Staying active can be difficult during isolation as we are all inside and unable to be around others due to social distancing. This doesn’t mean that you can not play sports or stay active, however. In fact, there are many ways to stay active during this time and there are plenty of sports that can still be played.

To start off with, basketball is a great sport to play during isolation if you have a hoop. The website “betterhealth,” explains some health benefits from basketball. “Basketball involves a lot of starting and stopping. While not renowned as an aerobic sport, it is still a great workout that can help you burn calories, build endurance, improve balance and coordination, etc.” What is good about basketball during this time is that shooting hoops can be a solo activity as well. You can also play with family or others that are quarantined with you.

Don’t have a hoop or one nearby? Well, you might have a soccer ball lying around your house. Set up a net or two and maybe play a game with your family. If that’s not your thing, then you can practice juggling, it’s quite difficult but once you catch on, it is a whole deal of fun.

One of the sports that doesn’t get recognized much, to begin with, is wall ball. Wall ball is a fun and easy sport to get started on. All you need is a tennis ball and a wall, it’s simple. Wall ball can add help you with explosiveness and muscular endurance, as you always have to be ready to react, and for long periods of time.

Another thing to do is to come up with your own sports or try some of the weird ones. While juggling may not be a sport, it is still a challenge, not just physically but also mentally. You can practice balance by slacklining or walking on a thin object. It may sound weird but these things can be super fun and enjoyable once you start to learn them and see improvement.

John Whitehead, a gym teacher at A-West explains that even though team sports are hard to play right now, there are still many ways to stay active during this time. While this is difficult, Whitehead explains that staying active is “beneficial, because it keeps your body moving and your heart rate up.

Staying active is not just important physically, but is also important mentally. Charlie McArthur, a freshman at A-West dives deeper into the topic. While there are not many sports going on at the moment McArthur explains that “you can still play board games and just try to stay as active as possible. Sports and activities during this time are important because it is really hard to stay active, and it is important you still stay healthy.

While isolation time is boring, and we should all be self-isolation, it’s still no excuse to sit on the couch at home and do nothing. Whitehead wraps things up and explains that it’s important to stay active by saying “ During this isolation time, it is important to be active.  Being active helps boost your immune system and allows your body to reproduce cells to fight off infections.” So, if you’re stuck at home and bored, just know you’re not really stuck, as there are plenty of sports and activities worth doing.