Swimming the Pandemic

Everyone's been remarking on how quickly things have been changing during this pandemic. One day you're doing your usual routine, and the next--you can't.

That's what happened with my exercise routine. 

On Sunday, I went to the Y for my usual swim. When I got back, I wrote this blog post.

Yesterday, the Y closed abruptly at 1 pm for the foreseeable future.

I'll share this post, anyway. 

What regular physical activities have you had to give up because of pandemic-related closures?

3/15/2020

I slipped into the cool water of the Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA today at about 11:40 am today, my usual Sunday swim time. As usual, there was room for me, and I didn't have to circle swim with anyone--I just split a lane with someone.

As I checked in at the front desk earlier, I told the desk worker that I was glad the Y was open. "Are they making any plans to close?" I asked.

"No, they'll be open for now," she replied.

I waited.

"Well, they did tell us that if the public schools take an extra week for break--it's their break now, you know--then we'll probably close."

Oh.

"Well, I'm grateful that you're open today!" I said before heading to the locker room.

A day or two ago on Facebook, my cousin had pointed out to me that they'd probably shut down the Y. 'They shut down all the public pools in Italy," she pointed out.

I have been swimming laps for exercise (not racing! I am NOT fast!) since I was 24. Twice a week, I go to the Y and swim at my (rather slow pace) back and forth in the pool for about 20 minutes. Maybe because I set the bar so low (yes, just 2x a week! Only 20 minutes at a time!), I have been able to keep up this habit. I even swam during both of my pregnancies, up to a few days before each boy was born.

My latest workout is High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT, where I swim as fast as I can down the length of the pool, and swim back at a regular pace. I am not a sporty person, but this little workout give me a chance to stretch out my muscles and get the blood flowing.

And plus: if I stay active, then I can eat ice cream once in a while without having to buy new, bigger clothes!

When I heard that the Y might close soon because of the coronavirus, I was not surprised. Still, I felt frustrated.

Sometimes I wonder if I have a slight exercise addiction.

Luckily, the weather isn't too awful, so I can get out to go walking. I don't consider that quite as much of a workout as swimming, but it will keep me moving. I'll enjoy the sunshine, too.