It is hard to remember the time gyms were open and running normally. When they closed down, students had to make a decision: stop working out or find a way to continue at home.

The gym is a huge motivator when it comes to keeping a routine. When people are forced to drive to the gym and work out in a separate environment from their house, surrounded by people, they are pushed to work harder and work out more often. “Not being able to go to the gym was a strain on my mind just as much as my body. I was used to getting daily endorphins from working out and I was able to use that time to clear my head and deal with stress. Not going to the gym forced me to workout in different ways and find alternative ways to deal with stress and anxiety,” senior Jonathan Healy said.

When the gyms closed down, students needed to quickly find a new way to workout. Working out alone at home might have worked for the first few months, but it is getting harder and harder to find that motivation on your own, especially when you are using the same few pieces of equipment each day.

If you need to replace running on a treadmill, one strategy students have been finding helpful is running outside. “When I run outside I get to see the neighborhood and some people who live here, I just have to remember to pace myself and plan my runs so I am getting the right distance,” junior Lizzy Nelson said.

A good tip if you are missing your gym workout classes is to check out Youtube. Youtube has many free online workout videos that will match the intensity of the gym. Some good channels are: Sydney Cummings, Les Mills, and a little less intense, Popsugar Fitness. “Workout videos on Youtube are a great way to workout because there are all different levels and different people you can watch. They also have different levels of intensity so anyone can do it,” sophomore Nikki Altman said.

Another great part about the gym is the people who surround you and push you to be better. A replacement: workout with friends. “Even having one other person to pace with/ try to compete with really helps me get a better workout than if I was myself,” Nelson said.

The hardest part of replacing the gym is the dedicated workout space that will get you in the right mindset the moment you walk in. One tip is to create a workout room or section in your house where you keep all of your equipment and get mentally prepared. “My dedicated workout space is my basement. Having a dedicated space to workout is great. After a while of working out in my basement, it started to feel like my basement was a room for working out and nothing else. This helps me work harder and more efficiently,” junior Nate Jacobs said.