HYDERABAD: City fitness instructors have taken the government health advisory and have kept their fitness centres closed to facilitate social distancing. However, to help students still practice their workouts and of course, to ensure value for money, many of them are resorting to online apps to reach out and coach students virtually.
Harshita Soni, Yoga acharya who runs Place of Breath in Begumpet and also at Roshni Counselling Centre in Somajiguda, says that online classes work only during one-on-one sessions.
“Group sessions are tricky as the attention is spread thin and therefore I am currently teaching only those students who opted for personal classes. I use Zoom app as I can record it and send it to the student who can do it whenever he/she wants. I use Skype for my students abroad. For example my student in Arizona, a pregnant woman who has been with me for a few weeks now, is keen on doing Yoga and has not asked for a holiday for Coronovirus like students in Hyderabad did,” says the Yoga therapist who also teaches Hyderabad Runners group in Alwal.
Meanwhile, Harshita also has recorded the Ayurdehi mantra which is known to have healing powers when chanted and has posted on her Instagram page and has shared it with those who want it. “I want to approach hospitals and help build the immunity of their nursing staff,” she says.
Livin Chandrasekhar of Infinity Yoga in Jubilee Hills says, “As of now I’m not taking up any sessions. We tried a online sessions, but it was not that effective as the attention span is less and Yoga, as you know, needs the practitioners to be mentally and physically available. We are off till Sunday and may try it out on Monday.”
Fitness instructor Tarkesh Reddy who runs his own gym called Curves in Marredpally says that as most of his equipment is at the gym and his students pay to use it, there is no ‘online’ solution to it.
“I taught them a few flexibility and stretching exercises and told them to do at home. I have a WhatsApp group and am doing a hands day, legs day etc according to the day of the week. We will see if we can get back soon.”
Many of the branded fitness chains have already announced closure and have told students to come back after April 1. Fitness is on a resting mode this season.