Many of Shepparton's restless fitness enthusiasts have been getting their daily workout fix for free during the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to a bit of local altruism.
Personal trainers, yoga instructors, gyms and even Qigong aficionados have been providing virtual classes to help ease stress and keep people fit using whatever is around — from cans to old tyres.
Inabalance Yoga owner and personal trainer Jen Scandolera said she ran a month of free Zoom sessions at the start of the pandemic, despite never having done it before.
“I just thought I’ll give it a go, without knowing what I was doing,” she said.
“It was quite daunting, but once you could see people’s faces pop up, it was a beautiful thing to connect with so many people.”
Ms Scandolera had almost 50 people in her classes from the get-go, mainly made up of people she knew from the Greater Shepparton area, but also some from interstate.
“I run yoga and Qigong — a Chinese practice Tai Chi has been derived from,” she said.
“Qigong works on the energies around you and calms you down through breathing.”
Everfit personal trainer Louise Morris said she had run free strength and cardio sessions via Zoom, transitioning to discounted sessions to make ends meet.
“I just did it to keep people active so they could have a way to keep moving,” she said.
“I'm running boot camps at the lake now we're allowed.”
Ms Scandolera said she had been getting her audiences to improvise with makeshift equipment at home; substituting weights for cans and tyres, or stretchy objects for resistance bands.
“I hate cameras at the best of times and I also hate technology,” she said.
“I’m a little bit older too, so this transition was hard.
“It allowed me to grow and I think people are learning to appreciate what they have; instead of always wanting things, people are learning to be thankful.”
Other organisations in Shepparton, such as Aquamoves, have also been providing free online workshops and fitness tips.