You sit at a chair, back hunched over, eyes glued to the screen, body stiff. As you look out the window, the gloomy cold air is staring right back at you, daring you to step outside your warm, comfortable home. Staying active can be challenging when our new normal allows for most of our day to be spent sitting at home on our devices.

Students find that planning out their schedules and taking mini-movement breaks throughout the day is the key to staying active and motivated while spending most of their time at home.

Terry Chiou, a fully remote sophomore, said he still manages to include exercising in his daily routine.

“You have to be patient with yourself and have a lot of self-control. It’s not like an assignment where there’s a due date. So you’re going to have to take initiative yourself,” Chiou said.

Kota Tsukada, a hybrid senior, said he takes initiative by balancing his time.

“Really understand your schedule and how it works, because there are many things you can do to make more time for yourself,” Tsukada said.

According to Tsukada, planning out your week can make it easier to set aside time to be active. Tsukada schedules when he will do homework for specific classes based on the days they occur, unlike last year when more classes occurred two days in a row.

On remote days, Tsukada said he takes advantage of the extra time that would be spent walking to school to get tasks done. He uses the 15 minute breaks between classes and lunches to get homework done so he has more time to spend outside after school.

Emily Hunt, an integrated health and fitness, lifetime activities and yoga teacher, said doing several mini-workouts is just as effective as doing a longer traditional workout.

“My biggest piece of advice is to take movement breaks throughout the day, rather than a traditional 60 or 90-minute workout. Mini-movement breaks are so key, especially for the teachers and students that are remote only,” Hunt said. “Short mini-workouts can still be so great for your body physically and mentally.”

Although the pandemic has taken away some options for exercising, Chiou said that equipment is not necessary for a successful workout.

“Saying that I don’t have equipment is just an excuse. You just have to get over that stereotype that you need equipment to work out in order for it to be effective because there are honestly so many ways you can work out to make it effective,” Chiou said.

Tsukada said he uses body weight workouts to replace CrossFit because he thinks it is no longer safe due to COVID-19. Chiou said he runs most mornings before school to get his body moving. Both Tsukada and Chiou said they workout indoors at home, using online resources, instead of going to a gym.

However, Hunt said motivation can be the hardest part.

“I would recommend having a goal for yourself. Having a personal goal for something that you want to work on can totally help motivate you,” Hunt said. “For people that are starting out, go easy on yourself to start with and build success.”