News

ClassPass released nine free Zoom backgrounds to amp up your home gym and help you feel like you’re back in the studio. For fitness enthusiasts who are improvising fitness spaces in their kitchens and bedrooms, these backgrounds are a perfect way to upgrade your in-home gym. There is an option for every mood from zen yoga vibes to big HIIT energy, and ClassPass offers a variety of classes to pair with every backdrop.

“With so many of us stuck at home, we want to help people feel like they’re traveling to their favorite studio, working out with their community and having fun — even if their laundry is piling up in the background,” says ClassPass Creative Director Tatiana Kuzmowycz. “Over the years we’ve shot in partner studios across the globe, and we’re excited to share some of these beautiful locations with our community.”

Ready to break in your new studio? Start by downloading the ClassPass gym backgrounds. Once you have downloaded the Zoom app for Mac or Windows, open the app and sign in. Click on your profile picture, then click on Settings. In the left menu bar, click on the Virtual Background tab and select the background of your choice. Next, book your favorite class and tune in!

Each week, more than 50,000 pay-as-you-go digital classes offered from 4,000 studio partners are available through the ClassPass catalog. With a diverse range of classes including yoga, strength training, HIIT, dance, Pilates and boxing, there is something for everyone. One of the advantages of online classes is the ability to try a studio out from anywhere in the world.

The ClassPass Together We Sweat series celebrates the power of inclusivity and intention, inviting individuals of all ages, abilities and geographies to move together from the safety of their homes. No equipment is needed and participants are able to join live workouts from anywhere in the world.

This Friday, May 15 at 12 pm, ClassPass is taking a virtual trip right here to Miami for a high-intensity cardio and strength workout taught by KAMPS. This masterclass will be taught by KAMPS founder Sam Karl, along with his brother and co-founder Ari Karl. All you need is a water bottle and towel and a bit of space to get moving!

KAMPS Fitness in South Miami is Homegrown!

“Group workouts build camaraderie, accountability and community. When we show up to support and challenge each other, we work harder and grow stronger,” says Shari Castelli, ClassPass Director of Partner Expansion. “Together We Sweat is a series for people from all backgrounds to move without judgment or expectation, and to commit to doing something positive together.”

The previous Together We Sweat workouts have been taught by fitness studios around the globe including Lean Bean (Sydney), Ground Zero (Singapore), The Platform (Dubai), Saints & Stars (Amsterdam), BLOK (London), Rumble (New York) and 305 Fitness (Los Angeles). All classes are completely free of charge and are streamed from ClassPass’ YouTube Live channel.

View the full schedule and plan classes at classpass.com/try/free-live-stream-workout.

Mindbody recently did a survey on workout trends during shelter-in-place for their in-app users. While we already know that many of our fitness habits changed dramatically with the coronavirus pandemic, there are some elements of the workout experience that haven't changed as much as one might think. Here are some of the details of the Mindbody survey:

Fitness routines before and during COVID-19

Though they’re no longer able to frequent their usual fitness studios and gyms, the majority of Mindbody app users said they’re still dedicated to their fitness routines. It turns out that, despite what’s likely a near-constant attire of stretchy pants, a quarter of people are working out more than they were before the pandemic (either more frequently or for longer durations of time).

Reasons for working out less

Forty-four percent say they’re exercising less than they were pre-pandemic. The top reason for not working out, unsurprisingly, was that their usual fitness locations were closed. Many also cited a lack of motivation and second to that, limited access to fitness equipment. It may be possible for fitness studios and gyms to address limited motivation with fitness challenges and live streams (which may hold people accountable). 

The living room is most popular room to work out in at home

Finding a space to work out at home in can be tough. The majority (61%) say they’ve worked out in their living rooms. Less popular in-home options were a bedroom (25%) or office (8%). A few even reported working out in their kitchens. Fifty-five percent say they've worked out outside at least once since the pandemic began.

Virtual workouts have exploded in popularity—and they’re here to stay

Last year, we saw a minority of Mindbody app users using pre-recorded videos (17%) or live streams (7%) to work out. During the pandemic, 70% are exercising with pre-recorded workout videos, and 75% are taking advantage of live stream video workouts. That’s a crazy high adoption of virtual! 

