Staying in shape can be a difficult task. In times of uncertainty the cortisol levels can be extremely high. Many individuals ride the wave of stress by feeling overwhelmed, and they relapse back into their sedentary ways. Trying to overcome this hurdle can be a hard task even for avid gym goers.

Many people (including myself) complain and make excuses, Finding reasons to procrastinate. Although it may seem quite difficult to workout without the correct facilities, I have found that breaking up the routine of going to a stuffy gym can be a breathe of fresh air, literally!

The best way I have been able to get back in the fitness game is by taking my workouts outside. Yes, we all get spoiled with nice fancy gym equipment, but I promise, you can find almost everything a gym offers outdoors. From lifting washed logs of driftwood, and sprinting on the sand, climbing up a sea boulder, to hiking a good old trail, I’ve never felt a more natural way of working out.

Working out in the outdoors will keep you sane and healthy. It is almost a meditative type of workout that can be very theraputic at the same time. Find a scenic area where you can practice your routine, and even work on a little pre-hab stretching. So get out take a hike, try surfing, swimming, all these can be done in a safe way during this pandemic.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.