iFitness: How the World of Personal Training Has Changed for Social Distancing
How Fitness Influencers Are Rising to the At-Home Challenges of COVID-19
The human body was meant to walk, run, jump, squat, sprint, and dodge, tracing its origins back to when nomadic peoples had to follow food sources to feed their families. Today, we still sport these same bodies that require exercise to function properly, which can at times, seem daunting in a social distancing world. We’re at home, on the couch, using our phones, laptops, and TVs to keep our kids busy, all the while our bodies beg us to get up and move around – if only for a little bit.
That’s why, prior to COVID-19, the gym, personal training, and group fitness industry was a multi-billion-dollar industry. We just feel better when we workout. If not for muscle gain, fat loss, and aesthetic reasons, fitness actually makes us happier. Anyone who has ever gone for a run knows that infectious feeling of endorphins that’s hard to forgo. Humanity and exercise are synonymous.
Therefore, as we work to slow the spread of coronavirus and do our parts to stay isolated at home, how are we expected to feed this desire to exercise? We can’t go to the gym, we can’t go to a local boxing or crossfit class with our friends, and we can’t meet up in person with our personal trainers. This harrowing reality, for so many, is what kick-started a COVID-fueled depression.
“When will I ever workout again?”
As many of you have seen over the last few months, the world of fitness trainers, instructors, and professionals not only answered the call, they redefined fitness forever. That’s why sporting goods, home fitness, and cycling sales are through the roof from coast to coast.
The Arrival of iFitness: It’s Here to Stay
Before March 2020, if you had told someone that a personal trainer could actually provide results for their clients through a phone, you would have laughed. Well, no one is laughing anymore. iFitness is the latest, greatest invention in the world of creative tech, with the likes of Nike pushing remote workouts to grow their personal training app. According to Nike, its running club app welcomed more than one million new runners in March, and has since seen a 42% rise in runs logged.
And for the personal trainers that work independently of big companies or group gyms, they are going straight to the source: their client. They’re making it happen with Instagram Live, Zoom and Skype calls, and specialized apps that make it easier than ever before to eliminate the middleman and provide clients with a thorough, supported workout.
Just look at NASM-certified personal trainer, Allegra Paris, known for her engaging Instagram Live workouts she hosts for free on her account every week. In order to make sure her clients can access her fitness videos and support, she has uploaded over 50 easy-to-follow fitness videos to her website, as well as promotes a 50-minute bootcamp for private Zoom classes on a weekly basis.
Like so many trainers answering the iFitness call, Allegra Paris is among many that are using their physical expertise for good by volunteering their time through @bandier and @technogym to host free classes for those that can’t afford to pay for physical training. In the world of iFitness, exercise has never been more accessible.
Workouts Curated for the Home Environment
It’s true that coronavirus has shed light on the unnecessary spending previously diverted to gyms with fancy workout machines. So many trainers are proving that calisthenics, otherwise known as bodyweight exercises, are just as effective.
Plus, working out at home ensures humans are not cross-contaminating sweat and other bodily fluids, providing a much more streamlined experience that will not function as a coronavirus hotbed. For companies like Peloton, trainers like Allegra Paris, and so many others, the world of iFitness is just getting started. If you’re feeling discouraged by your lack of fitness options, simply turn to your phone. iFitness is ready to welcome you.
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