Because of COVID-19, Union University’s campus recreation has closed its physical doors to ultimately protect the health and safety of those on campus, but their team remains creative with ways to encourage students to stay healthy and active.
While physical health is something that people are highly aware of during this time, the hysteria of the pandemic can take a toll on mental health as well.
“We are certainly sad to close down at this time,” said Jonny Wilson, director of campus recreation. “Students are our singular focus during the year and being unable to interact with students face-to-face makes pursuing our mission more challenging than ever.”
However, this time of change has forced the campus rec staff to become more creative. One of the biggest ways they are able to engage students is by encouraging them to maintain some type of consistent activity throughout their week. In order to do this, the campus rec team has released an at-home body weight exercise regimen as well as follow-up programs designed to give students more ideas for physical training during this period of isolation.
Because all interaction is now through social media, campus rec is putting their focus into creating content on their Instagram account. They have created videos detailing examples of workouts and ideas for healthy eating in isolation. They also hope to continue creating content that ranges from simple entertainment to running workout tutorials.
“We deeply miss all the community that regularly flows in the wellness center throughout the week,” said Maggie Exum, junior elementary education major who runs the campus recreation Instagram account. “But we are really thankful that we do have the technology to continue to share workouts, meal ideas and encouragement during this time!”
Because lifestyles have had to be altered so drastically, living in isolation can be mentally taxing in ways that no one had expected. According to conversations Wilson has had with students in the past, he noticed that individuals experience levels of loneliness and sadness during long periods of isolation, especially being used to the busy day to day lives of an average college student. Because of these feelings, it often makes it even more difficult for people to want to get up and be active.
“We in the department of campus rec, however, believe that if you can convince yourself to get active and stay active, you can actually stave off these feelings of loneliness and/or depression,” said Wilson. “Getting active can make someone, in the midst of an out-of-control situation, feel more in-control of themselves.”
There are so many things that are out of our control at this point, so Wilson and the campus rec team encourage students to go for a walk, a quick run or set aside time to work out because this can actually aid in the improvement of our mental health.
Although the physical gym is closed, this doesn’t mean you can’t develop your body in different ways, or even begin your fitness journey for the first time. It is crucial to remember the precautions listed by the government to frequently wash our hands, maintain social distance and isolate as much as possible during this season of sickness. These precautions, however, do not prevent us from maintaining and even improving our health.
“We may have to find creative ways to seek out fitness, but we are not out of options, that’s for sure,” said Wilson. “Our goal in Campus Rec is to prove that you can still make fitness gains and boost your mood, all while following the rules.”
Students can follow @uucampusrec on Instagram to stay updated on workouts and tips on how to stay active during this time of staying at home.
Photo by Maggie Exum