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Home » Fitness » Fitness professionals are out of work. Their No. 1 tool to survive? Instagram – Charlotte Agenda

The fitness industry, like other industries, has taken a massive hit because of the coronavirus pandemic. Gyms are closed for at least a month, and instructors have had to adapt to stay afloat. The No. 1 tool to do so? Instagram.

In February, Caitlyn Collins Gulley quit her teaching job to pursue a career in fitness at Flywheel, a cycling studio.

Just 50 days later, she had to file for unemployment after the studio laid off 98 percent of its staff, including Caitlyn. Her husband James Gulley, a fitness instructor at Barrys and personal trainer, is also without work right now.

To stay connected with their community and to recoup a little bit of lost wages the couple is sharing at-home workouts on their respective Instagram accounts that can be done in under 30 minutes with little to no equipment.

Just 20 to 30 minutes of activity boosts morale in our house. We want to provide that for others and feel connected to our people, too, Caitlyn said.

Many of the people using the free virtual workouts are existing clients, especially for James. But Caitlyn has amassed 100 new followers tuning in to the workouts as well.

Courtesy of Caitlyn Gulley

Another Barrys instructor, Shane Lucas, has also been posting live classes on Instagram, ranging from yoga to total body resistance band workouts. Around 700 people view the videos before they expire, he says.

Lucas isnt charging either, but some people have tipped him $5-$10 through Venmo.

Previously, Instagram was a supplement to her core offerings, and now its how she keeps her clients engaged.

Last week, between stories and her main feed, Daly posted 65 more times than the week prior. She had 25,000 more impressions and an increased reach of nearly 600.

Its important to keep your body active physically during this time, she says. I want to show people that you dont need a killer workout to get daily activity; just moving throughout the day in different ways can be hugely beneficial.

Shes used to posting general health and lifestyle tips, but with people stuck at home, she uses Instagram stories to connect with her audience, share workouts, demonstrate proper form, and provide a physical outlet for anyone who needs it.

Online workouts arent exactly new, and neither is using Instagram. But Daly thinks fitness professionals and brick-and-mortar businesses are understanding the value of connecting online, and virtual classes will become a permanent offering in the fitness space.

Weve gone from thriving to zero, founder Liz Hilliard says. For us to say were doing well would be a big big lie.

The studio offers unlimited online streaming for $19.99 a month and has sold some equipment people can use at home. Hilliard says shes grateful the studio has streamed classes for the last two years so theres already thousands of minutes of content queued up, but it doesnt pull in a ton of money.

Despite the lack of cashflow, people need each other and need fitness more than ever Hilliard says. Which is why the studio has started to share more tips on Instagram and show people working out from home on HSMs stories.

Sometimes social media is a problem, but I think Instagram is a strong thing right now for Charlotte. We can communicate and we can connect in ways that feel legitimate.

Liz and her partner, Lee, are also rolling out a podcast called Hilliard Studio Podcast. The duo hadnt planned to launch it just yet, but the need is now. Theyre going to go in depth on wellness, staying connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other health-related topics. Its meant to be another free, inclusive resource for people during the stay at home order.

Small businesses, people everywhere, were in trouble. Were in pain, Hilliard says. In the middle of chaos, a pandemic, Im getting creative. Its a great time to share that with each other.

Screen grab from Hilliard Studio Method.

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Fitness professionals are out of work. Their No. 1 tool to survive? Instagram - Charlotte Agenda

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Home » Fitness » Fitness professionals are out of work. Their No. 1 tool to survive? Instagram – Charlotte Agenda