With extracurriculars, jobs, social lives, and an excessive lack of motivation, many high school students may struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle during summer. Specifically, the absence of motivation may cause students to lack sixty minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise, as recommended by the CDC. However, achieving this balanced routine is not impossible. Student athletes share their advice on what others can do to stay healthy and in shape during the summer.
Ally Zalewski, sophomore lacrosse player, strives to keep her physical state healthy all year round, even during her off seasons.
“I’ve mostly been staying active and going to [lacrosse] tournaments, but when I’m not, I go to [the] nearby [Planet Fitness] and go running in my neighborhood, […] I do the Stairmaster so I can get that hourglass shape and then I do the 30-minute workout; it’s a Planet Fitness-provided workout. [….] You do a certain machine for one minute, and then the lights turn green and you move to the next machine. It’s interesting, but the whole thing is just 30 minutes,” Zalewski said. “Then I go do an ab workout. After that, I do some leg presses if I feel like it. [Then I do] a little [running] around my neighborhood, maybe 10 minutes once or twice a week.”
According to Zalewski, even though many people do not have access to a gym, they can still overcome this obstacle and stay fit in creative ways. For example, the school offers many different sports during the school year.
“There are unlimited options for different sports, so I would say find a sport that you’re really interested in because then you get to have fun and stay in shape. I feel like […] if you’re bored, […] you can take your dog running with you, if you have one,” Zalewski said.
Similar to Zalewski, Katherine Bedka, sophomore, is a cheerleader who advises people who are not in sports on more creative ways to stay fit.
“Every cheer practice we usually go up to the weight room and work out as a team. Sometimes I do our cheer workouts at home, too. I usually do abs and upper arm exercises,” Bedka said.
Like Zalewski, Bedka says she also occasionally goes running around her neighborhood to keep in shape when her cheer team is not practicing, as it makes for an efficient workout without worrying about access to equipment. However, she does still enjoy working out in a gym environment. “I do go running because running one mile a day can burn a lot of calories and build up your stamina,” Bedka said. “[During the summer], you can sign up for a free gym summer membership at Planet Fitness if you are in high school,” Bedka said. “You can go to Planet Fitness and ask to sign up or you can sign up online.”
Whether it is going to the gym, running around your neighborhood, doing equipment-free exercises at home, or finding a sport you really enjoy, there are multiple ways to stay fit and keep your shape over the summer.