93% say they’re eager to get back to their former fitness routines as soon as they can

Many fitness businesses may have held off in investing in virtual in fear of cannibalizing their in-studio attendance. Despite many Mindbody app users enthusiastically moving to video workouts during this time, 50% say that if sheltering at home were to end today, they’d go right back to their previous routine, pre-social distancing. For about half, video is great for now, but they see it as purely temporary.

How do some of these Mindbody findings compare to your experience working out at home over these past couple months? Check out the full article here.

As gyms and studios start to re-open across the country, they are putting extensive new safety standards in place. We've seen companies like SoulCycle, CycleBar, Pure Barre, and others announce their safety measures. While cleanliness has always been a priority for gym owners, new guidelines aim to provide both employees and members with a safe class experience.

Although it can be hard to predict exactly what consumers will expect before beginning to attend classes again, studios are covering all bases. Here are some of the ways that studios will be making sure their employees and members are safe as operations start again.

• Sanitizing regularly using a top-grade disinfectant
• Frequently cleaning all high touch places including door handles, equipment, lockers, bathrooms, etc.
• Staff wearing face masks and gloves
• Staff health checks, including temperature checks before a shift
• Member health checks, including temperature checks before a class
• Addition of hand sanitizer stations throughout
• Temporary removal of high touch amenities - hair ties, gum, earplugs, etc.
• Temporary removal of difficult to clean equipment
• Temporary unavailability of showers
• Temporary unavailability of water fountains/ water refill stations
• Enforced social distancing before and after class and marks on the floor for 6-foot spacing
• Reduced studio class size to allow for 6 feet between participants
• Allowing more time between classes for proper cleaning and social distancing
• Hands off corrections and assists by instructors - verbal cues only
• Limiting person-to-person contact - no hugs or high fives
• Limited use of lockers to keep social distancing

This list is a compilation of security measures being rolled out in several national studio brands and may vary from gym to gym.

As this is an evolving situation, studios will also be continuing to evaluate the situation to ensure that the proper precautions are being taken.

Hard Rock Stadium and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, today announced that the global sports and entertainment venue has committed to becoming the first public facility to receive GBAC STAR™ accreditation. This initiative will serve as the gold standard for facilities to implement cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention work practices to control risks associated with infectious agents.

“When our fans, players and staff are able to return to Hard Rock Stadium, we want them to have peace of mind that we’re doing everything we can to create the safest and healthiest environment possible,” said Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium Vice Chairman and CEO Tom Garfinkel. “We didn’t want to create our own standard, we wanted to be accountable to the most credible third-party standard that exists. Working with GBAC ensures compliance with critical guidelines for the highest standard of cleanliness and it is our hope that other venues will follow suit as we navigate through these unprecedented times.”

In order to earn GBAC STAR™ accreditation, Hard Rock Stadium will complete 20 program elements with specific performance and guidance criteria. The program will enable Hard Rock Stadium to:

• Establish and maintain a cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to control and/or minimize risk associated with infectious agents such as SARS-CoV-2 (responsible for COVID-19 disease) for employees, customers, the community, and the environment.
• Provide assurance and establish confidence that proper cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention work practices are in place and implemented.
• Establish a framework for communication and raising awareness of best practices as they relate to cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention.

The GBAC STAR™ accreditation is part of an ongoing commitment by Garfinkel to make Hard Rock Stadium the leader in sustainability efforts with a focus on health and safety. Recently, he led the charge to phase out 99.4% (2.8 million) of fan facing single-use plastics in the food and beverage operation at Hard Rock Stadium starting with Super Bowl LIV.

For more information and to read the full press release click here.

The home-fitness cycling company Peloton Interactive Inc. said it set a record Wednesday, April 22 for the most people streaming a single live class, with 23,000 participants.

This participation record is not just company-wide, but also for "the largest live workout count of any class ever" according to Peloton. As everyone works out at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been a huge opportunity for Peloton. The company now has more than 2 million subscribers worldwide.

The record-breaking class was led by Robin Arzón, Peloton's vice president and head instructor. Arzón broadcasted the 30-minute Pop Ride from her living room. This is the first time that a Peloton class was filmed outside of their studios in New York and London.

