The Death of Fitness Groupies
If you haven’t been living under a rock the past 16 months, you know that the world has changed.
This is not a question of for the good or bad but more, how will this impact our lives and more specifically fitness professionals? As a fitness professional myself, I am intrigued about ‘what’s next’ in our industry.
Let’s back track for a second. March 2020, the world was put on pause. Everything and everyone was told to stay home. Businesses closed their doors and the world waited until we could move on. Except the wait is still happening and fast forward to July 2021; gyms are still closed. I think this needs to be said but I am one of those fitness professionals that pivoted online before I knew the impact it would have.
Fitness for myself has been a saving grace, a break from every day pressures and a chance for me to really just focus on myself. I became a fitness instructor and personal trainer to impact lives of others just as fitness did for me so shutting down was NEVER an option. I also should share that pre-covid, meaning February 2020, I never once went LIVE with a workout, I never posted to social media daily and I could never see myself leading a fitness class virtually. But you see, when you rely on something to cope with and help other’s with, you go and jump outside of your comfort zone. That is exactly what I did. I can still remember my husband asking if I was ok since this is something that I never would do. But again…fitness became my life.
So how does this relate to the death of the fitness groupie??
For years before becoming certified, I would be that girl in the front row of the fitness group class memorizing all the steps, being the first to arrive, getting to know the instructor because it was a safe place for me. I guess you could say my passion started early…like at the age of 15! There would be sweat dripping off our faces, high fiving and really crammed classes but the energy was electric.
Will that ever be the same? As I began my online class journey I feared I would lose connection with members and lose the lust for myself.
This has been my goal since day one-create same connection virtual as I did in class. I have invested in equipment, services, researched and I am confident that when someone joins my virtual class, they are left feeling that they got a virtual hug. There are interactive feeds between myself and members, the music is pumping and for that 45 minutes I am in my glory. Doing what I love with a group of amazing women.
How is it the same? It’s NOT!! It’s different but change is good. You can’t grow without change and it’s something that not only fitness professionals need to learn but a society at large. The question I am still wondering is, “Will in person group fitness classes continue to be a thing in the future? And I really hope so! Although I am not leading in person classes at the moment, I would love to eventually move to in person events.
Point is, if you didn’t change when the world shut down, are you ever really going to change moving forward? This is a bold question but one that takes reflection on your part. The fitness industry was hit very hard during this pandemic but most continued to offer services to some degree. So, my question really is for you-the participant! “ Will you go back to your gym and in person classes in a heart beat or would you prefer virtual?”
Either way, the world will slowly move on with or without you. This was the #1 lesson I’ve learned this past year. You need to be ready to think on your toes and step outside your comfort zone if you want to thrive.
So, are you ready to tackle the “new world”?
#balbcommunity #virtualfitness #empoweringwomen #changeisgood #newworld
