5 Online Fitness Exercises at Home That You Can Attend While Making New Friends

While gyms and fitness centers remain closed during the community quarantine, there are still fun ways for you to consistently do exercises at home – with the help of the Internet and your friends, of course! "Before the lockdown, I used to go to the gym with my cousin to work out. It became our bonding session every week,” shares Ina, a community manager of a co-working space. “As an extrovert, I need to be surrounded by my loved ones. And it’s been so hard to do that because of the quarantine,” she says.

Thankfully, through the efforts of different gyms and fitness studios, it’s now possible to attend your favorite fitness classes online via Zoom or Facebook. “This became my barkada’s new thing,” says Pauline, a multimedia artist. “We’d agree to attend the same class. So even though we’re all apart and safe at home, we can still hang out virtually and motivate each other!”

If you find yourself wanting to get out of your comfort zone and meeting new friends virtually while the quarantine is ongoing, try attending any of these online fitness classes for a start.

As one of the biggest yoga chains in the Philippines, Beyond Yoga has built a supportive and ever-growing community of teachers and students of all ages. At the beginning of the quarantine, they were one of the first yoga studios to shift virtually by live-streaming classes every day on their Facebook page.

They offer a wide range of yoga classes to help you find the style that suits you best – no matter what level you are in your practice. Their friendly teachers and the welcoming community will surely make your first practice enjoyable!

Even before the quarantine, Plana Forma already started offering online classes — especially for busy women who couldn’t make it to their studios in Makati and Quezon City. Monique Daez, president of Plana Forma’s Quezon City branch, shares that it’s a total body workout that uses the bar and combines Pilates, yoga, and dance moves. It strengthens small muscle groups and different joints to make you leaner and more toned.

Their classes have been modified to cater to those attending from home. All you need are a yoga mat and grip socks. You can also invest in weights if you want to feel the extra burn in your muscles. Those who attend Plana Forma range from young millennials to working moms — you'll be sure to meet a variety of amazing, strong women!

If your favorite workout before the quarantine was indoor cycling, you could still hop back on the bike from your home because Electric Studio lets you rent stationary bikes! After completing your rental purchase, they’ll deliver the bike and equipment within 3 to 5 business days. The rental comes with cleated shoes and a pair of weights. There’s an option to rent for 14, 30, 60, and 120 days. It also includes unlimited classes — more than 200 Live Zoom classes and 150 On Demand videos every month.

Jessica, a web content manager, has been attending indoor classes regularly and even posts her cycling sessions on her Instagram stories. “I like that the instructors give small pep talks and uplifting messages for the riders, so it’s been really helpful during these times when things are going super crazy. It was especially helpful early in the first ECQ of 2020. I enjoy the community — they're friendly, and they take time to get to know you. That’s what keeps me coming back,” she says.

If you love dancing and want to do it as a way to exercise at home, Steps Dance Studio might be suitable for you. They have also transitioned all their classes to Zoom! As one of the most innovative and creative dance studios in the country, this studio provides highly trained dance instructors and a variety of dance courses for different age groups and levels of ability.

They’ve been having masterclasses open to everyone — from jazz to modern dance. If you visit their Facebook page, they often post updates from their community — whether it’s a little girl getting a bouquet of chocolates from her parents for acing her Royal Academy Dance exam or sending off one of their teachers to New York for a ballet bubble.

Elorde Top Team has been on a mission to make boxing an engaging, comprehensive, and enjoyable sport for Filipinos. They have a signature strength and conditioning program called CORE (Compound Optimal Resistance Exercises) that helps burn calories, builds muscle, and increases stamina. You can book appointments through their Facebook page and have a one-on-one session with their coach. To get you more motivated, you can also arrange a virtual get-together with friends and book a private group session!

No matter what online fitness exercise you book, be sure to stay sweat and odor-free with a deodorant like Rexona Powder Dry Roll-on. Formulated with Motionsense Technology, it keeps you smelling fresh no matter how intense your workouts get and leaves you with a clean, powder scent for a dry and confident feeling — no need to feel dyahe in front of the camera!

After each sweat session, take a cold shower using Dove Ceramide Intense Repair Shampoo, which not only cleanses hair and gives it body but leaves your hair and scalp comforted. Follow that up with Dove Beauty Nourishing Body Wash to help remove lactic acid, the natural chemical reaction that causes soreness out of your muscles.

Ready to start with any of these exercises at home? Share this article with a friend and maybe try booking a class together!