The company's previous record was 19,000 riders in its Turkey Burn class on Thanksgiving Day 2019.

Gyms are included in the list of businesses allowed to reopen as part of Phase One of the Trump Administration's guidelines.

Announced last week, this three-phase plan to reopen the country will vary state by state at governors' discretion. In Georgia, one of the first states to move to Phase One, both Planet Fitness and SoulCycle have already shared that they do not have a set date for reopening at this time even though they are technically allowed. Orangetheory Fitness, however, will be opening some franchised Georgia locations as soon as May 11.

Anthony Geisler, CEO and founder of Xponential Fitness, said he believes boutique fitness studios are safer to reopen than big gym franchises because they are often smaller spaces. Exponential Fitness manages eight boutique fitness chains including Row House, Pure Barre, and Club Pilates.

In the meantime, gyms owners continue to work to develop company-wide standards for cleaning and social distancing to keep members safe once they do reopen.

Updated Friday, April 24

Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy L. Morales announced Friday morning that Phase One of the reopening plan would require special guidelines, including no more than 10 people being allowed in gyms at a time. The date for reopening is still TBD. Phase One will not go into effect until the number of active COVID cases drops for a consecutive 14 days.

This afternoon Barry's Bootcamp CEO Joey Gonzalez announced that the company let go of their part-time employees.

While the company initially continued to pay all employees in full the first two weeks after the Red Rooms were mandated to close, and continued to pay full-time employees and instructors for the following two weeks, Barry's Bootcamp was no longer able to continue these commitments.

"Sadly, after this, we had to make the difficult decision to let go of our part-time employees," said Gonzalez. "We are so grateful to these people who have served you with a smile and given their time and energy to furthering the Barry's mission."

Gonzales also shared that he would be waiving 100% of his salary and that senior leadership were also waiving "a significant amount" of their pay.

This announcement follows similar ones made by Flywheel and Solidcore last month.

"Our goal has been, and always will be, to do the absolute best we can to take care of our family during this time, and ensure we can continue to pay our employees who are working hard behind the scenes to bring you Barry's At Home," said Gonzalez.

The Barry's Bootcamp studios here in South Florida are franchised locations and do not fall under this corporate announcement.

As if closing all non-essential businesses hadn’t already affected the fitness community, two of the big chains just took a major hit. Solidcore announced last Thursday that they laid off 98 percent of their workforce, and Flywheel made a similar announcement on Friday.

Solidcore's founder and CEO, Anne Mahlum shared that while laid-off employees would receive their final paycheck in full and that the brand will continue to pay for staff healthcare through the end of April, "making this decision is our only chance to be standing at the end of this."

Mahlum also shared that she has forgone 100 percent of her salary as well.

"No one wanted to make this decision, especially me, but the harsh reality is that our studios are closed and while we know that this is temporary, we do not know when we will be able to re-open them," said Mahlum.

Details on the layoffs were shared in an email to studio members as well as on social media. Solidcore had 137 full-time employees, 97 part-time employees, and 397 coaches before Thursday's announcement. They have been a company for 6 years now.

In a less public announcement about laying off 98 percent of their employees, Flywheel shared, "It is our greatest hope that this team will be able to carry the brand through the current crisis, find additional ways to support impacted employees, and be ready to welcome you to work out with us again."

Founded in 2009, Flywheel employed over 800 employees across 29 locations.

The brick and mortar fitness industry felt shock waves this past week as local governments in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties ordered the mandatory closure of fitness facilities to help flatten the spread of COVID-19.

For weeks, gym owners, managers, and employees were squeezing every last bit of revenue they could before the inevitable happened, and when it finally arrived, many were left wondering how they were going to live to fight another day.

*RELATED How to Deal with COVID-19 Cabin Fever

Studios and gyms quickly took their classes to the virtual world offering a blend of free, donation-based and paid programming that viewers could do at home. This, all in an effort to maintain an engaged membership base, was the low hanging fruit.

Crafty gyms owners across the area quickly jumped on an additional source of recurring revenue, by renting their otherwise dormant equipment to members.

