Jaymee Rhook wants to show people that working out at home doesn't have to be a solitary experience and can actually enhance feelings of connectedness as well as improving physical and mental health.
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Ms Rhook, through her business Genki Fit, is running a six-week "iso challenge" to help her existing and new fitness clients stay healthy and connected while stage three COVID-19 restrictions are in place.
Usually she runs group fitness classes at Smythesdale Recreation Centre but when restrictions were reimposed last week she was ready to move those classes online.
"I didn't want current clients to lose their motivation and I didn't want to lose my motivation. When you're by yourself it's so much harder. The whole idea behind this is maintaining connection ... I didn't want to lose that."
The first lockdown caught Ms Rhook somewhat off-guard and although she ran some free online classes she felt it wasn't as personal as she would have liked and she didn't really get out of it what she wanted.
So based on the program she wrote for herself to stay active during the first lockdown she put together the six-week challenge for the current stay-home period.
It's so important to be active for physical health and mental health, and even if you are doing it by yourself you do feel that sense of accomplishment that you've done something today and been active.
- Jaymee Rhook
"I created a program for myself as I wanted to build a bit of strength and it worked really well ... so I've turned it in to an online challenge but unlike a lot of online challenges where you record videos of yourself doing a workout by yourself I wanted to make sure we are doing it together."
There are three or four online live classes each week which are also recorded for those who couldn't make the session time, regular Facebook chats, suggested recipes and other options to make improvements to health and wellbeing.
The live classes also allow Ms Rhook to give feedback on technique to help avoid injury, explain various exercises and allow participants to feel like they are still at class and part of a group.
."We chat every day about goals, about what we want to get out of iso, how we are coping ... so people are not only getting active and healthy but also communicating, having conversations and being able to open up."
Genki Fit has always prided itself on catering for every fitness level and the online classes reflect that with different options for exercises and children frequently taking part with their parents.
"Genki has been around for 11 years and while this is the first time we've every had to do anything like this, the way I run the classes and my brother before me, they are for everyone. We have people who were bringing their kids along to classes and the kids joined in to have a go and now I see on Zoom the parents and kids int he background having a go.
"And the age range is quite diverse with my oldest client in their late 60s."
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Because the iso-challenge is home based there's no special equipment needed with all exercises either using bodyweight resistance, light weights or common items around the home.
During the first session this week, 17 people took part online with registrations still open.
"It's so important to be active for physical health and mental health, and even if you are doing it by yourself you do feel that sense of accomplishment that you've done something today and been active."
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