Kiyomi Kishaba
Opinion Editor
We’re all stuck in our homes, with nothing better to do than mull over the mess this country is in and how long we have to go without toilet paper. Work and school only requires presentation from the waist up, and those quarantine snacks aren’t lasting quite as long as we’ve hoped. Never fear, for along with online meetings has also come online workouts.
Many fitness studios and organizations have started live streaming classes or uploading videos of workouts for folks to do from the virus-free safety of their own home. So for any of you out there waiting for the right time to start a fitness routine, or are simply bored out of your minds, these are some great sites to check out.
You know you can always rely on the YMCA. Back in the day, when I was in high school approximately three years ago, I attended the 5:45 a.m. Cardio Blast group class with Becky religiously. Why, you ask? One, because I wanted to stay in shape for my first collegiate swim season, and two, because apparently I enjoyed working out with my friends’ moms to 80’s classics. Point being, the classes offered by the YMCA are accessible to a range of ages and physical abilities, and you can always mute the class and tell Alexa to play the Hamilton soundtrack instead. Or whatever gets your heart pumping, to each their own. To access the classes, all you need to do is sign up for their virtual membership, and voila! Cardio Blast for days.
For those of you looking for shorter, more toning workouts, Club Pilates has you covered. Yesterday, I ventured onto their site looking for a quick leg workout, and was not disappointed. They have over 100 videos posted targeting specific body parts, all about 15 minutes long, so you can mix and match what you want to work on. Most of the workouts don’t require equipment other than a comfy place to lie down or a couple dumbbells, so really you have no excuse. We’re in quarantine, we all have way more than 15 minutes to spare.
If any of y’all are looking to add some more pop to your workout, may I suggest some cardio dance? The Fitness Marshall is my favorite place to go for super fun and sexy routines that are easy to follow, and also have me breaking a sweat by the second chorus. The YouTube channel is run by Caleb Marshall, who choreographs the routines along with help from other professional dancers that cameo in his videos. The channel has several “sweat sets” which is a playlist of songs designed to lead you through a workout, including warm-up and cool down. The Fitness Marshall also features livestream sessions for members, which are hour-long dance parties, also with plenty of sweat involved.
Sometimes, we just need to relax. After a long day of sitting in front of our computer, we really just need to take a moment to still be in front of our computer, but contorted on the ground. Yes, I am talking about yoga. Specifically, yoga on YouTube. I’ve found several great channels featuring all different kinds of yoga, with videos about 10 to 20 minutes long. When the stress of the current situation gets to me, it’s helpful to just focus on what I can control: my body. Especially with such a lack of order in my daily life, starting and ending it with yoga creates a sense of routine.
As our lives continue to change and unknowns keep growing, let’s focus on what we can do to make ourselves better, and our neighbors better. Get your work done, do some cardio hip-hop, and stay at home.