“We noticed some other gyms around the country doing this and thought it would be a great idea to continue to build revenue, but more importantly, to build community,” said Adam Becker, Co-Owner of Brickell’s Society Fitness.

*RELATED 10 Must-Try HIIT and Bootcamp Workouts in South Florida 2020

Known for their incredibly popular HIIT programming featuring the use of accessible equipment for all fitness levels, Becker and the team quickly whipped up a rental program that allowed members to check out dumbbells, kettlebells, battle ropes, medicine balls, bumper plates, and more for a small recurring monthly charge.

“We saw the reaction when people brought the equipment homeand started using them,” said Becker. “So, if two dumbbells and a kettlebell bringa smile to our members, and we can make a few bucks to keep the lights on, it’sa win-win.”

For other studios like RedBike, one of the most popular indoor spin studios in Miami, renting equipment might not be an option, so you’d think.

“We just don’t want people to go crazy, and we want to keep the community connected,” said Andreina Baez, Director of Marketing and Instructor at RedBike. “I kept thinking of a way we could kind of give them (members) bikes. The next day we posted and people literally went crazy for bikes.”

*RELATED 10 Must-Try Miami Spin Studios in 2020

Baez stated that the delivery method has been morechallenging than regular gym equipment, since bikes can only be delivered oneat a time, but demand is there, with RedBike renting their entire inventory fora monthly fee.

“Everyone has been so grateful, and says they now havesomething to look forward to every day,” said Baez.

As local and federal governments continue to grapple with the spread of COVID-19, local businesses will need to continue to innovate and invent new ways to drive revenue.

*RELATED 9 Ways to Support Your Local Gyms and Trainers

Broward and Palm Beach Counties will soon shut down all non-essential businesses, which includes gyms and fitness studios, after an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis was announced on Friday morning.

This announcement follows a similar one made in Miami-Dade County on Tuesday afternoon.

*RELATED Miami Dade orders closures of gyms and more for coronavirus concerns.

This executive order extends to all fitness studios, beaches, gyms, movie theaters, and more through the two counties in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The order lasts until March 31 but, at this time, it is unclear when it will take effect.

Miami-Dade County officials have announced the closure of gyms in response to COVID-19.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber announced the orders this morning, saying that the closures would take effect at 11 p.m. Tuesday.

At this time, gyms that accommodate less than eight people or that are part of a residential building are exempt at the discretion of the owners.

Also included in the list of closures are restaurants, bars, taverns, clubs, nightclubs, banquet halls, cafeterias, and food service for more than 8 people. Kitchens are allowed to remain open for drive-thru and delivery only.

Closures do not apply to grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, or convenience stores.

Fitness brand Echelon Fitness has opened its second location right here in Miami.

It is at this studio, located at 14861 Biscayne Blvd in the Biscayne Commons shopping center, where more than 10 cycling classes a day will be held and streamed to tens of thousands of households throughout the country. The studio features 40 of Echelon's Connect Bike, which have riders participating live with the Echelon community.

For those not in Miami, Echelon Fitness delivers live and on-demand studio fitness to the comfort and convenience of your own home. Echelon Fitness has the goal of providing smart fitness innovation at affordable prices. The brand started streaming online classes in their office in Chattanooga, TN, in January 2018, and opened their flagship studio in the same city shortly after in September 2018.

President of Echelon Fitness, Lou Lentine, loved the vibe and diversity of Miami when he was looking for a new location. It also opens up new opportunities for local fitness instructors.

"This gives teachers in Miami the ability to teach at a larger stage," said Lentine. "There is not another brand doing what we do in Miami."

With two classrooms at their new Florida location, Echelon will soon be adding a variety of new class formats to their schedule, including yoga, pilates, boot camp, HIIT training, and meditation. These classes will stream live on their Reflect Mirror, a touchscreen smart mirror that brings live personal training experiences into the home. All classes are designed for all fitness levels.

Lentine believes the expanding repertoire of classes is what makes Echelon unique. They do not just offer cycling classes.

"When someone joins our studio, they get a variety of boutique classes under one roof," said Lentine.

