Coronavirus looks like it’s here to stay for a while as the number of cases continues to climb. Our new normal, for the foreseeable future, will be staying at home. By now, we’re all developing new routines for working, learning and staying in touch online. But, for a lot of us, our routines for getting regular exercise and staying physically active might not have made the transition.
Some days, we find ourselves covering no more ground than the distance from the bedroom to the kitchen. Even the regularity of those daily steps we’d normally count just walking from the parking garage or running to the office printer and back have faded away like an imprint on a couch cushion. Sure, we’re basically living in our sweats and yoga pants—but the likelihood our activewear will see any action can be pretty low.
Yet, along with social distancing, staying physically active is one of the best things you can do to support your immune system and lower your risk for infection. Now more than ever, it’s essential for everyone to stay active. Which is why we’re excited to launch ColumbusStaysActive, a website dedicated to connecting you to local independent fitness instructors. There are several free workout videos available so you can sample instructors’ styles. Find a trainer you like, and you can sign up for online classes or sessions to help them keep their business going when gyms and fitness centers are closed.
The site was created for the purpose of helping the public—and our local fitness pros—cope with this unprecedented disruption. Exercise is a critical factor in healthy living. With this resource, we’re taking action to help you and the fitness industry stay healthy.
How Does ColumbusStaysActive Work?
Independent trainers, teachers, and coaches visit the website to list their business and upload a sample class video. It’s a free way for fitness pros to connect with Columbus people who want to stay physically active while at home.
Columbus residents can visit the site to browse the gallery of fitness pros and try a free session. You’ll find a huge variety of fitness offerings, including:
- Ballet
- Barre
- Bootcamp
- Boxing
- Breakdance for kids
- Dance fitness
- Dynamic stretching
- Functional nutrition
- HIIT
- Hip Hop fitness
- Kickboxing
- Muay Thai
- Personal training
- Pre- and postnatal fitness
- Strength training
- Virtual playgroups for kids
- Yoga
- Zumba
Best yet, all coaches and instructors are local, so you can commit to bettering yourself for the long term by starting an online program training now and continuing after restrictions are lifted. Remember, under normal circumstances, staying active helps with weight management, disease prevention, and mental health—and during shelter-in-place restrictions, it’s even more important because it:
- Lifts mood, which is important when faced with the generally gloomy and anxiety-inducing backdrop of a pandemic.
- Improves cholesterol levels and lowers blood pressure, which can help lower your risk for heart disease (unlike the large, extra-cheese/extra pepperoni pizza and four loaves of banana bread you and your SO or roommate finished over the weekend).
- Helps you sleep better and manage stress more effectively, which can both be difficult when schedules are disrupted.
We’d love to hear how you’re staying active! Drop us a note below and tell us what you’re doing or let us know if there’s a type of class you’d like to see offered on ColumbusStaysActive.