Online Classes…How to Kick COVID’s Ass!
I hope this finds you, your family and friends healthy and well. The last couple of months have certainly been a challenge in many ways. We have been asked to self-quarantine, close businesses, keep in touch via online meetings and in some cases, experience the loss of loved ones. While some areas are relaxing restrictions, it remains uncertain what the next few months will look like as the country tries to return to a more “normal” life. Throughout this time, people have rallied to support each other as well as strangers and honor those who go to work each day to fight the virus. Tough times have a way of revealing a person’s character…and we are seeing a ton of it in the Shark community.
Since closing our in-person classes in the third week of March, Shark Fitness has been online four mornings a week under an elective pay plan. If you have been affected financially by the virus, the class is free while others send in what they feel is appropriate. There is no better way to deal with stress and uncertainty than hard training and seeing results. Attendance has been excellent and growing weekly to the point that 70-80 attend the live broadcasts with another 20-30 watching the replay later in the day. We meet on Zoom at 6:00am (CST) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and at 8:00am (CST) on Saturday. Most on the live broadcast share video so I can correct form and spark some motivation when needed. The classes are designed for small spaces with limited equipment and are receiving outstanding reviews. For local clients, we purchased exercise tubes in bulk and are selling them for less than they can find online. Supplies are limited and reserved for those in our class. To join us online or to get bands, click here. Also, check out the new online store featuring designs from past years and 20th anniversary gear! At this time, I don’t have any updates about returning to parks for in-person training. Stay tuned to the Shark Fitness Facebook page for updates.
Conducting classes online in quarantine is not the way I expected to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Shark Fitness…but it has been our finest hour. For two decades I have tried to find every possible way of motivating people to prioritize their health and fitness…from being subtle to brutally honest. Some may not like the way I attack the subject but cannot argue with the facts behind it. I have shared inspiring stories of success and tragic consequences of failing to live a healthy lifestyle. I hope that one of the silver linings to the COVID-19 pandemic is to be the spark that ignites the passion to boost health and fitness goals. According to several recent studies, obesity is THE most common physical trait of those lost to the virus. Again, the most common denominator among virus deaths is obesity. Now, more than any other time in history, it extraordinarily important to be at a healthy weight and physically conditioned…your life DOES depend on it. Good nutrition and hard training isn’t easy but it is the greatest weapon against getting sick. Unbelievably, there have been a lot of posts on social media that boast or brag about how much alcohol and junk food is being consumed and the amount of weight gained during isolation. One imbecile published in “Teen Vogue” magazine under the title of “Ask a Fat Girl” went so far as to suggest that gaining weight during the pandemic was a “privilege” and not something you should worry about. She also gave advice about dealing with parents that addressed unhealthy weight. The author didn’t reply to my letter…shocker. Enough of this crap. Do something genuinely good for yourself and those around you. Be someone who inspires others. It’s safe to say that all likely feel some degree of stress, sadness and uncertainty about the virus…but the way you choose to deal with situations like this defines your character. You can curl into a ball, cry and make things worse by neglecting your health or come out fighting by taking charge of what you CAN control like eating clean and training hard with a group of like-minded, asskicking champions of badassery. Real leaders always find a way to succeed and I have never been prouder of our Shark Corps of Clients than over the last seven weeks. They have embraced the Shark goal of being leaner, more fit and mentally stronger by the time we meet in person again. That is Shark Strong!