A mild, overcast Memorial Day weekend brought runners, bikers, boaters, and baseball pitchers to the Mount Vernon Trail in Virginia on Sunday — there was even a wedding group.

As restrictions start to ease across the region, more and more people are heading outside to get a breath of fresh air as the soggy spring turns into summer. While social distancing, caution and protection is still very much needed as COVID-19 continues to attack the region, area mental health care professionals want folks to understand that enjoying the outdoors and getting exercise is vital.

“Physical activity is so important not just for our physical health, but it really does impact our mental health status across the board,” says Diana Barney, director of youth and family services for Every Mind, a non-profit mental health organization based in Montgomery County. “Getting out and moving has a very, very effective impact on things like depression, anxiety, and stress.”

Local authorities recognize this and, particularly in recent weeks, are trying to balance keeping everyone safe from the coronavirus and providing the ability to get much-needed physical activity.

All of Virginia’s 38 state parks are open for day-use, though officials warn that the crowds this weekend could force them to turn people away. A significant portion of campgrounds in the commonwealth and Maryland have also reopened, including the allowing of some recreational activities like boating and fishing.

Right off of the Mount Vernon Trail, Alex Dao of Fairfax stood with his fishing pole dipped into the Potomac. He says he comes out here nearly every other day.

“You’ve got to be outside,” Dao said. “You can’t be cooped indoors all the time.”

Dao always social distances, he says. Plus, fishing relaxes him, even if all he’s catching are little grass shrimp and the occasional catfish which he usually throws back.

“I have to always exercise, walk, whatever. I’m glad to see other people outside.”

Exercising outdoors, like running or biking, generally pose a low health risk, according to a panel infectious disease and public health experts that spoke to NPR.

“We can think of transmission risk with a simple phrase: time, space, people, place,” Dr. William Miller, an epidemiologist at Ohio State University, told NPR. The farther one is from people, the lower the risk.

In the D.C.-area, this can be challenging. The urban environment can make being outdoors a stressful experience.

“I think a lot of people are anxious… or fearful to go outside because of the unknown,” says Dr. Jessica M. Smedley, a clinical psychologist and co-chair of the DC Psychological Association’s COVID-19 task force.  She suggests finding a safe space to do it, like a hidden location that has fewer people or going outside early in the morning or later at night.

“Think outside of that box,” says Smedley. “[and] make sure you get that space and fresh air.”

The Rosenblatt family of Alexandria, Virginia, says they go to the Mount Vernon Trail early on Sunday to avoid the crowds. They try to get out every day to walk, though this is the first time here.

“Fitness is important to us no matter what,” Aaron Rosenblatt said, standing next to his wife Maureen and their two small children.

“We need to break the monotony from staying inside. Especially for the kids,” says Maureen Rosenblatt.

While this is a very different Memorial Day weekend, where tons of people would usually go out, hints of normalcy are re-emerging. Fathers and sons are playing catch in the grassy knoll near the LBJ Memorial Grove off of George Washington Parkway. A new boat owner and his chocolate lab are about to hit the water for the first time. Cyclists pedal fast while runners and walkers try to keep their distance.

With proper social distancing and face coverings, both Barney and Smedley say that outdoor activity is necessary for not only our physical well-being but for our mental and emotional health as well.

“It’s a particularly stressful time for everyone,” says Barney. “But there are safe and healthy ways to go out and get physical activity.”