The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 14

November 10, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 9 Sports Finding Fitness: Jumping rope How the postponed 2020 Olympics will look in 2021 In a world where there are many gateways to finding new ways of exercising, I went back to the basics and bought a cheap jump rope to get active. Jumping rope seems to be one of those exercises that are surprisingly underestimated by many people -- and when I say many people, I mean myself. I searched for different ways to get active without running or biking a large number of miles at a time. I’m someone who enjoys sweating, but will choose any other exercise over a “nice jog,” as many would call it. I repeatedly saw videos of trainers speaking about the pros of jumping rope and what the benefits are of it. Not expecting to get motivated, I clicked on a quick video. After watching the video of a trainer explaining how 10 minutes of jumping rope is equivalent to a 30-minute run, I was sold. How could I not pick up a jump rope in exchange for a 30-minute run? I went to my local Walmart, following CDC guidelines, and picked up a cheap jump rope that I felt would complete the job. I threw on my workout leggings and sneakers and went outside to start my workout. After a couple of times of tripping over myself, I finally got the hang of it. I can admit to being my greatest competitor, so I made sure to push through the 10minutes, nomatter how hard it was. Although the first couple of days of jumping ropewere quite challenging, as I built my stamina, this exercise became a lot easier to endure. I noticed myself burning more calories than I ever had during a workout, just within these 10 minutes. Looking at how the sweat and calories proceeded to increase day by day, it encouraged me to keep going and contribute this to my day-to-day activities whenever I had the time. I would recommend picking up a jump rope at your local Walmart or even on Amazon if you are not as comfortable with going out right now. This cheap workout tool that costs around $4, burns a lot of calories and keeps you motivated. Did I mention that you need only one piece of equipment? Turn on your favorite playlist and pick up your rope. Watch how fast you will burn calories. For the fourth time in history, the Olympics have been postponed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers have another year to prepare and make modifications for the athletes’ safety and health. Surely, things are bound to be different. So, what will an altered version of the Olympics look like? The Diplomat reports that in an effort to cut costs, a simplified version of the games will take place. Typical red carpet treatment will be scaled back, a reduction of representatives from each country will take effect, the welcoming ceremonies for each individual team will be canceled and the excessive Olympic Village decorations will also be scaled back. According to a University of Oxford study, next year’s Olympics prove to be the most expensive Olympic games in history since the postponement cost the Olympics’ organizing committee several hundred billion yen. Before the pandemic, the Olympics had only ever been canceled because of war. According toNPR, OlympicCommittee officials have stressed that the games will proceed regardless of the state of the global pandemic, whether or not a vaccine would be made available in time. Having the games postponed for a second time has been completely ruled out. BBC reports that the longest-serving member of the International Olympic Committee, Dick Pound, spoke out saying that the games would be cancelled rather PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY A. GOMEZ Picking up a new excercise tool than postponed again if it came down to it. The Diplomat reports that with more than 11,000 athletes from 206 countries, the Olympic Village will be a base for some 30,000 people. The games have to find a way to balance athlete and public safety, whilst keeping costs down to make up for the losses incurred by postponing the games this year. Specific details around different scenarios are still being finalized, such as adjustments being made to the immigration protocols, in case Japan’s border remains closed to tourists. BBC further reports that Tokyo 2020 chief executive, Toshiro Muto, said that they wanted to avoid the possibility of having no spectators at all and that it was possible that the Olympics would be held to a “limited” audience. Not everyone is happy about the idea of the games still taking place. A survey from Kyodo News found that fewer than one in four people in Japan reportedly want the Tokyo Olympics to continue as scheduled, with more than a third of the people believing the games should be postponed once again. Another third said that they want the games canceled altogether. According to BBC, John Coates, a member of the Australian Olympic Committee, as well as the International Olympic committee, confirmed that the Olympics would start on July 23, 2021, calling them the “Games that conquered COVID-19.” By: Tatiana Illis Contributing Writer By: Aliyah Gomez Contributing Writer