Editorial: Gyms are essential. It’s time they open up their doors
The constant closing and reopening of gyms is harmful to our physical and mental health.
Picture this: It’s wintertime and you just started a new semester. Days are shorter now, which means that as soon as 5 p.m. hits, you’re ready to close your laptop and chill for the rest of the day—but wait, you can’t. There’s a deadline coming up for that assignment you’ve procrastinated on for week. As you put your thoughts together, you realize you’re hungry and reach for a snack. That snack turns into a munching session. And before you know it, this vicious cycle leads to unhealthy eating habits resulting in poor health.
If this scenario sounds familiar, then you might be experiencing seasonal affective disorder. In other words, the lack of daylight dampens your motivation. As students, it can be easy to put exercise at the bottom of our to-do list. The constant closing and reopening of gyms makes it even easier for us to prioritize other downtime activities such as doom-scrolling through TikTok.
On the surface, gyms may seem like a place where people lift weights for their egotistical needs. After all, anyone can work out from the comfort of their homes. But gyms are more than that—there are psychological purposes for them. These include having a sense of community, accountability, promoting a sense of wellbeing, and the release of pent-up frustrations.
With the pandemic, our need to be surrounded and motivated by others is essential. Keeping gyms open is essential. Multiple fitness facilities have implemented sanitary procedures to keep members safe across Ontario; procedures that have been proven efficient by previous studies.
It’s time our government stops with the constant closing and reopening of gyms. It’s time students gain their sense of motivation, relieve stress, and lift their mood through workouts.
Agreed 100%! Gyms are way more important than pot shops and liquor stores! These lockdowns are NOT about “health and safety”–it’s all a power grab to keep people fearful and divided!