Lorraine Korobanik Fitness Turns to Zoom!

Kamloops is like many other Canadian cities right now as we work to find a sense of balance and peace amidst the confusion and restrictions the CoVid 19 Virus has brought. We want to remain healthy by taking care of our physical bodies, our mental states and our emotional conditions, and so reach out to health care professionals, personal trainers and fitness/yoga instructors to help us. We may not be able to physically meet them in their usual places of work, so many individuals are now turning to the almighty internet to bridge that gap.

I am one of the Fitness and Yoga Professionals who was forced out of her work places. The choice was get online or don’t work. It was a scary proposition to put myself in front an iPhone on a little tripod and begin filming myself working out in order to lead clients and friends at home. YouTube was the first social media platform I tried – back in March when the first wave of the Corona Virus hit. It worked out okay - I am still gaining followers slowly but surely – but it doesn’t pay the bills as one must have thousands of followers before YouTube is interested enough in you to offer compensation.

This time, when the Kamloops gyms and studios closed due to the global pandemic, I was encouraged by several clients to start instructing on Zoom, where I could charge people a small fee in order to take each class, thereby helping to minimize the huge blow to my income. Just as with YouTube, I had no experience whatsoever, but with the help of a friend, I jumped right in and started. Nine individuals booked in and took my 1st class. It wasn’t perfect, as I had no idea if they could hear me or my music well enough during the actual exercising bits, but with a few check-ins in-between and some trial-and-error, we all ended up sweaty and happy. Most of the clients booked in for at least one more class, if not two or three and I am continuing with this mode of teaching for now.

If you have friends or family members who are at home in the mornings and who you know are looking for well-instructed fitness classes, send them my way! I lead my clients through a warm-up at the beginning of every class and some static stretching at the end of class. No weights are required, but easily incorporated if you do have them. Staying active right now is SO important – not only to stay physically fit, but to receive that essential boost of natural serotonin your brain produces when you exercise. Maybe even most importantly, we get to see one another’s beautiful faces and hear each other’s voices for a short while, when otherwise we would not. Let’s not underestimate the importance of getting together (virtually or otherwise) for our mental health!

I hope to see some of you via Zoom soon. If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to reach out to me by any of the social media methods supplied here on this website.