Jordan Beck | Daily Press Escanaba resident Dannelle Hansen and her dog “Remington” go for a walk in Ludington Park recently.

ESCANABA — Although the coronavirus pandemic has impacted every aspect of people’s lives, Northern Lights YMCA Health and Wellness Coordinator Amy Fudala said there are a number of ways to stay active at this time.

On Monday, March 23, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order. Under the order, activities in Michigan not necessary to sustain or protect life were required to be temporarily suspended.

“It’s a change that many of us weren’t prepared for,” Fudala said.

She encouraged people to make exercise a priority in the coming weeks.

“Keep moving — especially with us being homebound now, it’s (very) easy to fall into bad habits,” Fudala said.

For many people, the pandemic may have disrupted their normal exercise routines. To combat this, Fudala said people can consciously seek to re-incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.

“Make exercise part of your routine,” she said. (As an example, this can include some light stretches in the morning, a walk in the afternoon and getting up and moving during commercial breaks while watching television at night.

Fudala reminded people that Whitmer’s executive order does contain exceptions for outdoor activities, as well.

“We’re allowed to walk, run – do things outside,” she said.

For people whose exercise routines are normally focused on strength training, but who do not have equipment for this type of exercise at home, Fudala said improvising may be the best solution.

“We suggest going through your home — seeing what you have,” she said.

She noted items like canned goods, laundry detergent bottles and even duffel bags filled with rice, sugar or flour can stand in for weights in a pinch.

Other exercises that can be done in people’s homes include climbing stairs and moving furniture while vacuuming.

Additionally, the Northern Lights YMCA has created a Facebook group named “NLYMCA Virtual Fitness” to help people stay active during the coronavirus pandemic. There, visitors can find a link to “YMCA 360,” a collection of on-demand workout videos from the YMCA.

“That has a bunch of virtual workouts that people can do at home,” Fudala said.

According to Fudala, the use of YMCA 360 is not limited to YMCA members.

“It’s open to everyone,” she said.

Fudala encouraged local residents to keep exercising regularly as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

“We believe as a community we will get through this — we will stay active,” she said.