When Pandemic Closes the Gym, Try This

The weather is unseasonably warm this week, here in San Diego. Temperature reached 26 degrees Celsius (about 80 F) this afternoon. I set out for a morning walk, when cooler, and surprisingly found what is the Featured Image. We all may be ordered to “shelter-in-place” and to “social distance“, but people still go outdoors—and exercise is all the more important to folks whose gym routines are upended by closure of most businesses.

The make-shift “fitness circuit” is wonderful remedy for anyone looking to maintain a physical exertion routine or to use the lockdown as opportunity to improve health through increased activity. Sunlight is an excellent source of Vitamin D, which offers several health benefits—improved immunity is one of them. That could assist the body’s fight against the ravages of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)—aka COVID-19.

“From about late March/early April to the end of September, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight”  NHS in the UK explains. “The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors”. So exercise, and do so outside, San Diegans—and use the three seasons—early summer, mid-summer, and late-summer—to your sun-worshipping advantage.

I captured the “15 squats” using Leica Q2. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/2.8, ISO 100, 1/1000 sec; 9:35 a.m. PDT.