Enjoying Hawaii Responsibly

One silver lining to the global economic shutdown due to the  COVID-19  pandemic may be that more people are adding a healthy exercise routine to their daily lives.  For those who continue to work essential jobs or are healthcare workers, we salute you. But for millions of Americans, this has been a sudden disruption of normal life and those who found themselves furloughed from work or on temporary leave, had some time on their hands to explore new routines. Sometimes we need to take a step back from our busy lives and slow things down, and sometimes we have no choice. Like it or not, many recently found themselves with few options outside of the house besides grocery shopping and other limited necessities. 

If you’ve been out on the hiking trail or to run the beach around the Hawaiian islands, you may have found that it’s a bit crowded out there. We suspect there’s a growing trend to turn this national shutdown into a positive thing. We could get into all the proven health benefits that exercise and being in nature can bring but most of us know it’s good because it feels good. Regardless of the terrain, you’ll be outdoors. Take in the open-air and you will receive nature’s therapy for quarantine’s isolation. Connecting with the ocean and nature on a daily basis is something many of us would do more of if we had the time, and now that we have the time and a new found love for this healthy routine, we hope to be able to hold onto it when the economy resumes its normal speed. So, if you’ve made healthy changes to your daily life, we applaud you and encourage you to continue to make exercise and the outdoors a part of your post quarantine life.

Here’s our suggestions on how to be responsible when doing physical activities in the Aloha State: 

• Act like you have the virus and continue to practice social distancing when others are within your zone. Refrain from stopping and socializing when you see someone you know. It’s safer for you and for them just to move on. Take it upon yourself to distance yourself from others (6+ feet at least) to let others pass. 
• Wear some sort of cloth face covering. 
• If you wish to enjoy the outdoors with someone, venture out only with those you live in your household to be extra safe right now. 
• If you choose to take your four legged companion, politely avoid letting others pet your dog. You wouldn’t want to bring home droplets of the virus on their fur would you?  
• Be careful and take safety precautions not to get hurt or injured. Our healthcare providers and first responders have a lot on their plate at the moment. 
• Avoid popular trails and beaches, instead head for those that are less frequented. Choose ones that are off-the-beaten path and limit the number of people you may encounter. 
• Proceed with caution as there are still many unknowns about the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about keeping yourself safe please visit the CDC website. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html