For local residents, this new studio has locker rooms with charging stations, showers and towel service, hair and makeup stations, and retail where consumers can stock up on fitness gear and invest in home-based products like the Connect Bike or the Reflect Mirror.

In the coming months, Echelon Fitness will also be adding a smart rower and treadmill to their collection of products, and treadmill classes will also be filmed in Miami.

Unlike many boutique fitness studios, classes will be running all day, with different class lengths and a variety of times, making it really convenient to stop in for a class. For local residents, stop in for your first class free and try out your first month for only 99 cents. Echelon also has a Founding Member discounted rate of $99 per month for unlimited classes in the studio. This limited-time rate includes access to their on-demand library from home. Drop-in rates and class packs are also available.

For more information head to echelonfit.com or echelonstudio.com.

Celebrate Miami Health and Wellness Months (yes, it is a two-month long program!) with special health and fitness offers throughout South Florida.

For 60 days between February 1 through March 31, experience some of Miami's best-known fitness centers, spas, and more with special offers. Enjoy workout classes, holistic treatments, sporting events, weight loss programs, and various health and fitness activities all at special discounts.

Miami Health and Wellness Months are part of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau's popular Miami Temptations Program, which offers themed monthly deals and events that highlight the best of Miami.

For more information and a complete list of participating locations and their special offers, you can check out the GMCVB's website at www.miamitemptations.com.

Ready to make your mindfulness resolutions your new way of life? Modern ŌM has all the resources you might need and then some.

Modern ŌM is on a mission to make mindfulness and it's meaning accessible to everyone. While more and more of us are coming to know the profound benefits of meditation and yoga, applying practice to our [modern] lives is no easy feat.

*RELATED Tickets: STAY FIT 305 Mindful Mondays

Enter Modern ŌM - a growing community of conscious seekers, meditating, growing and learning at in-person events throughout Miami.

For regular STAY FIT 305 readers, Modern ŌM should be familiar. We've partnered the last two years on World Mental Health Day to bring a mindfulness experience to everyone.

*RELATED - PHOTOS: World Mental Health Day Meditation 2019

For those looking to expand their health and wellness careers, or start a new journey, Modern ŌM founder, Myk Likhov, has announced Miami's first-ever 100-hour meditation teacher training program.

“This will be a very in-depth training to hold space for others," said Likhov. "Not only sharing the practice but teaching the business of group wellness.”

As the founder of Green Monkey Yoga, Likhov has extensive experience bringing wellness to the masses. It's impossible to tell the history of the South Florida yoga community without mentioning Likhov. Green Monkey Yoga, at its height, is still the model most studios try to replicate, with an engaged member base and knowledgeable instructor lineup.

In addition to the announcement of the new meditation teacher training program, the Modern ŌM Mindfulness Club meets weekly in beautiful spaces across town, to meditate. For a set monthly price, you can attend your local mindfulness club an unlimited amount of times, join in on workshops, as well as enjoy three yoga sessions a week.

What’s more, Modern ŌM and STAY FIT 305 are coming together for Mindful Mondays in the new year. Our communities will join for a guided meditation and vinyasa yoga flow at the Modern ŌM Bungalow inside Upper Buena Vista.

*RELATED Tickets: STAY FIT 305 Mindful Mondays

All this in tow, 2020 has tranquility, connection and even business savvy in store for us all.

Miami has officially been namedthe healthiest city in America by MINDBODY, the leading technology platform forthe wellness industry.

The list was topped by Miami, followed by Atlanta and San Francisco. The study, which evaluated the largest cities in the US by population and ranked them from healthiest to least through a proprietary scoring algorithm, provides a snapshot of health in America's largest urban centers.

*RELATED Miami Named Top Vegan City in America

Miami achieved high marks in all the major measures with 80% of residents engaged in exercise at least once a week. 31% of consumers in Miami place a high priority on receiving self-care and salon and spa services, the largest percentage among the cities analyzed. It also ranked as the most rested, with 62% saying they get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Miami also ranks as one of the highest in the use of integrative health services such as massage and chiropractic care. Additionally, 61% of Miami residents say they feel spiritually fulfilled.

