Graphic by Dina Katz
Leah Blum
Features Reporter
When it comes to the Newton South community, everyone is aware of the substantial impact that COVID-19 has had on our lives. However, the one topic that many students tend to steer clear of is the topic of health and fitness. Not only is this a sensitive subject in general, but it is also one that varies from person to person; no two people have the same health and fitness routines..
For instance, many students at South claim to be in better shape than they were before the pandemic. Meanwhile, some students feel that they are in a state of worse physical health due to the closure of many fitness centers and the continuous hours they have spent staring at a screen.
“I would say that I’m probably in better shape than when quarantine started because I’ve had more free time, so I’ve had more time to make healthier meals and to workout,” Sophomore Maggie Heberlein explained.
On the other hand, Freshman Abby Shin said, “I’d say that I’m probably in less shape now considering that not only do I spend almost the entire day in front of a computer, but I’m also cooped up inside most of the time.”
There is no doubt that quarantine has made working out quite tricky; in fact, as a result of COVID-19, many students have not been able to participate in school sports and activities, causing them to lack the motivation they need to stay in shape.
“I’d say the amount I’ve had inside has definitely affected me. I was actually pretty active during quarantine, but since then, my motivation to stay in shape has gone down, and I really don’t do many activities regarding physical wellness [anymore],” said Shin.
In contrast, while COVID-19 has prevented many students from taking part in school sports, many students have still figured out ways to involve themselves with physical activities in order to prepare for the coming sports season.
Freshman Ryan Kam claimed, “I am more in shape because during quarantine I worked out a lot.” Kam explained that he has stayed in shape through swimming. This is certainly not something that everyone has had access to do over the last few months because many students do not own a pool and are members of a local one.
Many sports require at least some equipment, whether that is a field, a place to practice, or merely basic training equipment, but not everyone has access to everything that their sport requires. As a result, many students have gotten creative and come up with alternative ways to work out and stay in shape.
“Over quarantine my family made an exercise room in my basement, so that’s definitely helped [with physical fitness],” Heberlein explained.
Additionally, Shin added, “I try to walk outside with my family every now and then, and I occasionally do ab workouts in the basement when I feel up to it.”
Although it is clear that COVID-19 has negatively affected most South students’ motivation towards physical fitness, many have still found ways to stay active and enjoy their free time. For many kids, workouts have dropped in priority to busy schedules and after-school activities.
“I’ve recently joined the debate team, and it has sucked all my time. Besides debate, I do violin and RSM as well, so I have a pretty time-pressured schedule, but I think it would definitely be possible to squeeze some exercise in here and there; it’s just a matter of whether or not I feel motivated to do so,” said Shin.
Moreover, working out and staying active are not the only ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle; healthy eating also plays an important role in students’ health. Many kids are aware that they should be vigilant about what they put into their bodies as growing teenagers.
Some students at South have taken this time to discover a new love for baking or even just cooking in general.
“I’d say it kind of switches off, but in general, I guess it has gotten better because there is more time to make better meals,” said Heberlein.
Shin added, “At home, I’m obviously exposed to way more food. I think that I know what’s healthy and what’s not, so I can somewhat restrict myself in that sense.”
Preparing healthy meals can surely be a challenge for high school students, given that the stress that COVID-19 and other school activities have placed on kids has resulted in an influx in “stress eating” trends.
“Of course, I am quite the ‘foodie’, so I think that occasionally I eat a lot, especially before debate tournaments, because I stress eat—but I don’t really think it’s a problem because either I lose all of it the day of the tournament when I literally have no appetite, or I eventually am motivated to go exercise or do some physical activity,” explained Shin.
Although the subject of health and fitness at Newton South varies from student to student, it is clear that most students are aware of how they can improve their health and fitness patterns to ensure that they are staying in shape during challenging times like these. For now, students are hopeful that they will be able to get back on their feet in no time with South’s new Hyflex model.
“I’d have to walk around the whole school and do all of the normal stuff I used to have to do, like walking to the bus stop [and] walking home. Since we also have limited time to eat in school, I [will] probably have a more limited diet as well. I know high school doesn’t have P.E. anymore, but I used to love that class so much, so I’d probably play some sports with my friends or just race them if we were in person,” said Shin.
