If you belonged to a gym in the last 10 years, you’ve probably seen foam rollers lying around the stretching area—long, cylindrical tubes, usually in blue, black or white. Initially, foam rollers struck me as mysterious and slightly frightening objects. I observed their users rolling uncomfortably about, at times wincing with discomfort. Giving the tool some side eye, I’d move on with my runners lunge or butterfly stretch. I came to reconsider foam rollers when my husband and I took up running again during the pandemic. After taking our 347th walk around Brussels, running seemed a nice change of pace (literally). We signed up for a virtual race called the…
Kids and Exercise During the Pandemic
As I write this, I am sitting in my apartment in Brussels, Belgium, a week into a 6-week lock down. Until recently, schools were open and in session full time. Now, Belgium extended the fall break in an effort to reduce COVID-19 exposures, and some schools are going back to virtual. In the United States, schools have largely remained virtual, with parents juggling work obligations while helping their kids re-adjust to a virtual learning environment. This is hard stuff. When the first wave of lock downs started in March, spring and then summer allowed us to spend time outdoors. Kids could play in backyards. Families could go for neighborhood walks…
