Coronavirus couch potato: Get moving with at-home workouts, virtual roller-coasters, zoo trips, space exploration

Municipal recreation departments offer tips on how to stay active while physical distancing during COVID-19 pandemic

Yorkregion.com
April 17, 2020
Amanda Persico

While local parks, recreation centres, conservation areas and beaches are closed to the public to help curb the spread of coronavirus, there’s still plenty to do to keep you active while at home.

Many municipalities across York Region have established stay-at-home online programs, offering virtual recreation activities to prevent becoming a coronavirus couch potato.

Along with at-home workouts and virtual fitness classes led by municipal recreation staff, you will also find recipes, arts and craft projects, theatre sessions and ukulele lessons.

Take a break from mundane stay-at-home chores and take a virtual adventure from the comfort of your couch -- ride a roller-coaster, take a trip to the zoo or visit the moon.

Aurora:

• Residents can access the Recreation at Home online portal complete with community art contests, at-home exercises; craft projects and interactive activities for preschoolers, children youth and seniors.

Bradford:

• The public library has made many of its programs available online through Zoom meeting sessions, including crafting, gardening and ukulele programs;

• The library also hosts online curated activities including book recommendations, science Saturday activities and #sixwordwednesdays;

East Gwillimbury:

• Each Wednesday, the East Gwillimbury Public Library hosts a LEGO Build and Share challenge;

Georgina:

• The town has launched the Recreation at Home portal. There, residents can find a collection of at-home craft activities, exercises, gardening tips and crossword puzzles;

Markham:

• Markham has launched a stay-at-home online portal complete with regularly updated content. The portal includes online workouts and exercise classes by recreation staff; virtual programming including how to create a stop-motion video and coding for kids;

Newmarket:

• The town has launched Home Sweet Home, a curated collection of helpful, healthy and educational ideas for the whole family, including recipes, at-home exercise, virtual field trips and how residents can help community organizations during the coronavirus shutdown;

Richmond Hill:

• Richmond Hill Public Library has compiled a list of more than 100 online resources, from arts and culture to fitness exercises and from mental health resources to animals and virtual tours;

Vaughan:

• Recreation Services has launched Stay At Home, a new website offering virtual recreation resources for all ages, abilities and areas of interest; Activities include virtual fitness classes, easy-to-follow workouts from Vaughan fitness instructors; acting, dancing and singing with the City Playhouse Theatre crew; and downloadable Vaughan Playshchool worksheets;