Though the restaurant industry is undoubtedly taking the brunt of the COVID-19 outbreak, all small businesses locally and across the country face similar challenges. The closure of gyms all around the U.S. is especially impacting independently-owned fitness studios.
Times might be tough, but it’s amazing to see how innovative we’ve all become in dealing with the circumstances. As Gary Vaynerchuk said earlier today, “This is lemonade time. You know, [we’ve] been thrown some real **** lemons and I hope everybody can find their lemonade.” Thankfully, a lot of our friends in the fitness community have already begun doing so.
Today, we’re organizing all of the local studios that are currently offering virtual classes in Hudson County—specifically for all of us who are currently practicing #isolationyoga. If you’re like me, there’s no shortage of do-it-yourself workouts to get into on YouTube. That being said, virtual classes are a great way to stay connected with our fitness community and help support more local businesses who rely on our patronage.
Asana Soul Practice
With two locations in both Hoboken and Jersey City, Asana Soul Practice is one of the go-to’s locally for yoga and mediation. This week they’ve launched their online platform featuring on-demand classes. Celeste Cusumano and the ASP team are currently approving new member access with 15 minutes to 3 hours of sign-up.
You can begin by visiting their online class landing page—which also includes a great music playlist—and choose your classes. You can also join Lauren this Sunday, March 22 on Zoom from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. as she continues her four-part series exploring Yoga Sutras.
Prime Cycle
Hoboken’s innovative spin studio incorporates choreographed “rhythm riding” with a full-body workout. Starting this week, the Prime Cycle team is streaming live Prime Body classes on their Instagram @primecycle.
This week Alexa DeRose (@alexa_healthyliving) is streaming a HIIT (High-intensity interval training) class for adults and kids over 11 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. each day. Also, live classes will remain on Instagram for 24 hours. This evening, the team will also be hosting a virtual Pilates Barre Fusion class at 6 p.m. Follow and DM them for more information on upcoming virtual classes.
BASE
BASE Director of Personal Training, Cait Giacino (@cait_giacino) spoke to followers today, offering some virtual, at-home solutions with minimal equipment. As a first step, she shared a daily home workout today with everyone via @BASENJ, as well as some words of encouragement.
“We’re out of the gym. We’re out of our comfort zone. A lot of us are freaking out. There’s only so many jump squats and burpees and things like that you can do without going a little crazy,” Giacino said. “What we’re going to do is provide you guys with at-home workouts that are effective. We’re going to give you some variety. We’re going to have group fitness instructors coming at you. Personal trainers coming at you… We want you, more than ever, to keep your health in check. We’re not giving up on you. We’re not leaving you. We’ll just be coming to you through a screen. It’ll be a little different. You’ll get to experience all our lovely personalities and we’ll still be able to kick your butt!”
Hudson River Fitness
The folks at Hudson River Fitness aren’t concerned about the lack of gym space. They’re still offering their four-week home workout programs available through their website, which will now be tailored to our current circumstances. The team offered these words of encouragement via their Instagram this week: “Members, expect to still be coached by your coaches. Remember, Hudson River fitness is more than just access to equipment. Get ready for Monday folks!“
The Bar Method Hoboken
The BAR Method Hoboken did their first live-stream, 45-minute class at 12:30 p.m. earlier this afternoon, which will be visible for 24 hours. Lucia and Melissa gave updates yesterday on what’s to come for the studio. The best way to get access to live Bar classes online or for their upcoming streams is to contact them by email at [email protected]. The duo also offered some gratitude towards their current members:
“We want to thank [our members] for all the love and support that you’ve given us,” they said via IGTV. “We’re grateful to those who are hunkering down with us and keeping [their] membership active.”
The MAX Challenge of Hoboken
The MAX Challenge of Hoboken will be offering some do-it-yourself guides/virtual workouts for free during this week you can tune in by sending them a direct message @maxofhoboken or call 201-547-1030. This week, if you have friends or family who are a member, you can join for the home workout program absolutely free. Hashtag #maxfromhome if you’re a social media extrovert.
(P.S. if you’re one of our readers who’s hurting for weekly meal prep, be sure to check out our friends at Graze and Braise, a paleo meal prep company led by talented chef, Ayaz Adiguzelli.
*If you know of any local businesses offering virtual classes or home workouts, drop us a line below!
Michael is the Editor-in-Chief of New Jersey Digest, COO of X Factor Media, and an avid fiction writer. A Bergen County native, he discovered his passion for words during a long stretch of Friday detentions. Michael loves kayaking, a fat glass of Nebbiolo, and over-editing.