"Our research validates that health and wellness are on the rise in hundreds of communities across the country, and these 10 cities exemplify that trend," said Rick Stollmeyer, MINDBODY CEO and co-founder. "We know there is significant, and growing, consumer appetite for a wide variety of wellness services, and as the leading technology platform enabling powerful wellness experiences, we are excited to help fuel the movement."

Top 10 Healthiest Cities in America as measured by the 2020 MINDBODY Wellness Index.

1. Miami, FL
2. Atlanta, GA
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Denver, CO
5. Austin, TX
6. Seattle, WA
7. Washington, DC
8. Tampa, FL
9. Minneapolis, MN
10. Raleigh, NC

This week, the City of Miami Beach celebrated the groundbreaking for phase 3 of the Middle Beach Beachwalk. This on-grade, ADA accessible and decorative paver pathway will replace the current wooden boardwalk that exists between 23 and 45 streets to match with and connect to the South and North Beach portions of the Beachwalk.

*RELATED City of Miami Beach Completes Second Update to Beach Walk Path

The project is being done in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration, which includes a $4.5 million contribution from the Miami Beach’s $439 million total General Obligation (G.O.) Bond Program.

The groundbreaking event will mark a significant milestone for the city as it nears the completion of the full Beachwalk renovation that will provide residents and visitors with one seamless pedestrian and cyclist connection from South Pointe to 87th Terrace - stretching the length of the city’s entire oceanside east coast.

This week, Inter Miami CF announced the progress on its stadium and training facilities are on schedule.

In March 2020, Inter Miami CF will take the field with the fullroster in a new 18,000-capacity stadium anchoring the Club’s 46-acre facilitiesin Fort Lauderdale.  

But for now, 250 construction professionals are on-site fulltime preparing the facilities for Inter Miami CF’s opening season in Major League Soccer.

To date, the stadium has gone vertical with all-steel columns on the east side and half along the west. The crew will begin installing components of the secondary frame of the metal building next week, along with the horizontal structural members that will provide lateral support for wall panels. Upon completion by end of November, the crew will begin seating installations.

“All eyes are on March 2020,” said Jurgen Mainka, the chief business officer for Inter Miami CF. “We are grateful for the professionals who are working around the clock, to help us launch our team in facilities and a stadium our community will be proud of.”

The training facilities at Fort Lauderdale will welcomeplayers from around the world for preseason for both the MLS and recentlyannounced USL League One team, which will serve as a feeder system for thedevelopment Academy. Steel, concrete, and roofing for the50,000-square-foot building are currently in progress. 

Inter Miami’s Academy, who is leading scoreboards across all agedivisions in their inaugural season, will also transition to the trainingcomplex upon opening, which houses four main locker rooms withthe First Team occupying a sleek 1,740 square-foot room.  

The Club’s 200+ players will also benefit from a full kitchenand cafeteria, lounge and classroom, weight room and performance lab,hydrotherapy and treatment rooms as well as tactics rooms and bootrooms.   

As an environmental leader among local governments in the State of Florida, a major goal of the City of Miami Beach is to replace single-use plastics with reusable, recyclable or compostable alternatives whenever possible.

*RELATED City of Miami Beach Bans Plastic Straws & Stirrers Citywide

This week, the Mayor and City Commission of Miami Beach unanimously passed a fifth amendment to the Rules and Regulations for Beachfront Concession Operations, which requires beachfront concession operators to utilize 100% reusable products, after the expiration of a one-year educational period that will commence this month, with full implementation in October 2020.

“Single-use plastic is neither readily recyclable nor biodegradable and takes hundreds to thousands of years to degrade in the environment,” said Mayor Dan Gelber.

“This amendment will support our efforts to reduce litter by reducing discarded single-use plastic containers and wares that contribute to overburdened landfills, threaten wildlife and marine life, and degrade our beaches," added Gelber.

In the formulation of this amendment, the city administrationsolicited input from upland owners, beachfront concessionaires, andrepresentatives from Miami-Dade County beach operations. 

“I am thrilled to finally see this piece of legislation come tofruition — this really was a collaborative effort with our concessionaires andcity staff,” added Commissioner Micky Steinberg. “By using reusables, we areexpecting to eliminate anywhere between 60,000 to 80,000 pounds of garbage eachyear.”