Slowly but surely, Florida begins to open up to allow for exercise, an essential activity

Florida governor Ron DeSantis is allowing some Florida beaches and some parks to reopen. He states that as it can be done safely, parks and beaches will continue to open. Jacksonville is one of the first to open since its closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Mayor announced restricted hours and activities and can only be used for swimming, walking, running, fishing and taking care of pets. The restrictions include no gatherings of 50 people or more, no coolers, chairs, blankets, towels, sunbathing, or grills. These are the first steps taken towards a path of normalcy but for now we have to be patient.

In the meantime, beach walkways are open and you can utilize the lessened restrictions to take a 30-minute walk, three times a week during the cooler hours of the day. We can still practice social distancing while taking care of our health and using these opportunities to do light cardio. We can also walk out pets.

Physical exercise is not restricted to the beached only. For Miami residents, South point park pier is still open, a beautiful and relaxing place to watch the sunset and people are also using the South Beach walkway to get their much needed fresh air and exercise. Many are still wearing facemasks but still provide enough ventilation for light cardio to get your exercise in comfortably enough. Local neighborhoods are still open for walking, biking and taking out your pets. Many of us are taking advantage of more opportunities to be outside and enjoy a fresh walk despite the difficult circumstances.

Our Mayors from the State of Florida are making it clear to practice social distancing. We can use this opportunity for health reasons as our State representatives are opening up more of our beaches and parks for exercise and activity purposes. They state they are opening up this opportunity to go outside and exercise several times a day. Normally, under previous conditions, we would have not been able to do so as we were tied to our day-to-day responsibilities.

Our State officials are aware of the essential need to get exercise and take care of our health. Now is a good time to dust off that bike and helmet and explore new areas of Miami that we have never seen before. Many of us can enjoy the scenic ride over the Key Biscayne causeway with less traffic on the roads. Take plenty of fluids with you and explore the beautiful scenery of the beaches off the causeway. Another popular scenic bike route is off the Venetian causeway on 14th Street, Biscayne Boulevard headed into South Beach. For those of us who prefer to relax and connect with nature and can do without the vigorous exercise and could use from fresh air, you can take your children to Arch Creek East, an environmental preserve covered with beautiful mangroves and a walking bridge in North Miami. For those of you with an interest in taking care of your diet plan and buying local and healthy, Burberrys Farm and Bee’s Haven in Homestead, Coconut Groves Farmers market in Miami, and Urban Oasis in Kendall are all open with some scheduling restrictions.