Last summer I went for a routine health check that my company offers all employees. Other than being 25 lbs. overweight the most alarming diagnostic was my blood pressure. It was 160 / 90 and that was the “low” reading. When I was in my thirties my blood pressure was in the “pre-hypertension” range and I used to rationalize that it just ran high. Now at age 50 and learning of being officially at the “hypertension” stage I started going to the gym every single day to get on the path to health. One thing I want to do in my life is prolong going on routine meds for anything – as often one medication necessitates going on another to counter side effects.

Since mid-September 2019 I have not missed a day’s workout. When the gym closed due to the COVID-19 quarantine (March 16^th) I started running every morning and doing push-ups and sit-ups. After only 7 days of running my knees were hurting so bad I had to switch to walking. So each morning over the past 40 days I have walked 2 miles. And this has finally helped me get my blood pressure to the normal range (lately I’m reading 122 / 80 consistently). In addition, I have been able to rehab my knees with home exercises that I learned about through watching YouTube. This is important not just so that I am able to phase running back in – but because healthy knees have implications for keeping me mobile (avoiding injury) as I age.

A major result of the COVID-19 quarantine has been the simplification of some my routines. In addition to my exercise regimen my eating habits have changed as shopping at the grocery stores has been much more challenging during these pandemic times. My house is literally 1 mile from a farm – Singh Farms. It is on the other side of a major expressway and as you drive further past that expressway it is just Indian Reservation so there was never a thought to explore out that way. Since quarantine, our family has been getting fresh fruit, vegetables and other hand-crafted items such as bread and pasta from Singh Farms. I have never really been a “leafy greens” kind of guy but I have to say the stuff we get from Singh Farms is just incredibly good. I’ve never enjoyed food as much as I do now – even compared to Whole Foods.

It turns out that obesity and high blood pressure put a person at high-risk for complications of COVID-19. It is only luck that I started getting myself in much better shape seven months ago – an am now a much healthier weight (20 lbs lighter) with a normal blood pressure. I pretty much had all the major risk factors for COVID complications as I was technically obese with high blood pressure. In addition, seasonal allergies and asthma put me at even higher risk. As it turned out, simplification of exercise and diet was all I really needed. It was the cardio intensive routine that I needed all along to bring my blood pressure back in line. And getting food fresh from a local farm made improving my diet a pleasure.

These changes have given me another realization. Until now, I have overlooked a way of life that is higher quality, simpler, healthier, and less costly. Unfortunately, it took the threat of COVID-19 for me to see it. Within two miles of my house (literally walking distance), I have found a couple of key replacements for going to the gym and for going to the grocery store (as much). And I have gotten healthier in the process. I have a feeling that supporting local establishments and keeping things simple will help in other areas of life too. Right in our own communities we already have most of what we need for a high quality life. And supporting your neighbors, family and friends has never been more important than now when so many have been impacted by this invisible enemy originating halfway around the world in Wuhan, China. Once this pandemic ends, I am going to keep my new (simpler and less costly) routines. I hope everyone looks around them and supports their local community like never before. What’s within two miles of your house? If you haven’t already looked, I bet you will find a lot that will make your life higher quality, more enjoyable, and economical.