Staying in, online lectures, social distancing. How do students deal with it? In this relay blog, Vox writers who study at Radboud write about their life in times of corona. Joep Dorna, master student of Human Geography, discovers new sports in this time of crisis.

My Wednesday evenings feel empty since the sports centre has closed its doors. Usually, I would be at a table tennis table for two hours by then, and after that I would spend another two at the sports café. I miss the feeling of having worn myself out physically and the socialising afterwards. The social drinks cannot be replaced, the feeling, however, can. Which is why I have recently tried out other sports.

That’s how I got into cycling. I’m not your standard cyclist – I don’t have a decent racing bike and I follow the traffic regulations – but now and then I feel as fast as Tom Dumoulin. It feels good to let go for a bit, when I get stuck with my thesis. But cycling can be frustrating as well. When a senior citizen is biking past me on an e-bike, for example.

‘With only a yoga mat, two elastic bands, and a dumbbell, fitness is not all too complicated’

Besides that, I’m doing a lot of fitness exercises. Before, I sometimes felt lost at the sports centre’s gym, wondering how the complicated machines work. This is something that doesn’t happen in my room. With only a yoga mat, two elastic bands, and a dumbbell, it’s not all too complicated. It is not always fun, but it does the trick. Many of my muscles are feeling a bit stronger.

While I’m working out, I sometimes wonder how other students stay fit. The risk during this time is that you stay inside and don’t move your body. I had to reminisce about the RAGRun that had taken place a mere month ago on campus. The prime task for participants of this running competition, almost all members of Carolus, was to down half a crate of ‘Spa Goud’ (‘Golden sparkling water’). If drinking beer is the fraternal version of sports, I’m very curious on the state in which the jaarclubs are.

Additional to fitness and cycling, I have also given darts a try, although I am not sure how happy SSH& and my flatmate are about that. Throwing darts is great to clear your head. You can throw in-between studying or next to watching your favourite TV-show. And it is very satisfying to hit the triple twenty box.

There is only one problem: for me, darts is the ultimate pub sport. And even though I’m throwing darts in the safe space of my room, I can’t help but to associate it with beer and chips. So I’m snacking away the hard work I did on bike and yoga mat with a bag of Aldi crisps. But oh well, you can’t always be a fitboy.