One thing this pandemic has made me realize is how much I took for granted the concept of exercise and leisure. Being couped up in my house on-and-off due to the everchanging, volatile COVID-19 situation, I felt myself growing increasingly agitated and lethargic. I noticed my physical wellbeing was slowly deteriorating as I got used to lounging on the couch. Walking to the kitchen and up the stairs slowly became a chore. I retreated into the comfort of my room, repeatedly switching between my bed and my desk and ignoring the rather concerning neck and backaches that would occur. While I was aware of the situation, I pushed it to my subconscious, assuring myself that I would rectify the situation once lockdown eased.
Soon, restrictions began to ease in Colombo and school opened up methodically in order to allow students to return safely. While I was able to speak to my friends via Facetime, Zoom, and WhatsApp, it was nothing like seeing them in-person and interacting with them once again. When we got to talking, I soon realized that I wasn’t the only one who was feeling this way. My friends started complaining about how they felt out of shape and lethargic, and I realized I wasn’t alone in my problems.
In an effort to tackle our problems, my friends and I used our collaborative skills and initiated and planned friendly, non-competitive volleyball sessions during breaks and certain advisory periods. In an effort to work on our strength and growth, we selected volleyball since it was none of our favorite or most played sport, we thought it would be fitting and fun to work and develop ourselves through the medium of volleyball.
My most memorable game was during one advisory period. After slowly getting into fitness once again, the thought of sitting on my laptop and working for another extended period of time made my friends and I squirm. We planned ahead and made sure that we finished as much work as possible so that during that period we could ask for permission to go outside and play without jeopardizing our studies. During the 50-minute-long block, we managed to play an intense and exciting game of volleyball, and even though we were sweating and exhausted afterward, we were rewarded by the feelings of joy as we realized we had gotten back into shape.
We also found ourselves performing better academically due to our renewed physical exercise. After our volleyball sessions, we were no longer antsy in class, but more awake and focused. A quick google search confirmed our suspicions, exercise allowed our blood to circulate better and released endorphins which resulted in us feeling better and more productive during class. I also no longer found myself cooped up in my room or on the couch and actively made an effort to spend as little time as possible sitting around when I didn’t need to. At home, when I wasn’t studying, I was either engaging in another form of physical exercise such as yoga or jogging, or I was pottering about the kitchen and the house, keeping myself occupied.
I’m really glad that I was able to meet with my friends and go to school in person as it dramatically increased both my mental and academic well-being. Playing volleyball with my friends was oddly nostalgic of elementary school and kindergarten days when we would all rush out to play. It was a comforting moment amongst chaos.