The Grind Never Stops

“I walk back and forth from my house to the dining table to eat five times a day. I exercise by utilizing my mouth muscles when I eat a lot of food, which ranges from a mug cake to fried chicken with biscuits.”

—Aki Yamaguchi, junior

“In all seriousness, I have been doing the lovely workout routine that Ms. Morel e-mailed us for physical education. It ranges from planks to jumping jacks, and it’s a nice way to remember to stay active. When quarantine had just started, I was going to Riverside Park uptown and playing either pickup soccer or just shooting and driving for three to four hours every day.”

—Aki Yamaguchi, junior

“I try to stay active every day. Especially in the beginning of quarantine, I’d go on runs every morning and then shower as soon as I got home in case I touched anything on the way. At home, it’s been important for me to continue to play soccer, so I’ve been setting up cones in a small square in my room and dribbling around them with tennis balls, mini soccer balls, and rolled up socks. I’ve also been trying to juggle with toilet paper rolls, which is much harder than it sounds. Youtube is a great source for short workouts that you can do with minimal space and no equipment. Finally, I eat big meals to avoid snacking, and I keep lots of fruit around the house to succumb to my sweet tooth.”

—Shivali Korgaonkar, sophomore

“I’ve been running four to five miles four to five days a week. This is the only time that I have been going outside recently, and running in Central Park has been a great way for me to relieve some stress. In the house, I’ve been trying to juggle toilet paper rolls, which I’ve miserably failed to do. This is a trend throughout the Internet, and though it may sound easy, it’s much harder than you think. Finally, I’ve been exercising my stomach by stuffing my fat face with all the junk food in my apartment.”

—Ben Hamel, sophomore

“I’ve been running by the Hudson River most days after I finish schoolwork. Also, I’ve been doing Classpass Live workouts. Playing Spikeball in my apartment has definitely been the highlight of quarantine. Lastly, I’m exercising my wrists by playing plenty of FIFA 20.”

—Krish Gupta, sophomore

“I went on a run with Ben Hamel on Monday, which was maybe the greatest moment of my life. Otherwise, I have been making sure to get my participation grade in physical education up by doing push-ups, wall sits, and any other exercise I can so that I can be stronger than Lebron James by the time we come back to school—if we ever come back.”

—Deven Maheshwari, sophomore

"I jog around my neighborhood during the morning. When I get home, I take a shower to get rid of the germs I may have been in contact with. Then, I cross up my mom while playing basketball with an old Fisher Price basketball hoop. After completing my homework, I get my final exercise in by doing one minute planks every time I die in Call of Duty Warzone. I somehow also lose weight while yelling when I play NBA 2K."

—Tausif Tamim, junior

“I’ve been doing sit-ups and push-ups at home, along with occasionally acting like I’m Chinese Kyrie in my backyard. My fingers have been on a strenuous exercise routine, though, as I intensely play NBA 2K on my PS4 every night.”

—Justin Lee, junior

“I’ve been sleeping a lot lately once I found out it burns calories. It’s crazy how intense that workout can be. I do one push-up every now and then, which really helps my muscle growth. I’ve named a player after me in FIFA 20 and he does a lot of exercise for me as well. Hassan is on the ball and he runs from the beginning of the field to the end and scores while I commentate from my bed.”

—Samir Hassan, junior