While practicing social distancing, many people have been motivated to try online workout programs and to buy their at-home gym equipment during this COVID-19 era. On Youtube, you can find popular videos such as COV-FIT 19- LOSE LOVE HANDLES & MUFFIN TOP- SNATCH YOUR WAIST FAST!, and comments under various workout videos, such as, “Who else is in Quarantine right now and want to do this?”, or, “I’ve been telling myself I’d start the two weeks shred challenge since the beginning of quarantine… but it’s a new month and I’m COMMITTED”. There have been many responses to exercising during quarantine, with many gyms offering virtual fitness classes. Furthermore, we saw that when bike shops reopened, there was an increase in bike sales. Many people took up jogging, running, biking, and/or walking while staying at home. Needless to say, a lot of people have felt the impacts of quarantine on their health and activity and are wanting to change that.
However, many people have also found it hard to stay active. Some people believe the pandemic has negatively affected the routine that they once had. In my own experience, I grew the desire to spend more time exercising outside, but found it difficult to work out at home without proper equipment. I wanted to know how other people have been working out while social distancing, so I asked acquaintances to share their experiences with me.
The first person I spoke to was Abdi, a freshman who shared with me that he found it difficult to exercise while staying at home because living with his too-large family made it difficult for him to find space to exercise. Before quarantine, he exercised by playing sports, but now can’t find time or space to work out. Being a big fan of basketball, he could no longer play at the court near his house because it was shut down even as a lot of gyms opened up. He says that if the free facilities he used to go to open up, it would positively affect how much he exercises, but won’t go out of his way buying equipment or taking on a gym membership.
Furthermore, another student, Jumad, shared that staying at home made her more self-aware about not going out and doing workout: “Staying at home all the time, it made me realize how good it feels to go out”.
Being the eldest daughter of her family, she took her brothers and sisters outside to play at a park. The park near her house is a large park with a track. Her goal was to walk on the track every day. She said that she now spends more time outside exercising than she did before social distancing rules. When I asked if she would do workouts, she laughed and said that the only exercise she would consider would be walking or doing yoga.
Taking a look at different people’s responses both online and in person, some say they have started to work out more, and others say it has had the opposite effect. However, despite these differences, it is undeniable that the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way many of us exercise. If you want tips on how to exercise while social distancing, HelpGuide has an article called ”Exercise During Coronavirus: Tips for Staying Active,” with tips on how to build more movement into your day. If you’re feeling unmotivated to exercise, start with something basic like a walk in the park or exploring the city on a bike; adding something basic for activity is easy to do to change up your routine!
1) https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/exercise-during-coronavirus.htm