As officials shut down non-essential businesses and urge people to stay inside in order to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus, running and walking outdoors have become a natural reprieve, NBC News reports. While taking in fresh air and sunlight undoubtedly boosts mental health, doing so can be counterintuitive to mitigating infection rates when trails and parks become congested with occupants.
The first piece of "common-sense" advice is to look for more remote paths to jog. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised people to stay at least six feet apart during the outbreak. Aiden Walsh, founder of Racefaster, a running coaching company in New Jersey, suggests that runners try to keep a 20-foot distance from others as their heavy breathing may put others in harm's way.
For those who aren't so fortunate as to live near remote paths, Walsh proposes getting creative. Because Walsh's company has a store in the now-closed Garden State Mall, he advises his clients to run around the building. He said that if people have a treadmill in their homes, it may be time to stop looking at it as a "dreadmill" and start viewing it as an effective way of running.
Walsh also recommends that people alternate their running training with other exercises, like weight lifting. Runners could also get outside as early as possible in the day to avoid others.
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