‘Gym was the only thing keeping me sane’: Sheff students’ anger grows at restrictions

YouTube workouts really aren’t the same


A lot of students are feeling let down about the gym closures in Sheffield. With an increase in cases and people struggling with stress, uni work and uncertainty, it’s really no surprise.

We spoke to the students of Sheff to see how they’ve been coping without the gym.

Charlie Mucklow, studying Applied Sport and Exercise Science, said: “Going to the gym was the only thing getting me out of the house and keeping me sane.

“Last lockdown I tried to keep my exercise up but I still had a lot of regression which took an impact on my confidence and mental health. I’m stressed this lockdown will do the same.”

Josh Allen, a final-year journalism student, said: “I think shutting gyms can be quite harmful during a national lockdown.

“We saw how creative people got with training at home during the first lockdown, but that was spring/ summer – with much longer days. We’re entering winter, which is already a tough time for most people’s mental health, and if their physical health starts to deteriorate, that’s when you can see that mental health drop too.”

Other students pointed out that fast-food takeaways are as easy to access as they were pre-lockdown, and that having better physical health would help people infected with the virus to overcome it.

For a lot of people, going to the gym is like going to work. It’s a routine, something to ground you, and for people who have mental health issues, it’s a huge deal.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

Sex, solo self-care and sanitiser: How have the singletons of Sheff been keeping?

From Shrek to Robert Pattinson: These are Sheff freshers’ best window displays

‘I could get a 10 grand fine but it’s worth it’: Inside Sheffied’s illegal Halloween rave