Hits playlist and jam out. Whip your hair around, shake your hips, jump up and down, roll around on the floor — whatever kind of dancing suits you, do it! No one’s watching. Let loose! If you need some inspiration, check out these youtube channels:
   1. Millennium Dance Complex Los Angeles
   2. Jojo Gomez
   3. Tim Milgram
   4. Kaycee Rice **Official Channel**

Or these TikTok accounts:

1. @kirstendodgenn
2. @allisonholkerboss
3. @charliedamelio
4. @jalaiah

We’re all trying to figure out life during this unprecedented time, and it’s really hard and unsettling. I know personally, I always try to learn from people who have experienced more life than me. So I’m taking Kurt Hahn’s advice and keeping my body active during this shelter in place order.

Allison was born and raised in California and has a self-proclaimed shark obsession. After graduating college in Los Angeles with a degree in English, she moved to Central Florida to instruct for the North Carolina Outward Bound School’s at-risk program. Four years later, after instructing and course directing in Florida and North Carolina, Allison moved to New Orleans and taught 4th and 5th grade English Language Arts. Realizing that the classroom wasn’t for her, Allison moved back to her home in the Bay Area and again found herself instructing with Outward Bound California. When not backpacking the rolling hills of Northern California with a group of middle schoolers, Allison surfs, hoping to see a great white in the distance of the Pacific, drinks coffee out of enormous mugs, writes low-grade poetry, and watches lots of political dramas.