Exercising at the gym seems like a mirage of the past. While some have always preferred doing their workout routine at home, many students struggle finding motivation to continue to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three students in the Netherlands discuss the pros and cons of exercising at home and what typically demotivates them.
Gyms in the Netherlands closed in March last year and then once again since 14 December. With gyms closed, many students have opted for home exercising. Lorine, a Master’s student says “I do weightlifting with dumbbells and yoga, but I cannot do jumping or running because that would upset my neighbors”. However, she adds “all of my exercise comes from forcing myself to do it because otherwise I would regret not doing it”.
Motivation to do anything from home is often lacking. The Ukrant discovered that students have a hard time studying without a structure or do other things from home. Anna and Ines, also Master’s students in the Netherlands, agree that motivation is usually lacking, having to force themselves to exercise or regret not doing it.
Home workouts additionally limit the type of exercising students can do from their room. “It feels like I can only do yoga, because of the limited space I have and it’s noiseless” says Anna. Ines adds that before she would go to the gym, “but now pretty much I do mainly yoga, with an occasional run”.
For many, exercising at their room often involves moving things around. Lorine says, “I find it difficult because it’s annoying to have to do it in the same space that you sleep and relax. I feel like I’m dirtying the space around me”. Anna, who does mainly yoga also expresses dissatisfaction with moving stuff: “In order to work out I have to move my couch table and carpet since my space is tiny”.
As many other students, Lorine, Anna and Ines enjoy going to the gym more than working out at home. For Anna yoga doesn’t give her “the same good feeling that gym does”. Ines also states that convincing herself to go to the gym is also not as easy but “once you are there, you might as well make use of the time”
On the positive side of working out at home all students agree that it’s time efficient. Lorine also adds that that “at least there aren’t disgusting men around me watching”.
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