To the OHA Hockey Club
Stay Active. Stay connected. Stay Safe.
Following the advice from government and health professionals, we are all making adjustments to our working and social lives. As a community we need to start doing things differently and adapting to these changes so we can continue to strive towards a full and satisfying life.
Our sporting clubs are a hub for connection, support and fun. For the short term this has been taken away from us, so finding new ways to connect, support and to have fun are so important, more so than ever before.
Some contemporary evidence shows that leading a physically active lifestyle reduces the incidence of communicable (e.g., bacterial and viral infections) and non-communicable diseases (e.g., cancer), implying that immune competency is enhanced by regular exercise bouts.
Research does show that exercise can support our immune system, and secondly, exercise is proven to support our mental health. Being thrown out of your routine can challenge our exercise schedule and not being able to attend our sporting clubs plays a big role in this.
“I cannot stress the importance of being safe if undertaking exercise when in self-isolation from the COVID-19. So instead of your regular team training sessions, I suggest a video call to a teammate to try a virtual ‘partner workout’, this way you can not only hold each other accountable, but ensure that you are both safe. I can almost guarantee there will be a few laughs along the way,” says James.
In this time of uncertainty, acts of kindness, respect and empathy need to be shared amongst one another each day, whether it is in person or online.
Just like in sport, adversity and hardship can bond clubs together. The coming months are no different, so we urge you to connect with your team, coaches and friends in small amounts each day. Stay connected, look out for the ones around you and always get help when you need it.
James – Stay ChatTY Sports Program Coordinator and Exercise Physiologist
