Fit in some Fitness Into Your Routine

Working out isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but there’s no denying how heavily physical fitness centres have been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you used to go to the gyms when they were open or you’ve always been an “at home fitness” person there are many ways you can support your favourite local gyms while adhering to your fitness and wellness goals during the lockdown.

Personally, my fitness routine hasn’t skipped a beat during the lockdown and that's all thanks to utilizing the services offered by gyms even while being closed for in-person workouts. Some local gyms are offering equipment rental programs and/or virtual classes. I love that most classes cater to a no-equipment-needed audience. Physical fitness is a huge part of overall wellness but sometimes thinking about working out or planning exercises that feels more tedious than the actual exercise. Utilizing virtual fitness classes or virtual programming takes the thinking right out of it. You just have to show up and the gyms will guide you and the best thing is you can go at your own pace in a space that's comfortable for you!

For any equipment that I did want to purchase instead of rent, I reached out to my gym to see if they could source the equipment for me instead of me resorting to shopping on Amazon. Fitness facilities usually have lots of local contacts and even wholesale pricing.

Did you know Newmarket has over 15 gym facilities in town and many of them offer online services? Get in touch with your gym or get in touch with a new gym that you haven't tried before and see how they can support your health during this lockdown. You can find a list of facilities on the Choose Local directory.

If you are financially able, you may also want to consider continuing to pay your membership fees or even pre-paying for a few months once lockdown is over to help gyms and fitness facilities get over this difficult time. You don’t have to spend money to support your favourite gym though; you can also engage with their social media platforms. Tell your friends what gym they should sign up for after lockdown is over, share a photo on social of your favourite workout and tag the trainer or gym who inspired you or drop an encouraging comment on the posts of local fitness facilities that are still motivating their followers to stay active and healthy!

I’d like to end this post with a little reminder that physical exercise is a celebration of what your body can do; move your body in ways that make you feel strong and empowered!

For more information on local businesses in Newmarket visit newmarket.ca/chooselocal