28 Apr 2020

Thousands of Christchurch residents have been pulling on their workout gear and jumping online to take part in the Christchurch City Council’s digital fitness home workouts.

Group fitness instructors are thrilled with the response after powering up from their own private workout spaces to bring regular exercise classes to people in self-isolation.

A 90-minute Easter Saturday fitness class has attracted 8600 views, with people joining the live class or watching the session later.

A Wednesday afternoon high-intensity interval training class also continues to draw more than 4000 views, after peaking at 4600 views on 1 April.

For those who prefer a more gentle approach, a new 30-minute session on Tuesday and Friday mornings now offers a mix of seated and standing exercises to suit many ability levels.

Council Head of Recreation, Sports and Events Nigel Cox says the virtual classes have attracted thousands of views and plenty of positive comments over the past few weeks, and more options are now available.

“While our gyms may be shut, our classes have moved online and anybody can work out from home,” Mr Cox says.

“For so many people living in isolation, these Council classes have helped boost health and well-being, offering a welcome distraction during a difficult time.

“Despite the lockdown, our staff have been able to deliver their targeted fitness classes to people’s living rooms and stay connected with the local community. At this time, we all need to adapt and stay mobile and our fitness classes can help contribute to the best community outcome.”

Anyone can join the free classes via the Christchurch Recreation and Sports Centre’s Facebook page, and exercise fans do not need to be members at any of the Council-run centres.

All classes are also available in the Facebook video library, so that anyone can catch up on their exercise at different times.

From conditioning to cardio and stretch and release to mindfulness, people can join the live fitness classes at 9.30am and 4.30pm each day, or opt for the gentle exercise sessions at 10.30am on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Check out the timetable online.