News: Creative Ways for Recreation - March 19, 2020

Message from the Bloomfield Leisure Services Department,
 
With the evolving situation surrounding the coronavirus (CoVID-19), we would like to provide an update and information for our residents, program participants and their families. As we are all encouraged to engage in social distancing all of indoor facilities are closed and programs have been suspended until further notice.
 
However, understanding the importance of recreation and promoting a healthy and well balance lifestyle, we’d like to take this opportunity to share some ways in which you and your family can obtain this balance. Here are a few suggested ideas:
 
We encourage people to still go outdoors while still partaking in social distancing:

• take a walk
• go for a run
• ride a bike
• go on a hike
• go fishing
• plan scavenger hunt with the family (in the yard or in the park)
• clean up the yard
• take up gardening
• build a fort in the yard
• create an obstacle course
• play golf – Wintonbury Hills Golf Course will be open beginning at 9 am tomorrow morning (March 20, 2020) https://www.wintonburyhillsgolf.com/

• play a board game
• build an indoor fort
• work on puzzles
• clean out old household items
• FaceTime with family and friends
• write letters to family and friends
• arts and crafts
• bake some cookies/ cook your favorite recipe
• exercise – push-ups, sit ups, burpee’s, pull ups, body weight squats & lunges are all great ways to say in shape and can be done daily (this can be done indoors or outdoors)

• Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health (CDC)
• The social, cultural, physical, and economic foundations of a community support a healthy lifestyle for its citizens (US Dept of Health & Human Services)
• A communities safe and attractive bicycle, hiking, and walking paths all play a role in how much physical activity people engage in (CDC)
• Exercise can help to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers (CDC)
• Spending just 20 minutes in a park - even if you don’t exercise while you’re there - is enough to improve your mental well-being (Int’l Journal of Environmental Health Research)
• Improving access to outdoor recreational facilities such as parks and green spaces encourages physical activity nationwide (CDC)
• Spending time outdoors, especially in green spaces, is one of the fastest ways to improve your health and happiness (Time Magazine)
• Active living has been shown to improve your mental health and mood (CDC)
• Physical activity saves lives and could prevent 1 in 10 premature deaths (CDC)
• Visiting green spaces is shown to lower the risk of developing mental health disorders (PNAS)
• $117 billion in annual health care costs are associated with inadequate physical activity (CDC)
• Studies show people who exercise outside feel more revitalized, engaged, and energized than those who do it indoors. (American Chemical Society)
• Only 24% of children 6 to 17 years of age participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day (CDC)