Because of quarantine, almost everyone, especially students, got a lot more time to do whatever they pleased. With all that extra time, many people would assume that people would spend more time exercising and staying active, but the opposite holds true. A survey showed that around 47% of women and 22% of men gained weight, and 72% of people who reported that they gained weight said that it was due to a lack of exercise (webmd.com). This information poses one pressing question: Why aren’t people exercising during quarantine?

The main reason people are not exercising during quarantine is because of a decrease in motivation. Due to stay-at-home orders, many people spend most of their days at home. Motivation to exercise starts to decline when you are at home because of the countless number of distractions and an increase in anxiety and other mental illnesses (welcometothejungle.com). It is very hard to exercise when people are at home because of the millions of electronics and games surrounding people in their house, and most people, especially students, would choose to scroll on TikTok for an hour rather than doing a workout. To add, many people are dealing with internal struggles because of quarantine, so working out is not their main priority, and it is very hard for them to want to get up and exercise when they feel sad or anxious.

Quarantine devastated many athletes by canceling practices, games, and even entire seasons. Many athletes lost motivation to exercise when quarantine hit. Chris Yach (11), a wrestler for the Yorba Linda High School team, said that he has “not worked out much” and “would just go on morning walks which is way less intense than wrestling practice.” Ameerah Hirji (11), a golfer and basketball player for Yorba Linda High School, also explained that it was hard to stay active because “there wasn’t much motivation,” so she would “chase [her] sister around in the backyard to get [them] moving.” On the other hand, some athletes believe that quarantine did not affect their training or motivation. Jacob Cao (11), a tennis player for Yorba Linda High School, believed that it was “not that hard” to stay active during quarantine because he continued to “play a lot of tennis.”

Exercising is always important, but it is even more vital during quarantine. During quarantine, everyone has a way more sedentary lifestyle which can lead to weight gain and other physical problems, but a few minutes of exercise a day can combat these issues. Also, exercising can help emotional well-being and mental health since it produces endorphins that can boost the mood of an individual. Additionally, staying active may help people recover and survive from Covid-19 if they were to be infected, as there was a study done that showed that people who exercised on a daily basis were less likely to die from influenza and other types of contagions (coloradopaincare.com).

Although gyms may be closed and practices and events for sports may be cancelled, there are many ways to stay active if you are quarantined at home. On YouTube, there is a multitude of at-home exercise videos. Creators like Chloe Ting, Pamela Reif, Fraser Wilson, and Madfit offer a diverse set of workouts that could be done by anyone. Walking and running outdoors can be a great way to get some exercise during quarantine as well. A goal for people who want to be more active is to start trying to walk ten thousand steps a day. To make working out more enjoyable, try to workout with a few friends safely, create fitness goals, and make a workout plan for yourself.

Quarantine has been hard on everyone, and it has affected the mental and physical health of people all over the world. Although it may be difficult for students to get up and move their bodies after a long day of zoom classes, it is imperative to understand that exercising is extremely beneficial for your health and well-being.