Writer Finds Love of Exercise During Pandemic

I used to hate to exercise, but now I love it. At first, I started because (like many people) I wanted to not look like sitting for long periods of time was a part of my profession.

I didn’t realize that it was also helping me with more than just vanity.

We all know that there’s a virus running around that, if caught, can make you lose up to two weeks at best and with a worst that is best not dwelt on. It even locked us down in place for months like we were hardened criminals caught by the virus police.

I was not prepared for the extended amounts of sitting that a lockdown would bring. I couldn’t wait to go do all the things that made me sweat and smell bad. It turns out, though, that the exercise was good for more than that.

The exercise we put in can help us more than we realize. Good health minimizes the chances of health complications later from any illness — in fact, improving blood circulation can potentially help with your cognitive health.

In my experience, exercise during COVID isn’t too different from what was done before. You still go to the gym of your choice (I personally prefer local Summit climbing gyms) and do your routine. My routine usually lasts around two hours because I really enjoy climbing. I notice most people doing around the same amount as well. It feels almost normal.

The biggest difference is having to do a little more handwashing and, of course, the mask that you might have to wear given gym policy and local regulations. Gyms will usually post a COVID policy on their respective websites or have physical postings on-site that explain its rules to keep members virus-free and how the gym is working to keep things sanitized as well. It is information you can use to make an informed decision on how safe you feel at the gym you are at.

In other news

• The Moderna vaccine was given full approval by the FDA. It’s called Spikevax and is approved for anyone over 18 currently. It is the second vaccine to receive full approval.
• Pfizer has applied for a two-dose vaccine for children younger than 5 years. The trials have had mixed results but officials backed it.
• The SMU Dedman School of Law’s COVID-19 Legal Helpline will be honored by the White House and the Department of Justice. The free hotline launched in June 2020 to help North Texas residents with legal challenges during the eviction crisis and small business owners attempting to navigate new legal guidelines. With the help of the SMU Law Clinic faculty, local legal service providers, law firms and private pro bono attorneys, , 75 students fielded 2,400 calls and helped 300 people throughout 2020 and 2021.