For a lot of us, whether we are at-risk or in an area with a lockdown, many of our regular opportunities to stay in shape—like our tango dancing—are not happening. Here are a few things I have found that are helping me stay in shape, at home. Most of these are free, but, like me, they probably are struggling to pay the bills and would welcome donations!
Walk
Walking is free, except for the cost of a face mask. You don’t need any props. However, in some neighborhoods, it’s scary to go out because people are not being careful social distancing. I have found that if I go out first thing in the morning, there are fewer people. Because the lockdown is still in place, there is less pollution. The birds are singing and you can hear them better without all that noise. Plus, soaking up some of that Vitamin D is good for you!
If you feel tango deprived, you can practice your tango walk and really freak people out by walking backwards :-)
Ballet
Yes, I have not done ballet since grad school. Yes, I am taking ballet classes from time to time online. Many of you know that I didn’t start dancing until college, but my sister danced from an early age, and went to college for dance (we switched along the way and now she is the health care professional and I’m the dance teacher….). One of her buddies from her dance training, Leigh Purtill, teaches a good class live on YouTube several times a week, alternating beginner and intermediate technique. The classes are up for about 24 hours after the live stream. As a dance teacher, I can tell you she is good!
Yoga
My go-to yoga channel is Do Yoga With Me (thanks Nilande and Graham for introducing me to this!). They have free videos, as well as a subscription level that accesses more classes. I do one every Sunday morning, and try to do more throughout the week.
My neighbor, Suniti Dernovsek, is a talented yoga instructor and teacher trainer. She has a 30-day free code on her website right now: check it out!
Pilates
I study with Heidi Weiss on a regular basis. She is offering online classes!
Barre 3
As most of you know, I am a dedicated Barre 3 fan. Barre 3 is based in Portland, although it is spreading around the world. You can check out their classes, and they have a 15-day free trial for their online classes. Try it out! They have very reasonable rates for online access to their content.
Tango
My online classes are going well and I would love to see YOU there! You need to download Zoom (free) and then sign up for classes (free if you are unemployed due to COVID-19, please pay if you can afford it!). The Tuesday class is usually full or almost full. The Friday noon class is smaller at this point, so there should be room there if you are free then. If you can only make Tuesdays, contact me and we’ll see what we can do to get you in!
So no excuses! Stay healthy, stay in shape so that we are all ready to get out there and dance together eventually!