Exercise Group Defeats COVID19 By Taking Workouts Outdoors

MILLERSVILLE, MD — When COVID-19 drove most of us indoors, Erica Adams, founder and owner of Blue Sky Wellness physical therapy, took her exercise routine outdoors. Since early 2020, she has met at outside locations nearly every single day with a group of fellow exercise-enthusiasts to safely work out while the pandemic continues to require social distancing.

“When COVID hit, it felt unsafe to exercise together indoors and, in fact, most area fitness centers eventually closed anyway,” Adams said, “so a group of eight of us who were members of the Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club got together and started finding places and routines to exercise outdoors.”

The women identified four different public outdoor spaces to meet each morning, rain or shine. They have continued to meet for the past year and a half, even during rainstorms and snow days when they simply move their gatherings to a covered pavilion. One of the members created a binder with now close to 60 exercise routines they select from for their daily workouts.

The group is now up to nine members after a passerby at one of their morning workouts at the St. Andrews Swim and Tennis Club saw them and begged to join.

“I was a little nervous about increasing our number since I knew we weren’t supposed to be gathering in groups of more than 10 people,” Adams said.

They agreed, as a group, to cap their number at nine, but Adams loves the idea that their daily outdoor program might inspire others to create similar networks.

The women range in age from 35 to 55, linked by a shared value for health and fitness.

“Several in our group were high school athletes, I’m a physical therapist and one of us is a yoga instructor,” Adams said. “Exercise and health are just really important to all of us.”

The benefits of their daily workouts have extended far beyond fitness, Adams noted.

“When we all had to shelter at home, I closed my clinic and stayed home with my children. My husband continued going to work, but I was completely at home. I would say half the reason this group has been so beneficial for me, and the other women, is the mental health benefit. Even though our interactions were extremely limited due to COVID19, I was able to get out once a day and meet with them safely, every day. It kept me from sinking into darker places during quarantine. I call these women my ‘sanity sisters.’”

Although some group members have resumed going to the gym, Adams said she believes they will all continue meeting for their outdoor workouts, as well. “I don’t see any end in sight. These daily gatherings have just become a central experience for us.”