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    For Me, Exercise Is Super Therapeutic; Here's How I've Kept It Up Over The Past Year

    It wasn’t always easy, but I’ve found ways to make it work.

    Hey! I'm Mary. And before quarantine came along last year, I went to my local gym five days a week.

    I know a lot of people dread going to the gym, but for me, exercise is therapeutic. I can block out all the chaos of everyday life and focus on movement and breathing. Before COVID-19, my days usually started like this: I woke up, checked work emails, and headed out to the gym, dropping my two little kids off at the gym's kids club while I got a morning workout in.

    After going to the same gym for over five years, I also had a solid group of gym friends who always pushed me through the harder stages of life. Some of them knew just about every detail of my life after we worked out side by side over the years. When the stars aligned, we would make it to the gym at the same time for a Dream Team workout.

    But then quarantine hit and it really threw me off track with my gym and fitness routine. Unless you’re Rebel Wilson, 2020 wasn’t exactly the year of health. Gyms were closed, alcohol sales went up, and the food delivery business was booming.

    The author with a Dunkin Donuts home delivery in the early days of quarantine.

    After COVID-19 shut down all the gyms in my area, I turned to running outside and working out in my basement. My equipment choices were slim, but I was the proud owner of this super-durable jump rope ($10; Amazon) and 3-, 5-, and 10-pound weights.

    I alternated between a few different at-home workout routines for those first few months. Here are some of my favorites:

    1. For dance cardio, Anna Kaiser’s "Happy Hour" workout DVD.

    View this video on YouTube

    youtube.com

    This DVD ($14.95; Amazon) has gotten me through many a rainy day when I couldn’t take my workout outside. Am I a dancer? No. Do I look like a lunatic jumping around my basement doing her “PARTY” move? Yep. Have I accidentally kicked my children while lost in the glorious movement of dance? YEP.

    If you’re not a dinosaur with a DVD player like me, you can sign up for AKT GO and stream Anna's workouts on demand. For a free version, catch a Facebook Live workout, or try the three-minute dance cardio video above.

    2. For effective full-body workouts, Jeanette Jenkins, aka the Hollywood Trainer's boot camp.

    3. For versatile workouts that also explain the science behind them, Kira Stokes' Fit App.

    After many months of solo workouts, I was slowly going a little bonkers. So I met up with my Dream Team for a (socially distanced!) parking lot workout, followed by a beer and gossip sesh.

    The author working out with four of her gym friends in shirts that say "Dream Team"

    After several Dream Team parking lot workouts over summer, I realized I missed training with a professional. Plus the concrete was doing a number on my joints. 😬

    I had been following a local boutique gym called Burn Boot Camp on social media for a few months and was impressed with their COVID-19 safety measures, so I decided to try it out.

    The author in a mask at her local gym

    I’ll leave you with a few things I’ve learned from trainers and workout buddies along the way. I circle back to these whenever I need a mental pep talk during These Times:

    1. Dedication and motivation aren't the same thing.

    2. Consistency and planning are key — but nobody's perfect. (So you shouldn't expect to be!)

    3. When it comes to your health, it's important to celebrate the victories that aren't weight-related.

    A scene from "Schitt's Creek" that says, "Alexis has been working on herself"

    4. Be realistic and take smaller steps if you need to.

    A gym scene from "Gilmore Girls" in which Loralei says, "I was just gonna say that. More cucumber water?"

    5. Be grateful for what you have and for what you're able to do.

    How have you modified your fitness routine during lockdown or balanced it with everything else going on? Share your experience in the comments below! 💪