October 2020

Self-Care: Staying Active when the Temperatures Dip

We all know that self-care is essential to handling the stress and strain of life in the pandemic. Getting a regular massage at Spa Space of Chicago is definitely one way to care for yourself. Staying active and exercising is another.

If you are like us, you have probably been out walking the dog, meeting friends at the park or just stretching your legs and getting some fresh air on your lunch break. Being able to get out and enjoy the great outdoors has been such a blessing during these challenging times.

But, in case you hadn’t noticed, the temperatures are starting to drop. And going for a long walk might not be as pleasant in the middle of a Chicago winter as it was in the summer. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the health (physical and mental!) benefits of exercise.

Indoor Activities

There are ways besides shoveling snow to burn some calories and release some endorphins when the weather is just too cold to even think about going outside unless you absolutely have to. It doesn’t have to be trendy, it doesn’t even have to be pretty! Just find something that works for you and get up out of your chair.

Here are 2 ideas to get you started:

1 – Take the Stairs

You might not be able to get to the Stairmaster at the gym, but that’s not a problem if you have stairs in your house, your apartment building or even where you work.

2 – Let the Music Move You

The roads are too icy for dancing in the street, but there’s got to be some room somewhere in your home for you to bust a move. Put on the music you love and sway, salsa, twist or shake and shimmy. You’ll get your blood flowing and chances are you’ll put a smile on your face.

If you have indoor activities that are part of your self-care regimen, let us know. Here at Spa Space, voted the best spa in Chicago, we always love trying out new ideas.

Popular Pandemic Hobbies

Have you been baking sourdough bread? Catching up on your reading? Did you take up gardening over the summer? If so, you are not alone. Those are just a few of the hobbies that some of the amazing people who work at our day spa in downtown Chicago took up before we were allowed to reopen at the end of August.

People all around the world have been spending a lot more time at home this year due to lockdowns and quarantining as well as safety concerns. That left millions of people looking for a way to fill the time while they waited to go back to work or school and millions more who continue to seek entertainment at home until concerts, theaters and clubs make a comeback.

Popular Pandemic Hobbies

The folks at NerdBear conducted a survey to determine what we have been doing to keep ourselves occupied in the age of Covid-19. They surveyed 750 Americans and looked at Google Trends to determine the most popular hobbies in the U.S. during the coronavirus outbreak.

According to the survey, some of the most popular hobbies are:

• Watching TV and movies
• Reading (In fact, they report that “1 in 2 are reading to pass the time.”)

and

• Working out (The interest in home workouts is five times more popular than it was at the same time last year,” they said.)
• Arts and crafts and
• Playing board games

And, while we aren’t able to do much socializing in person, they found that, “People are using the time at home to connect with friends and family more.”

In fact, according to their survey, more than 25 percent of us say that we are talking to our friends and family more these days.

Staying connected and keeping busy are both great ways to reduce the stress we are all dealing with. So is getting a therapeutic massage at Chicago’s Spa Space!