Exercising; the one solution to everyone’s problems- or so it’s supposed to be. Working out and keeping your physical health in shape seems to be the one act that can solve many problems. Stress, depression, feeling bad about yourself, practically anything. However, exercising isn’t everything to some high school students. Junior Reese McLaughlin considers herself to be a healthy person without exercising regularly.

“I don’t like to sweat, I hate cardio, I can’t find the motivation,” McLaughlin said. “I’m not athletic. I also don’t have time. I don’t have an hour where I’m like ‘I’m going to go to the gym, I’m going to be sporty,’ and what not.”

Although some find that working out and making sure their bodies are physically fit can help them feel good about themselves and their health, push-ups and pull-ups aren’t all that a person can do to feel good.

“I make sure I eat [very] healthy, I stay away from most breads. I don’t eat fast food. I mean, if I’m really treating myself, I’ll have a bagel, which is crazy. I eat a [lot of] apples,” McLaughlin said.

Along with McLaughlin, Senior Chase Thompson chooses not to work out, for simpler reasons than the benefits.

“I just don’t really have the time, or the self control to work out, [and I get to] study more for my classes,” Thompson said.

With not having much time to set aside for exercising, Thompson chooses to exercise his mental abilities, rather than his physical health.

“Mental health has been dwindling because of AP Chem, Calculus, applying for colleges, and getting scholarships, but physical, I’ve been doing alright,” Thompson said.

With being a senior and having less time to spare in the first place, exercising and attempting to make the time for it could be something that pushes many students over the edge.

“I have a lot more time,” McLaughlin said. “So instead of going out of your way to do that I can just make sure I’m making healthy decisions, and I’ve lost a bunch of weight just by doing that. Eating healthy is very easy, and [I] would say eating healthy makes me feel better about myself.”

According to nutritionist Sarah Philipp, owner of the account “Abundelicious”, 80% of weight loss is dependent upon what types of food and how much of it you put into your body.

If someone is purely exercising and not limiting their calories and measuring what is the right about of food is good for their bodies, excessive amounts of working out could be the opposite of healthy- even detrimental- to themselves.

“I also have bad knees, they would get dislocated a lot,” McLaughlin said about her previous experiences with attempting to lose weight purely by struggling through hours of wearing down her body. “So instead of going out of your way to [exercise], I can just make sure I’m making healthy decisions,” McLaughlin said. “And I’ve lost a bunch of weight just by doing that.”