COVID-19 has taken a lot from people this year.

These things are, for the most part, out of our control. For example: seniors in both high school and college won’t get closure on a memorable part of their lives, interacting with friends and family has become a challenge due to social distancing and the global state of awareness has affected people’s mental health.

Attending classes, sporting events or performances goes against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines prohibiting the gathering of large amounts of people. Even personal activities such as family gatherings on holidays, friends grabbing a bite or going to the grocery store have never been more difficult.

It is clear quarantine has limited the activities people are able partake in. Many that were recently mentioned are things I used to do regularly, but now I can’t do at all. As a result, I’ve decided to put my focus elsewhere.

As a member of the Marywood women’s soccer team, I usually rely on the structure of practices and team workouts to help keep me in shape; however, the cancellation of the spring season has made that difficult. I’ve decided that while indoors, staying in good shape is going to be my quarantine project.

There are a lot of workouts that require gym equipment, which is a luxury many do not have access to at home. After conducting a bit of research, it is easy to see there are a plethora of alternatives for body weight exercises, cardio workouts and materials that can be used to replace weights found at the gym. Not everything can be substituted, but you’ll find that by being creative, everyday items around the house can help you add weight.

Each exercise in this 10 minute workout video is relatively simple yet effective using either body weight or regular household objects. Junior Exercise Science Major and member of the women’s soccer team Molly Sobolewski helped create this workout which serves as a great way to remain active while at home.

If you feel you want to up the ante a bit, adding weight is just one of many options you can explore to make things more challenging. Doing a little bit of research will help you discover other alternatives as well.

If you are looking for something to put your mind to in an effort not to lose it, try exercise. Doing workouts, going for runs, walks, dancing or practicing a sport are just a few of the many things you can try to positively impact your body during these difficult times.

“Staying active in quarantine with Ashlyn” is in collaboration with TV-Marywood.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Twitter: @tww_ajess