5 moves to a 15-minute full-body workout
As stay-at-home orders continue, experts highlight staying active as an important part of your daily routine. Although most parks, gyms and class-based studios are closed, many furloughed fitness instructors are teaching classes virtually.
Jason Ostrander and Michael Hornig, a couple living in New York City, were used to teaching 18 to 20 classes a week before the pandemic. But on March 16, everything changed as their fitness studios closed, laying off 98 percent of their employees in the process.
Jason says of hearing the news, “I just forced myself to expect it,” noting the increased safety measures and anxiety among typically upbeat clientele made him question how long large, in-person classes would sustain. But they didn’t give up hope. The couple began teaching virtual classes from their living room, gaining clients largely through Instagram.
The instructors, who previously taught classes at popular studios SLT and Flywheel Sports, maintain that they have high expectations of returning when the studios can reopen. Michael says, “We are going to be back in the studio. We just don’t have a date yet.”
But what will the new normal of group fitness and gyms look like? The reality is, virtual fitness might be here to stay. “You don’t have to go anywhere to try 10 different workouts,” Michael says, noting that many classes are free or donation-based. Virtual classes also offer privacy to beginners in fitness, who have the option to turn off their cameras, mute their speakers and move freely within the comfort of their own home.
In the video above, Jason and Michael share their tips to getting a full-body workout in 15 minutes. Don’t have a set of weights? Substitute heavy items from around your home! Use a large soup pot, gallons of water, laundry detergent, books, even a towel.
Friendly reminder: Always check with a doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
Video by Kat Vasquez
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