My gym closed, line at Costco is too long, so how am I supposed to get any exercise?

CORONAVIRUS PANIC BUYING: Lines to check out at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack today were short, compared to Saturday, above and below. The warehouse was still out of toilet paper, but had bottles of spring water, as well as purified water. There was no spring water available in half-liter bottles on Monday.

WATER LIMITS: Costco members were allowed to buy only one pack of bottled water today.

The spread of Covid-19 endangers

older Americans in other ways

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Since I retired a dozen years ago from a sedentary night job on a newspaper copy desk, I've relied on food shopping and the gym to get my exercise and stay healthy.

In 2012, I supplemented the gym and food shopping with volunteering at a hospital, pushing patients in wheelchairs and doing other chores that required a lot of walking. 

I've covered from 2 miles to 3 miles during a 4-hour volunteer shift on both Wednesdays and Fridays, according to the app on my smartphone.

But the spread of the coronavirus has changed all of that, and now I find that only food shopping provides me with the opportunity to exercise.

As I've always done, I've boosted my steps by parking as far away from the store entrance as possible.

No more volunteering

First, the hospital cancelled the volunteer appreciation lunch and award ceremony scheduled for April, then closed the Volunteer Office altogether.

This week, my gym closed. 

And this morning, I drove into the parking lot of the Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, N.J., only to find a line of shoppers (100 to 150 is my guess) with carts lined up in the rain single file, waiting to be allowed into the warehouse.

Costco decided to limit the number of members in the store at one time, and Teterboro police were on duty to make sure shoppers complied.

Instead of waiting in that line, I walked over to the nearby Walmart, waited on a short line inside the store, and an employee gave me a 12-roll package of toilet paper, which cost about $8.50.

Costco in Hackensack

So, on the way home, I stopped at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack, where I live, and picked up:

A 10-liter bag-in-box of extra-virgin olive oil from Spain, two large bottles of 100% grape juice, a pack of half-liter bottles of Poland Springs natural spring water, a smaller pack of Poland Springs flavored, zero-calorie seltzer; and a 2-pound package of organic Mejdool Dates.

The Business Center also was out of toilet paper, Lysol wipes and other cleaning products.

Counting steps

According to the Health app on my smartphone, I've done .65 miles or 1,500 steps so far today.

In February and so far in March, I've averaged 1.1 mile a day, but my average surely will be less now that I no longer have volunteering and an occasional visit to the gym to supplement food shopping.

On Sunday, I stopped at the Aldi near my home for jars of organic salsa and cans of organic tomatoes, the latter for Pasta with Garlic, Tomatoes and Oil with vegetables I plan to prepare tonight.

Later that morning, I drove to the Super H Mart in Ridgefield, N.J., for the fresh, wild-caught fish we prepare for our Sunday dinner.

On Monday, I also shopped at Whole Foods Market in Paramus, N.J., where I get most of the organic produce and organic pasta we eat, but found many empty shelves.

Message from Costco

Not long after I posted this, I saw this message from the CEO of Costco on controlling the number of members in the warehouse:

Dear Costco Member,

As the global effect of coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, Costco is firmly committed to the health and safety of our members and employees, and serving our communities. We are closely monitoring the changing situation, and complying with public health guidance.

As many of you have noticed, we’ve experienced a surge of business during this time. As a result, we’ve taken steps to control the number of members in our warehouses and asked that members and employees practice social distancing.

We’ve also reduced some services.

We’ve increased our protocols in sanitizing surfaces, including shopping cart handles, merchandise shelves, front-end belts and registers. Limits have been implemented on certain items to help ensure more members are able to access the merchandise they want and need. Our buyers and suppliers are working to ensure in-demand merchandise as well as everyday favorites are available in our warehouses.

 As new information becomes available, management is keeping warehouse staff well informed so they can respond swiftly and appropriately. While the circumstances continue to change and we modify our operations as necessary, we thank you for your patience and cooperation. As new developments occur, be assured we are committed to taking care of our members and employees and to our mission of providing low prices, quality merchandise and exceptional service.

We extend our sincere thanks to Costco members and employees worldwide for their ongoing support and loyal dedication during this challenging time.   

Thank you,Craig Jelinek, President and CEO, Costco Wholesale

CHECKING TWICE: At the Costco Business Center, an employee, left, checks what's in your cart against your receipt before you are allowed to leave the warehouse.