VIVO – The Power of Community; A New Spin for Online Fitness Classes

The New Look of Personal Training Post Pandemic

When COVID-19 occurred, nearly all gyms, fitness boutiques, and related offerings closed.  People were lost without their daily fix of structured exercise/classes. What broke through from formerly being a niche market offering of virtual and online training became the new normal.  Applications emerged and people started doing virtual one on one trainings and group training sessions.  Live training via technology proved to be much more difficult than just sending a link and turning on a camera.  What you find is just because someone can teach or train live, they may not be able to replicate those same skills virtually.  This is true for any type of instruction or personal interaction.

While there are  many new virtual fitness offerings via an on-demand library or live classes, there are components of individuality greatly missing.  Assessments and progress updates are missing.  You may feel like you know your favorite instructor that you follow or wake up to on Peloton, Mirror, etc., but do they know you?  Do the people you are competing against know anything besides your screen name? Are you a number and a subscribing customer with a generic need of some broad outcome that exercise can provide?  Are you in grouping that ranges from age 12-100, telling all participants to do the same move? 

Bottom line, there is a huge market for virtual training, but how sticky and motivated are people to stay in the space of on-demand streams and occasional live offerings?  Those with intrinsic motivation who always had a knack or interest in physical activity can absolutely thrive in this setting.  But we do not have to look far to know the percentage of Americans that meet minimum recommend activity levels are abysmal, let alone adding strength training recommendations to the list.   

Socialization & Community

Belonging matters.  Accountability matters.  At the end of the day, the main reason people “show up” for a workout of any sort in a group setting is to socialize and feel a part of something.  Back to the top, exercise and pushing your body to physical and mental limits is not enjoyable. It hurts. It’s uncomfortable. It’s hard work and  takes commitment. You do not see benefits overnight. All of these barriers push back against someone being present time and time again. But the joy, pride and fuel to continue is seen by the results and outcomes.  To achieve outcomes and results to sustain your quest, you need another reason to be present. 

Insert people. 

Why do you think sports teams are successful?  Because every athlete is in love with the work and conditioning required to perform?  NO!  If you have heard of Abby Wambach, one of the greatest women’s soccer players of all time, she told her daughter who had just started to run to make the competitive team these exact words, “I hated running every single day of my career.  I cried about it all the time. I did it because I knew I couldn’t be great if I wasn’t fit, but I freaking hated every minute of it.”

Community makes us do things we did not know are possible. Community supports us and propels us to the good things for ourselves.  When we accept that we need community to live our best lives, results follow. It is essential people begin to understand the enormity of strength training as one ages.  

VIVO is about so much more than older adults meeting 2-3 times a week in a group of 4-6 people working on total body strength and cognitive challenges.  VIVO is about building community and relationships that motivate and encourage people to stay committed, have fun and feel supported in their endeavors.  VIVO is about instructors who know you. Your name. The details about your life.  Your current level of performance. Your greatest strengths and your biggest opportunities. And they coach to the unique qualities that make Bob, Bob and what make Sheryl, Sheryl.

Why Assessments Matter? 

Without progress and goals accomplished, strength training and exercise lose a lot of the “why.”  Why would I keep doing something if I cannot see progression and how it is positively impacting my life?  For a runner, walker, or biker this is much easier to measure on your own.  Did I go farther than yesterday and was the time to do it faster than the time before?  Endurance work is easier assessed by basic common sense.

Strength training is much different to assess, especially if your goal is functional strength and maintenance of independence compared to that of physically building more muscle visible by a mirror. For older adults in that 55+ range, the need or desire to lift heavy and see noticeable signs of strength gain is not the norm.  Instead, people want to engage their bodies in strength training to improve quality of life, continuing to do the things they love and to chase the idea of vitality and longevity in a body and skeletal frame that can support your best day, not just get you through the next day.

VIVO is all about assessments.  You start with a pre-test to set a baseline. Your trainer knows where you are at and how to coach to your current strength levels and safely push you to the next level.  They are there to encourage your “why.” To correct you when your form is bad and encourage you when you don’t want to do any more. They remind you what you want to achieve with your gains.  Having goals and chasing progress fuels almost every individual spirit, no matter if you believe you are a competitive person or not. 

Every two months new assessments are completed through a virtual meeting with a specialist. You learn what needs work and what warrants praise. Your team also knows, and they are there to support you. The community continues to propel you towards your aspirations.  So, you show up, again and again even if your progress is slower than you prefer. If you like the idea of having someone in your corner to make you chuckle and give you a virtual high five while getting the challenge your body needs, you will find it with VIVO! 

Joining the Vivo Family

Did you say family? Yes! When you combine the elements above into a virtual program you attend regularly each week you become a family with peers and the trainer. You get to know one another intimately; plans for the weekend, where the grandkids are going to college, what your favorite family vacation ever taken was. This is connection. This is accountability to one another. At Vivo the value of connection is as great as the physical work. And if you are not logged in for your session you better believe someone is calling to check on you! Does your traditional gym do that? For more information and to become part of the family visit www.teamvivo.com. Your body, your mind, and your spirit will thank you!