Although the crack of a bat may not be heard at Mclean Little league fields, the pounding of footsteps on the pavement has made up for this. Many Students have been biking, walking, running, and so much more.

“I have been going on runs and doing the assigned workouts for Gym,” said Olivia P., a 7th grader, “and I’ve been doing lots of biking and cardio.”

Others, like Joe M., a 7thgrader, have been staying active while also bonding with his family. “I have started playing basketball a lot more with my brothers,” Joe said.

People have begun posting these results or routines to social media outlets to help encourage others to join the fun. Even while in quarantine people have found ways to connect with each other from digital 5ks to just taking socially-distanced walks as restrictions let up.

“Quarantine has really freed up my schedule, and I feel in far better shape than I was a few months back,” said student Andrew E.

The only question is will they continue these physical activities once quarantine has ended and sports seasons return.

“I will probably continue walking or running more,” said Ellie S., a 7th grader. “Not as much, but I will do it more often.”

Likewise, Joe would like to continue playing more basketball with his brothers.

Besides staying physically fit and healthy, exercise can also help students and teachers with online school. Studies show that exercise can improve cognitive functioning, mental health, and memory. So if you keep forgetting to do an assignment, or what you did in class that day, exercise can help with this.

“Exercise drops stress hormones and increases the number of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, which are known to accelerate information processing,” advised the Positive Psychology article “10 Neurological Benefits of Exercise.”

Exercise isn’t always inspirational, like those before and after pictures you’ve probably seen.  Sometimes, no matter how much they say it helps the brain, it most definitely can effect your ego. Students shared some hilarious, if a bit embarrassing, exercise attempts.

“The other day I stopped my bike to say hi to some friends who were out for a walk, I forgot to unclip my other foot from the pedals and fell into a sprinkler system someone had set up on his lawn. He came out to yell at me, but then couldn’t stop laughing. Biking away from there netted me a new speed record for the hill!” said Andrew E.

Even when you’re being careful, they can come out of nowhere.” I was playing soccer on a virtual workout,” explained a Hildy M “and I tripped over the ball. Challenges come in all shapes and sizes, even one’s own drive to succeed.

“I started running suicides for every basket that I missed,” said Abigail L.  “So every day, I drive myself to exhaustion. Most days, I just collapse on the floor because I’m so tired.”

Exercising may be difficult and tiring, but it can bring a lot of much-needed structure to the chaos that has been overwhelming us. Exercise is also proven to release endorphins that give you energy and make you happier. If you’re ever feeling down or missing your friends, try a little exercise. LMS is working hard, and you can join in; you have all the time in the world.