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NO GYM NO PROBLEM: Friends and classmates meet together virtually for the daily workout. Natasha Hill leads Tabata body weight workouts three to four days a week for an hour. Natasha Hill “I joined the Zoom workouts because Natasha asked a bunch of us if we would be interested...I said yes because I wanted to exercise with a group of friends to have that support when working out.” Senior Lexi Tanghal said.

With gyms closed and sports seasons cancelled, the usual routines have come to a stop. It may even be hard to muster the motivation to get up from your bed and actually do something. But when you open Instagram, you may see a clip of a friend or someone you follow doing push-ups. All over social media there has been a growing trend of quarantine workouts. Now is the time to start a new good habit and set health goals you haven’t had the time for months ago.

While the trend develops across social media, senior Natasha Hill has come up with her own way of connecting with others virtually while staying healthy and fit. Using the app Zoom, Hill doesn’t let the stay-at-home life keep her from getting a sweat on with friends and classmates.

“I want to keep everyone healthy and fit since all the gyms are closed. My friends inspired me because they wanted to know what I did for my workouts.” Hill said.

Hill invited several people and now, three to four days a week for an hour Hill connects with friends and classmates with Zoom to workout with. The workout routine is called Tabata weight workout, a form of exercise that is 20 second increments of work and 10 seconds of rest. The goal is to do as many reps as possible in those 20 seconds and can be modified to target different areas of the body.

“[It’s] a great way to stay motivated to complete a workout and stay healthy.” Senior Kody Rymer said. “It’s also nice to talk to a couple classmates while adhering to social distancing guidelines.”

Rymer and senior Lexi Tanghal are only two of the many friends Hill has led workouts for. She organizes workout times around plans, to allow more people to join the Zooms that fit into their schedules.

Senior Lexi Tanghal said that she loves [Hill’s] workouts. “They’re a quick exercise but strenuous leaving me drenched with sweat. It’s motivated me to try to be healthy and [to] want to tone my body.”

At least 17 people have joined the workouts at least once a week. Most would say that exercising with friends virtually has brought support and comfort despite constant news about the pandemic. Friendly faces on a screen makes up for the lack of physical contact.

“…Working out has allowed me to take a break from thinking about the destruction happening in our world today. Not only does it help my body physically, but it also provides me with a time designated to reset my negative mindset.” Rmyer said.

Some of Hill’s tips for staying fit and healthy at home include drinking lots of water, targeting the area one wants to work on, as well as eating in moderation instead of dieting.
“I think [working out at home] has made me a better person because I have gotten a lot closer to girls that I wasn’t as close to, and now we are bonding over sweat!” Hill said. “It has made me realize that everyone can enjoy a good sweat.”

QUARANTINE ROUTINE: From their rooms, backyards, and garages, these girls connect on a weekly basis to sweat and work together. Not only do the Zoom workouts help physically, they also have brought comfort and support from seeing friends and fellow classmates virtually. “When Natasha approached me about the Zoom workouts, I automatically wanted to join because I miss everyone at Mater Dei so much and this would be a way that I could visit them while also getting in a fun and fulfilling workout!” Rymer said.

NO GYM NO PROBLEM: Friends and classmates meet together virtually for the daily workout. Natasha Hill leads Tabata body weight workouts three to four days a week for an hour. Natasha Hill “I joined the Zoom workouts because Natasha asked a bunch of us if we would be interested…I said yes because I wanted to exercise with a group of friends to have that support when working out.” Senior Lexi Tanghal said.