We all know that exercise is vital to healthy aging. In this time of a global pandemic, it is even more important. Exercise can help to strengthen your immune system and keep you healthy.
When the JCC had to close in March because of the Coronavirus pandemic, we didn’t stop thinking about how to keep our seniors healthy. We wanted to stay connected with our members and have our members stay connected with one another, even while we had to be physically distanced. Enter online virtual fitness classes.
In the beginning it was new to all of us and we all had so many questions. How do we as instructors make this work? Is there a good way to let everyone know we are holding class? Can we help people figure out how to access the class? What do we do when someone wants to exercise but doesn’t own any equipment?
At first we recorded some classes and posted them, along with some other class videos on our JCC website. These are still up, and you can use them if you like working out on your own, at times that work for you. You can access those here: https://jccpgh.org/jccpghvirtual-beyond-our-walls/.
Within two weeks of closing we also had live classes going using Zoom, featuring our JCC senior fitness instructors. It’s so fun to see our members all in their little zoom squares. We take time to chat before and after class, let everyone say hi to one another, check in and virtually socialize. Sometimes the technology gives us issues, sometimes the music or the instructor are hard to hear, sometimes our pets wander through the class. It all doesn’t matter. What matters is that we are together, that we feel better after we’ve moved a bit, that we are keeping ourselves strong and healthy, and that we are maintaining our friendships. We started with only a few people per class, but now we regularly have groups of 20 or 30, staying healthy apart together.
For now, classes are open to everyone. If you want to join us for a class, you can – just click on this link (https://jccpgh.org/jccpghvirtual-live-schedules/) look at the calendar, choose the class you want and a registration will pop up. We even have a team of people who can help walk you through this process if you email us at [email protected]. You definitely need some water, and if you have weights, a fitness band, and a small rubber ball have them handy –if not soup cans and a throw pillow can stand in. What’s most important is that you be there with us, because we miss sharing our classes with all of you.