Indoor Workout Methods: Jogging

By Emma Fu

Thin does not mean healthy. Heavy does not mean obese. Regardless of your body shape or weight, you will not regret making the decision to exercise. Why? Working out is not about physically transforming you into a model at all. It’s about making you a healthier human being and strengthening your body’s most important muscle: your heart. Plus, your outer beauty has always been and will always be with you. In the situation that we are all currently in, don’t use quarantine as an excuse to postpone exercise. In fact, I strongly encourage you to find methods to stay healthy while respecting quarantine regulations. Ever since I returned home for Spring Break in March, I made it a goal to begin exercising seriously and consistently. Despite being relatively thin and underweight, it is not an excuse for me to skip exercising because -- trust me -- I definitely eat enough. What I was not doing enough was putting my muscles to use. As I mentioned before, “thin does not mean healthy,” so I wanted to take advantage of quarantine in order to strengthen my body physically. After all, I could never find the time to do so when I was on campus. I would like to share with you tips on how to exercise effectively and safely indoors, and the benefits that indoor exercise has, especially for beginners. For those out there who have never been to a gym before (me included), it is not hard at all to transform your room or basement into a workout area. If you are like me and hesitant to go to public gyms because you are unfamiliar with the equipment or nervous about messing up a squat in front of others, what better opportunity than to perfect your routine and boost your confidence in the private enclosures of your house? Personally, I have a treadmill that has gone unused in a while, so I plugged in the rusty machine, stretched my rusty muscles, brushed off my rusty Adidas shoes, and I have been running two consecutive miles every other day. I am writing this to strongly encourage you to do the same, but I am not saying it is easy. Your legs will be sore for the next few days, even after adequate stretching (make sure to stretch for at least ten minutes before each run!). You will be gasping for air by the end of the run. You will be swimming in your own sweat. But through all that, you will feel a sense of accomplishment afterwards that will overpower that uncomfort, coaxing you to return to that treadmill day after day. “What if I don’t have a treadmill?” Don’t worry. If you live somewhere suburban or relatively unpopulated, feel free to go for a quick run around your neighborhood in the fresh morning air. However, be sure to stay at least six feet away from others (without making it seem rude). If you live in the city, I strongly encourage you to stay indoors to keep yourself and others safe; instead, try experimenting with the other countless ways to exercise indoors. I will be going over simple and efficient indoor workout routines next week, so stay tuned! But for now, go ahead and get changed into your workout clothes!