What to Do if Your Pickup Game Is Canceled Due to Coronavirus

For three years, Kelly McGrail has looked forward to her weekly Monday evening kickball pickup game in Riverside, California, as a reliable source of exercise and camaraderie. That evaporated recently when her kickball group decided to suspend the game indefinitely to try to help blunt the spread of the coronavirus.

"It was usually the highlight of my week," McGrail, 31, says. "It's pretty important, when you're working 9 to 5 and sitting at the computer all day, to have an activity where you'd be able to not just run around but also see your buddies. You just knew every Monday that that's what you're doing to do, and you look forward to it."

Millions of people nationwide are feeling a similar sense of loss thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, which has prompted public health officials to advise people not to gather in groups and to practice physical distancing. People who played in pickup or recreation league games as part of their weekly routine suddenly find themselves without the physical activity and social interaction that their athletic gatherings provided. Recreational athletes who routinely played basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, kickball and an array of other sports, whether in pickup games or in organized leagues, are grappling with the void.

In the District of Columbia, Larry Gondelman, 67, decided in the interests of public health to suspend a weekly pickup basketball game that he's led for 46 years, since Richard Nixon was president. Gondelman says losing the game plunged him into the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

[Read: How Coronavirus Affects Older Adults.]

"It is a bit of a struggle," Gondelman says. "One of the biggest benefits of the game is the camaraderie -- the banter, the jostling and the sense of community. I do not know of any way to truly replicate that."

There's no way of knowing how long McGrail, Gondelman and countless other devoted pickup game and rec league players will have to abstain from the games and social interaction they love. Public health officials have said the regimen of social distancing that precludes gathering in groups could last for months.

With the coronavirus causing tens of millions of people to be confined to their homes except for necessary trips to the grocery store or for health care services, staying physically active is as crucial as ever, says Erika Shannon-Hathaway, director of fitness programming at MYXfitness. That's a fitness and wellness company headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.

"People use movement as medicine, and movement is medicine," Shannon-Hathaway says. "People move their bodies to reduce stress, to find energy, to let off steam and feel alive. If we don't continue to move our bodies during this situation, we'll feel worse for the wear. We'll feel depressed, low-energy and lethargic. Movement as medicine has never been more important than it has been now."

While there's no immediate way to fill the void of shut-down games, there are strategies for maintaining an exercise regimen and staying connected to people, while practicing social distancing.

Strategies for remaining physically active after your pickup or rec league game is canceled include:

-- Online exercise classes.

-- Technologically connected workouts with your teammates.

-- Fitness apps.

-- Boxing workouts.

-- High-end exercise equipment.

-- Outdoor exercise.

1. Online exercise classes. Many personal trainers and commercial gyms have workouts of various lengths on their websites for free, says Gideon Akande, a fitness trainer based in Chicago. Akande is posting some of his workout routines on Instagram in partnership with RXBAR, a protein snack company.

You can also use interactive tools like FaceTime and Zoom to have one-on-one training sessions with many personal trainers, she says. These are tools that allow people to see each other in real time though they're in different locations.

A wide array of workouts are available online, including:

-- Cardio.

-- Endurance.

-- Strength.

-- Agility.

-- High-intensity interval training.

2. Technologically connected workouts with your teammates. You may not be able to play your favorite pickup game or rec league sport, but you can still work out with teammates, thanks to technology, Shannon-Hathaway says. You can connect a group of people to a workout using FaceTime or Zoom. A coach or team leader can lead a group of people through an online workout.

3. Fitness apps. There's a wide array of fitness apps available, on a subscription basis or for free. Look for fitness apps that lead you through exercises that you enjoy, Shannon-Hathaway says. Try working in a variety of different types of workouts to keep things interesting.

4. Boxing workouts. While boxing isn't a team sport, a number of workouts used by fighters can be useful to people whose pickup and rec league games are sidelined, says Dmitriy Salita, a former pro boxer. Salita, who is now a boxing promoter, is based in Detroit. Many fighters post their favorite workouts on social media, including YouTube and Instagram, he says.

[Read: How Does the Coronavirus Affect Children and Infants?]

Boxing workouts that can be useful to people whose games are suspended include:

-- Jogging, shuffling and doing the Macarena. Jog at a certain pace for about 10 minutes, then shuffle like a basketball player does, side-to-side, followed by jogging backwards, Salita says. For variety, do a sped-up version of the popular 1990s dance the Macarena by running sideways. This is a good cardio workout that builds endurance.

-- Butt kicks. While running at a slow pace, kick up your feet toward your rear end so your sneakers hit your butt or come close to it. Butt kicks stretch your glutes, build coordination and are good for your cardio, Salita says.

-- Punch throwing. In time to music, throw punches upward. Your punches should be consistent and, in rhythm, throw every four counts. Throwing punches upward helps build shoulder strength.

-- Bouncing boxing. Put on some music, stand in front of a mirror and start with 10 to 20 jumping jacks, then start throwing punches toward the mirror in one-two combinations, Salita says. Then shuffle toward the mirror and back and do another set of jumping jacks. Rest for a minute, like boxers do between rounds, and repeat the routine, mixing in squats, situps and pushups. Salita does this with his two young daughters. "They love it," he says.

5. High-end exercise equipment. If you have the budget, high-end exercise equipment with interactive touchscreens could be a good option. Peloton, Echelon and The Mirror are just some of the options in this category. There are a wide range of prices. Many options include equipment like a stationary bike for between about $1,400 to about $3,000 and monthly subscriptions. Prices vary; some subscriptions range between about $30 to $60 per month.

6. Outdoor exercise. It's a good idea to get some exercise outdoors to get some vitamin D, which can help support your immune system, says Brian Lee, a fitness specialist supervisor with AtlantiCare LifeCenter in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Running, walking briskly and calisthenics are exercises you can do outdoors while practicing social distancing.

The Importance of Social Connection

In addition to remaining physically active, it's important to stay in touch with your pickup or rec league game friends during the coronavirus crisis. Kaitlyn Dodson-Hamilton, 30, is the primary organizer of the pickup kickball game McGrail participated in. Dodson-Hamilton says she misses the social aspect of the game as much as the physical activity, and has developed ways to help fill that void.

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Here are three strategies for staying socially connected during the coronavirus lockdown:

-- Reach out more than usual. Dodson-Hamilton says she's reached out to her closest kickball game friends more than usual, through phone calls, texts and FaceTime chats. "I think people are more willing than ever to talk and have a conversation now than they would in their normal day-to-day life," she says. "Given that everyone is feeling lonely, it's a great time to step out of your box."

-- Have group chats. Dodson-Hamilton has connected with three or four friends at a time through planned FaceTime chats. "It's a good way to pretend we're all drinking wine together at happy hour," she says.

-- Consider writing letters. With the additional time she has because she's working from home, Dodson-Hamilton has taken to writing old-school letters, "because why not?" she says.

-- Post your hobbies on social media. Dodson-Hamilton posted a video on Instagram about how to bake bread, one of her hobbies. "It's a way to engage with people that keeps you busy with your hobbies and creates an interactive situation with other people who may want to start your hobby or may have questions," she says. "Or maybe it's their hobby, too, and they respond and you have a new friend."