Denver Gym Offers Virtual Workouts During Coronavirus Pandemic
DENVER (CBS4) - While people are cooped up in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, local gyms are finding innovative ways to make sure the community can stay fit and healthy. Fit36 LoDo, has started offering live workouts their members can get from home.
"It's kind of roll with the punches as soon as we knew all gyms would close," explained Brad Cooley, the co-founder of Fit36.
When Denver residents were ordered to stay home amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the gym founders knew they had to get creative to keep their business running and keep their members healthy.
"We're helping our community to have a healthy and fit lifestyle even when they're confined to their own home," said co-founder Ned Matheson.
The two are offering live community workouts through video conference on Zoom. They say members will get the same high intensity interval training, only now it's in their living rooms.
The founders of Fit36 said they know not everyone has gym equipment at home, so most of the workout are body weight or involve the use of household items for weights.
"Broomsticks, backpacks, water bottles," Matheson laughed.
Matteson said that exercise is so important, as it releases endorphins and serotonin to help with the stress of the current situation.
"It's been shown that exercise reduces stress levels greatly and improves happiness," he explained.
The gym also realizes many people have lost their job during the pandemic, so they are now offering free live classes to the unemployed.
"Being in LoDo, we are surrounded by people who have been shut down and the income is gone," Cooley said. "It's terrible. So we wanted to do this to help."
In addition to live workouts, the gym offers an online library of recorded workouts. Monthly membership costs have been reduced, those unemployed get access for free, and they're also offering corporate rates.
"I think we are reaching out to those who never thought they could come to a gym," Cooley said.
For more information, you can visit the gym's website.