Golden Valley Brings Parks And Recreation Into Your Home
The COVID-19 outbreak has closed gyms, shuttered recreation facilities and forced people to stay at home.
But just because people are stuck in the house without weights and other traditional exercise equipment, there are still ways they can get in a workout.
This week, staff members from the Golden Valley Parks and Recreation Department started showing people how they can bring recreation into their homes with a new initiative called “HomeRECed.”
“Our goal is to have a new idea presented to the community every single day of the week,” said John Stutzman, Golden Valley’s recreation supervisor.
On Monday, March 23, the Parks and Rec Department began posting videos on Golden Valley’s social media channels that showcase different exercises and activities people can do as they practice social distancing.
Stay active and engaged while at home with HomeRECed. This new program introduces a new recreational activity each day that can be enjoyed in your home. Parks and Recreation Supervisor John Stutzman provides today’s instruction.
https://t.co/dH93C09FPY pic.twitter.com/FH8UmHuxg0— City of Golden Valley, MN (@GoldenValleyMN) March 23, 2020
“I know the more active I am, the better I feel,” Stutzman said. “So providing options that people might not think of, that they don’t have to go searching for, I certainly think makes a difference for people at home when they have ideas like this right at their fingertips.”
Generating ideas
Staff members have weekly conference calls where they compile a list of ideas that could work for the HomeRECed program. To date, they’ve posted videos ranging from in-home scavenger hunts and craft projects to basic yoga, yard games and everything in between.
“So far they’ve been received very well,” Stutzman said. “We’ve seen several hundred views every day.”
The length of the COVID-19 outbreak — and the subsequent closures of gyms and recreation centers — is anyone’s guess. But in the meantime, Stutzman says Golden Valley’s Parks and Rec Department will keep the videos coming to ensure that they’re still serving Golden Valley residents during the pandemic.
“It is a very unknown situation, so we are preparing to continue to be able to do our part to help people through this time,” Stutzman said.
Golden Valley encourages any residents who participate in the activities to share their photos and videos online with the hashtag #GVhomeREC. The city will share some of those images on its social media pages.
For more information on the HomeRECed program, you can go to www.goldenvalleymn.gov/recreation/homereced.php.
