Staying in shape has become one of the hardest things to maintain for many Bruins in light of quarantine. Having to adapt to a new lifestyle at home, quarantine has caused people to try new things, including new methods of exercising while constrained in a small space.
As a track, swimming, and water polo athlete at Bear River, Wyatt Ronk, a senior, finds that due to the restrictions of where exercise can take place, he hasn’t been able to explore the fitness world more during quarantine.
“I’ve always worked out with free weight and with weights, and haven’t really had the time to try out new sports,” he said.
With the previous stay-at-home orders, exercising was one of the only reasons to go outside and get some fresh air, a predicament Junior Ashlyn Canizalez had come across.
“I prefer to run because it’s really the only time I get out,” she said. ” … [Quarantine] has made me like running because I don’t get to leave the house besides that.”
The variety of workouts a student can perform at home are limited compared to the equipment many gyms offer when they are open. With the closure of many businesses due to COVID-19, many students had to adjust to a different workout routine or get creative about how they receive their daily activity.
Alongside occasional hikes, Senior Gabbie Corralejo described her use of the internet to formulate her routine.
“I follow workout routines on Youtube that are probably around 45 minutes,” she said. “I don’t do them every day because I have started working full time. It is really hard to find time to workout … I am still struggling to find a consistent routine.”
Several athletes commented on the differences in their daily routines since the beginning of quarantine.
“I don’t have a full routine,” she said. “I just go on a run and do a few circuits of different workouts,” said Canizalez.
“My daily workout routines have only changed in two ways,” said McDaniel. “My workouts have not been as intensive because I am not training for something in particular, and I am not able to run with my teammates anymore.”
“Quarantine has made me do workouts that are less intense, because I don’t have the proper weights at my house for the workouts I’m trying to do,” said Corralejo.
Despite all of the restrictions that quarantine had entailed, it’s always important to continue exercising in however way possible, as some students stressed.
“Exercise is vital to mental health, and it provided a great outlet for stress in quarantine,” stated Senior Grace Billingsley.
“I think it’s important to exercise no matter the circumstances because it is an important step to having a healthy body and mind,” said McDaniel.
The restrictions have made it difficult for many students to get the needed exercise they wanted, many turning to the internet or at-home gym equipment. Though, this doesn’t stop their love for this past time.
“I enjoy exercising because it is a way to spend time with my friends, family, and teammates, while keeping myself healthy,” said McDaniel. “But also because I am a competitive person, enjoy playing sports, and racing for the self-improvement and team aspects of exercise.”
“I love the feeling of knowing I helped my body after a long hard workout — I feel productive and fulfilled,” said Billingsley. “I also enjoy that it brings me peace and a space to let my thoughts wander.”
There are many different aspects of life that not many students realized we had the privilege to have until quarantine stripped most of those away — one such privilege being our ability to exercise comfortably and efficiently. No matter the restrictions, it is still important to get outside in order to stay healthy during this unprecedented time.
— Annabelle Owyoung contributed to this report.
