By: Sarah Sheinker, Co Editor-in-Chief
As the United States manages the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens are stuck at home with nothing to do but snack. With gyms and parks closed, there isn’t much opportunity for exercising. Now that April is coming to an end and summer is approaching quickly, most of us want to be ready for swimsuit season. This leaves one question: how can we exercise during quarantine?
Regular exercise is essential for healthy immune function, preventing weight gain, boosting your mood, and generally staying healthy during this global crisis. The World Health Organization recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or a combination of both. Too much sedentary or inactive behavior is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Many of us have turned to outdoor exercise — including running, walking, biking, and hiking. Outdoor exercise has the added benefit of providing sun exposure which supplies us with vitamin D. While getting out of the house is essential for your sanity, it is important to maintain social distancing guidelines. With this in mind an increasing amount of people have started using home workout videos and equipment.
Treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and more are giving people the resources to stay inside and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Although the majority of businesses have taken a large hit amid the pandemic, other businesses such as home workout equipment companies have seen a significant spike in sales. Fitness stores throughout the country report an uptick in interest among people inquiring about various home equipment, including upright and recumbent exercise bikes, elliptical trainers and strength machines. Even without home workout equipment, people are able to stay active with the help of online streaming services, the internet, and mobile fitness apps.
Seeing as just about everything else (education, work, etc.) has moved to the digital world fitness is no different. Companies like Peloton have apps that offer classes for activities such as yoga, indoor running, outdoor running, strength, Tabata, meditation, bootcamp style training, and even walking classes.
A few students around Howard County were asked how they are exercising during this difficult time. River Hill High School senior, Mia Medic, says, “About once a day I will go on a walk around the neighborhood with my parents just to get some fresh air.” Mia mentioned how she has gotten to know the paths around the river hill area very well since the lockdown has begun. Atholton High School senior, Kerri Silverstein, says, “I have been using my family’s treadmill a few times a week to make sure I am staying fit.” Kerri talked about the difficulties of staying active when we are forced to stay home all day.
As we are navigating through these unforeseen circumstances it is easy to get into a slum of netflix and snacks. It is important to remember to stay active not only for your physical health but for your mental health as well. Stay safe everyone!