I cannot stress enough to students the importance of exercise, especially in times of great anxiety and turmoil. The semester of Fall 2019 was my hardest semester to date; I was balancing five courses, two part-time jobs, and went through the most gut-wrenching, soul-crushing, drawn-out break-up of my life. The only reason I did not go completely insane that semester was my membership at a local hot yoga studio. I forced myself to take an hour out of every day to attend a fitness class and sweat out all of my anxiety.
Exercise reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, as well as increases your “happy” hormones like endorphins. Incorporating exercise into your everyday routine during this period of self-isolation and social distancing can do wonders for your mind and body. If you’re anything like me, a lot of time at home means a lot of snacks, which is why a little extra exercise certainly cannot hurt. Gyms and hot yoga studios may be closed, but there are plenty of other ways to tone your body and calm your mind in your little quarantine bubble.
Yoga with Adriene is my number one, go-to channel for at-home yoga videos. She modifies her videos to be fully accessible for every level, so whether it’s your first time on the mat, or you’re a certified pro, you will love her style of teaching. Her channel has hundreds of videos to choose from: anything from ab workouts, breathing exercises, deep stretching, or 30-day challenges.
Many fitness instructors are regularly live-streaming fitness classes as their studio classes have been cancelled until further notice. A few of my favourite instructors who are streaming through Zoom or Instagram Live almost daily are Daniela Dib, a Vancouver Soulcycle instructor; Audrey Ann, a yoga instructor from Los Angeles; and Melissa Alcantara, Kim Kardashian’s personal trainer.
Instagram has a wealth of work-out knowledge from countless personal trainers who post full body-weight exercise moves and routines that can be easily done at home. Check out Elise Young, Emily Samuel, Whitney Simmons, and Louisa Burke who post new videos almost daily.
There are a plethora of free fitness apps that hold you accountable and make working out so much easier, such as FitBod, an app with hundreds of personalized at-home workout routines; C25K, an app perfect for anyone who wants to start running; and My Training, which allows you to create a training calendar and even connects you with a community to join you in your fitness journey. Additionally, Down Dog, a very popular fitness app featuring yoga, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and barre videos, will be free until April 1.
If you are not in full-on quarantine due to having recently returned from international travel or having been directly exposed to someone who has a confirmed case of coronavirus, you are still able to go for runs and walks in areas that are not heavily populated, as long as you maintain a distance of at least six feet from other people. Check out some local hikes in your area using Vancouver Trails, a directory of hiking trails throughout Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, or the AllTrails app. Or you can simply go for a run in your own neighbourhood. Use Adidas’ running app Runtastic or RunKeeper to track your progress. If you don’t want to leave your house at all, but still want to go for a run, you can follow the example of Elisha Nochomovitz, a French man who ran the equivalent of a marathon on his apartment balcony.
With an abundance of self-isolation-friendly exercise resources, we can all become ripped by the end of this dumpster-fire of a situation. By the time you’re able to interact with other humans again, you’ll be able to show off your newly-found muscles and flexibility to all your friends. So start sweating!
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
