Upper school begins, and open gyms are a thing of the past. In Middle School, open gym offered a 15-minute break during every lunch period to play basketball, soccer, football, or just talk to friends in a different environment. Open gyms help students mentally and physically, and it’s time to bring them back.

During those 15 minutes, students could do anything they wanted to do from playing basketball to just talking with friends. Open gyms helped students make new relationships with other people they may have not even talked to before. This was also the only time that students could go into the gym because students are only allowed in the gym with the supervision of a teacher. If places like the design lab have full-time supervisors for students so that they can express their creativity, why can’t the gym have part-time supervisors so that students can exercise their bodies? The only time students get to play in the gym is occasionally during x period.

Open gym is not only a time for students to play sports, but it is also time for students to connect and have a break from school while actively participating in something that will help their mental health. A government study in Australia showed that physical activities don’t just help with connecting students but also decrease rates of depression by up to 30%, and other health risks such as dementia by 30% and diabetes by up to 40%. The Health and Wellbeing Profile based in London also showed that exercising 4+ times a week reduces physiological stress by up to 47%.

Bring open gym back for the sake of student health, learning, and fun. Open gym should not be a thing of the past. Students should discuss this with a member of the Upper School Council or administrative team to find ways to get the gym open.