Staying in shape is hard for anyone to do, and with the introduction of COVID-19, student athletes have found it hard to maintain their ideal figure. Imagine working all year long to get into the perfect shape for your sport, and then being sent home for three months, essentially cutting off your activity.

Student athletes were frustrated with the idea of not getting to participate in their sport, but they understood that it was for the best. Despite missing out on the regular exercise obtained from their after school sports, some athletes got creative and tried to maintain their shape while quarantined. 

During quarantine, junior Annalisa Stevens attempted to maintain her shape for her upcoming soccer season. 

“Quarantine affected me because I couldn’t play soccer with the school or with [my] club and that was my main form of exercise, so I had a hard time finding other ways to [workout]. I would go on runs either outside or on the treadmill or I would find workout videos on Youtube to follow,” Stevens said.

Like most student athletes, these efforts did not suffice. Stevens still struggled with finding the motivation to maintain her shape. 

“During quarantine, I just got bored and lazy so I just lost the shape I was in,” Stevens said. 

Despite the initial struggle, Stevens is back in her ideal shape and her club is now allowed to have practices on weekdays and scrimmages on weekends.

Fellow classmate Ava Garifo also struggled with keeping her ideal shape, but she took many measures to try to maintain her figure. 

“I went on weekly runs and did the workouts my [cheerleading] coach assigned us,” Garifo said. 

Although quarantine did not stop Garifo from working out, it affected her in other ways.

“[Quarantine] reduced my strength for stunting and my endurance for tumbling,” Garifo said. 

Overcoming these struggles, Garifo is now back in her ideal shape and is practicing cheer with her fellow teammates.

“I am glad I worked out during quarantine, it has really helped me since practices have started again,” Garifo said. 

Sophomore Ashley Zolen is also glad that she worked out to stay in shape for her sport, lacrosse, over quarantine.

“To stay in shape for lacrosse I ran around my neighborhood and did Youtube workout videos. I was a little out of shape when I came back, but working out at home kept me somewhat in shape,” Zolen said. 

With all of the obstacles student athletes have endured while trying to stay in shape, the measures taken have not gone unnoticed and paid off drastically with the return of school sports.