Adjustment to the online medium has been tough on everyone — what was first supposed to last only three weeks has now become life as we know it. Educational institutes, in particular, have found it especially hard to keep up the morale of students and teachers alike. In the wake of lifestyles so monumentally changed, it was found that the lockdown had resulted in a decrease in physical activities, and a 28% increase in daily sitting time as well as unhealthy food consumption.
The university I attend zoomed in on a solution to this problem: a compulsory, graded fitness course, complete with Yoga, Zumba and Karate.
Seeing the new course on the timetable left students in a frenzy – how would this work? Surely, we could not be asked to keep our cameras on as we exercise, right? Unfortunately, the first session confirmed that this course was everything we feared. Keeping cameras on as we exercised was mandatory. We were told to expect the usual aches and pains. We were also told that the trainer will evaluate us on the basis of Yoga poses and Zumba choreographies, performed individually in front of the entire class.
It felt like I was back in school, jogging around a field in a line with my classmates. Except this time, the way I exercised would affect my GPA and therefore, my application to any future university I hope to study at.
“Anyone who is into fitness understands how pointless it is to force someone to get into it. If you’re not doing it voluntarily, it’s not going to help you much – in fact, it’s going to cause anxiety. It’ll just ruin the idea of exercise for you,” says Akansha Sharma*, a student of the university who enjoys Yoga in her spare time.
For many, exercise is an intensely personal activity. It is something we need to do at our own pace, and be comfortable with. Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of sports, but over the last year, I have found ways to keep myself active – from walking my dog every day to routine dance sessions in my room at night. To inflict fitness as an obligatory, graded course defeats the very purpose of physical exercise.
Knowing that my peers — most of whom I have never met in person before — can observe my actions as well as the space inside my home feels extremely invasive. It is strange to adjust my cameras downwards as I lie on the floor so that the class and the professor can check that I’m doing a particular Yoga pose properly. With online learning, there also comes the terrifying possibility of videos being pinned, recorded and shared.
“During online exams some time back, a lot of female students were harassed by outsiders,” states Shruti Patel*, another student, “I don’t feel safe exercising on-camera because we don’t know who is watching us. We don’t know if our screens are being recorded. There is no way for the teacher to assure us that we are safe. There is no way for the university to do that either.”
Additionally, there is no relief for people with anxiety, eating disorders or other health issues. This is where the concept of compulsory exercise fumbles. For a week every month, I am rendered immobile by period cramps, unable to even walk across the house without a hot water bag. Still, I am expected to at least try. Friends who have struggled with eating disorders in the past have often texted me during sessions, wondering if they should log out as they find the meetings extremely triggering.
“I struggle with body image. Even if it’s not intentional – because my perception of my body is skewed – I feel like I’m being judged for my body and that’s why I’m being told to exercise. Being in a classroom where anybody can see me makes me feel anxious and judged, and overall, it really doesn’t help. Because of that, my eating habits suffer and I struggle mentally for quite a few days after a class,” says another student at the university.
“Having to seek permission to keep my camera off also made me have to reveal some very personal information regarding my physical ailment that I’m not comfortable sharing. If someone with any sort of disability cannot do physical exercises, they may not be comfortable telling people why — but they are forced to. The fact that me passing this semester could be dependent on something like exercising scares me.”
I have wondered often, as I write this, if my problems with the introduction of this course are unfounded and insignificant in comparison to the larger problems of the world. I am, after all, privileged to be enrolled in a reputed university that prioritises the health of its students and gives them the time to exercise.
The issue, however, is more than our homes being infiltrated with compulsory fitness. It is about the inability of educational institutes to adapt to this new mode of learning in ways that are both helpful and sustainable. Instead of reforming how they work, most institutions have stuck to traditional exams, outdated lecture formats and six-hour long days. A much-needed focus on mental health has not just been sidelined, but is mocked as a foreign idea.
It is the role of good educational institutes to listen to their students — not only to address their grievances but also to incorporate their suggestions towards making learning a more rewarding experience for all parties involved. It is only by including those that are affected the most by management’s decisions that universities can pave the way towards a more progressive system of education.
*Names changed to protect the person’s privacy
Saachi Gupta is the founder of Push up Daisies and Moonflower COVID Relief. She is a lover of folklore, kids’ cartoons, and romantic comedies.
Featured image credit: Pariplab Chakraborty