These last few months have changed the world of group fitness.
Raise your hand if you thought you would never try or enjoy a live virtual class!
We know how you feel.
Yet when COVID hit, online classes became the only option for group fitness lovers to work-out in the company of others.
Now, we can confidently say that we, along with our members, have grown to love our virtual classes and know that they are here to stay as part of the NEW Loyobo way of life!
Here are a 5 reasons to love virtual classes:
live virtual classes keep you accountable
Consider all the reasons that made you stay accountable in an in-studio class; the presence of an instructor encouraging you to go on, the energy of others sweating along with you, the feeling that you are not alone, and knowing that there was a specific time that you needed to be there to attend the workout. All of these reasons exist in a live virtual group fitness class.
All you have to do is turn your camera on. Or if for some reason you can’t (like a slow internet connection), you can still find motivation from interacting with your instructor and from seeing your fellow members moving!
Unlike free Youtube videos or prerecorded classes, where it’s so easy to skip the last rep or hit pause, not focus on your form or zone out, Live Virtual classes help you stay mentally present and accountable!
You get to try new classes and instructors
Remember the format you always wanted to try? The instructor you always wanted to take a class with but it just didn’t fit into your schedule?
Virtual classes give you the opportunity to try new classes and learnt different ways to find joy in movement! By experiencing different instruction styles, you can further challenge your physical and mental strength and step out of your comfort zone.
Yoga lovers can take up strength training and cardio lovers can benefit from the precision of Pilates. Non-dancers can Zumba like no one’s watching!
You feel connected
Group fitness is as much about community as it is about exercising. For many of us, not being able to go to the studio meant missing out on the support and encouragement of our gym friends who kept us going even when we felt we couldn’t.
Live Virtual classes keep you socially connected. They teach you that community transcends the virtual realm and allows us to get to know one another in a whole new way! Our members and instructors felt each other’s positive vibes even from their device’s screen.
The messages in the chat box, the virtual high fives and thumbs up, the faces smiling back in the gallery view are real. They mean something. And they carried you through when you think you just can’t.
They help you find you new ‘normal’
The pandemic upturned our daily routines quite rapidly. Suddenly many of us found ourselves without work, without a schedule, without time for ourselves (with kids and spouses at home). It was a a huge struggle finding a sense of normalcy.
Live virtual classes give you that sense of normalcy. Classes than can can fit into our topsy-turvy lives. Sometimes during the lunch hour. Sometimes after the kids go to sleep. Stretches and meditation that can be done in bed, strength building exercises we can be completed using household items.
You realize how much you can do in little space and with little equipment. You can still sweat and stretch and relax. And you learn to lean into the new ‘normal’.
They enable you to balance responsibility and self-care
Before the pandemic hit, our work-out options were limited. Taking time out for exercise meant going to the studio, figuring out our work schedule and maybe organizing child care.
Virtual classes are done from the comfort of your home, which means you no longer need to find a baby sitter or worry about your partner’s availability. You can take a break from work without having to ‘leave the office’.
Now, with more options available than ever before, you can workout at times that otherwise might have never had a studio class! Late nights, early mornings, or sneaking in a quick workout between meetings is now totally possible.
You can find a balance between your responsibilities and self-care which allows you to show up better in all aspects of life.
2020 has a been a tumultuous year. It has also been a year of reflection. Of tuning in. Letting go of expectations and embracing what life throws our way.
We want you to keep going and know that we are here to support you.
Our virtual classes are here to stay. You can access them through all our bi-weekly membership options, our On-Demand Subscription, and we’ve also launched an exclusive All In Virtual Membership if you think virtual classes are the way to go for you!
Sign up for our 3 class intro trial which gives you access to all our virtual, in-studio and outdoor classes and find out how we can support you in your wellness journey.