For many of us it has been difficult to get out of bed to exercise during quarantine, but these Wilson athletes are more motivated than ever. This look at three students with fitness accounts prove that teenagers can stay fit during this pandemic.

Clair Lusk, a Wilson senior, was inspired to start her fitness account, @clairs.workouts, when she was unable to swim due to the closing of pools during COVID-19. She was determined to prove to her coaches that she could stay motivated and fit while she was no longer allowed to workout with her team. “Normally during the school year I would have swim practice five times a week from five to seven in the morning and go to OrangeTheory two or three times a week.”  Lusk explained, “Now that I can’t go to Orange Theory or swim practice, I do my Instagram workouts.”

Lusk’s best advice for people who are trying to stay motivated is to find people to do it with you and find an activity that you enjoy. Her workouts usually consist of a short warm up, a core circuit, and a workout of the day which includes different exercises with short breaks. Sometimes she is able to do workouts with her swim team, but other times she does them on her own and posts for her 140 followers. 

Now that some lockdown rules have been lifted, Lusk and her swim training group found a pool where they are able to swim, however it is still different. She says that they all swim in their own lane and keep their distance in the pool in order to social distance. Even though she is now able to get back in the pool, Lusk still plans on doing her daily workouts in the mornings and continuing her account.

It’s not just Lusk who has found ways to stay fit during quarantine, other Wilson athletes have also started accounts to help their peers exercise. David O’toole and Zach Isaacs, two Wilson sophomores, have both been working out since seventh grade and started a fitness account back in January, @zd_lifestyle. They started their account after many people turned to them for workouts and tips on how to achieve specific body goals. “We wanted to share some workouts and stuff with people because we had people asking us all the time. We figured we may as well make an account,” said O’toole. 

Since quarantine hit and the gyms closed, O’toole and Isaacs began posting at-home workouts. Without the gym, they had to come up with exercises that required little to no equipment like bodyweight workouts. Isaacs claimed that he had a couple pieces of equipment at home, but they weren’t ideal for the long-term. Even after the gyms opened back up, they had to wear a mask and gloves in order to stay safe.

While O’toole and Isaacs claim that working out all the time has become their lifestyle, they understand that not everyone can stay as motivated as they are. O’toole advises that “setting realistic goals and not trying to push yourself too far,” will definitely help you succeed. He also admits that “you’re not always going to want to work out, but after you do it, you always feel great.”

After setting realistic goals and finding the activity that’s right for you, anyone can stay motivated and fit during quarantine!