P.E. classes accommodate new quarantine conditions

May 10, 2020 — by Ethan Lin
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P.E. teachers look to recreate physical activities in more accessible ways for students at home.

For sophomore Amitav Rawat, the continuation of P.E. during the shelter-in-place order came as a surprise. 

Without the usual weight equipment or elastic resistance bands available, he was not expecting to continue the same grueling CrossFit exercises at home. The dreaded 5k runs and timed sprinting workouts all seemed to be a memory of the past as he cozied up on his couch to watch the latest Netflix special. 

However, Rawat and his classmates were in for a treat: PE would continue, only in a repackaged form. 

Like other classes, students meet online and complete workout assignments on Canvas. The usual CrossFit activities occur at home but in a more creative fashion, said PE teacher Tim Lugo, who is also the school’s athletic director. 

Technology like the popular rhythmic video game “Just Dance!” in which players follow a dance and win points according to the accuracy and timing of their moves, replace the regular workouts. 

“I think this is a great alternative since it gives us flexibility with the workouts being so fun,” sophomore Bella Lin said. “I really think this [online P.E] forces students to get up and move around instead of using quarantine as an excuse to stop being active.” 

With P.E. being online, students are required to do two workouts each week — one from four workouts given at the start of each class. To prove they did these exercises, the students record time-lapse videos of themselves and submit them online. 

Students can also do more traditional workouts that don’t require recorded videos. Apps such as MapMyRun can track distance and times of runs, so students only need to submit screenshots.  

“I prefer going out for runs,” said sophomore Aryan Gupta, who is taking Lugo’s P.E. class. “It gives me an excuse to get out of the house. A change of scenery is nice in times like this.” 

Typically, Lugo and P.E teacher Yuko Aoki start out their classes by introducing the normal cardio exercises for the week, but have also decided to expand their curriculum, by introducing students to other methods of physical activity.

“We’ve begun teaching them yoga, because it’s more accessible at home,” Lugo said. “A key takeaway we really hope students get out of this quarantine is to continue doing physical activity at home — staying healthy is always a good option.” 

Lin added that even with the difficulties of finding a suitable environment to do these physical activities, it is necessary and helpful for staying healthy during this period. 

“Given the circumstances, I think we should be thankful for even holding class,” Lin said. “It’s always nice to be able to go out for a walk and bike ride in times like this.”

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