For some students, gym class is the best time of the day. These students love being able to take a break from sitting in desks and get all of their energy out. For others, gym class is stressful and scary. Some students feel embarrassed of their athletic capability, or don’t feel comfortable having to change in the locker room with their peers.

For some, online gym is the answer. By completing the course online, they can perform the activities at their preferred pace and don’t have to worry about the added stresses of participating in a public gym class. In many high schools, including South, students are able to take classes online rather than having to fit them in their schedule. This has been  beneficial for students, giving them options to retake classes they didn’t pass, take more classes each year to boost their GPA and much more. Students now have the option to take their gym classes online as well. By taking gym class online, students are able to take classes that they need and enjoy, and still get a sufficient amount of physical activity throughout their week.

During the class, students are required to log at least three hours of activity per week and record their heart’s fluctuations while doing the activity. Notes and writing assignments are also included in the course, mostly related to fitness and personal health, but they occasionally ask about health and fitness options within the community. The course does require payments, priced at around $250 per trimester.

Students who also need specific medical attention can finish the course without putting themselves at risk because the required activity can be modified to fit a person’s needs. An anonymous South senior said they really enjoyed online gym classes due to their personal experiences.

“I had really bad social anxiety and was undergoing some gender-related transitions, so I didn’t feel very comfortable in a school gym,” a student said.

“Whether someone is going through personal things like a gender transition or if they don’t feel comfortable interacting in the gym class, or if they just can’t fit it in their schedule, it’s a really great course that doesn’t ask too much of you,” another South senior said.

Lucas Gardner, a South junior, said that he really enjoyed taking gym class at school because he got a chance to have a laid back class with his friends. “I think that online gym classes can be beneficial depending on the person’s situation, but I feel like taking gym at school is better because students are getting guaranteed exercise,” Gardner said.