HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | April 28, 2020| Vol. 5 | Issue 6
Image: yogajournal.com
Our Proctor Community: Tackling Fitness During a Pandemic By Michael Gilerman There’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our daily lives. One thing remains consistent about the Proctor community: it remains active and athletic despite the absence of gyms. On cardiovascularbusiness.com, Steve Collett, an exercise physiologist and health coach recently observed, “No matter what else is going on in the world, people should remember to practice good nutrition, get enough sleep each night and continue to exercise.” In a recent survey of Proctor students and faculty on their athome activities, the results were quite astounding. I asked the community to rate themselves on my scale. ‘One’ was 0 days of activity, ‘two’ was 1-3 days, ‘three’ was 3-5 days, and ‘four’ was 6-7 days of activity. 21 people rated themselves on a level two, 38 people rated themselves as a three, and 32 people rated them-
selves as a four on the scale. Those results are quite impressive and show 95% of our community has been staying very active. Next, I asked, “What steps have you taken to stay in shape?” One exercise enthusiast replied, “Run every other day, Peloton app, and ski up the mountain when possible. This past week I have had less inspiration but try to push on because I know it helps my mental state. I also need to counteract my excessive carbohydrate consumption during this time!” A faculty member emphasized the value of movement, “I’ve gone on long hikes with my kids and I’ve tuned up my bike and gone for a few bike rides. I go on walks with my kids every day, but these are usually pretty short-- under an hour.” The second question was, “How has exercising helped you mentally?” Here are two revealing responses: “It’s the difference between staying sane and going nuts - but that’s the same no matter if there is a pandemic or not!” The next one noted, “