State College YMCA members are returning for workouts, but virtual classes offer options
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a stop two years ago, nearly every industry had to change how things were done; gyms were no different.
Within days of when the shutdown began, the State College YMCA found a way to continue providing exercise classes to its members. Utilizing Zoom, classes could be held online.
Joshua Cone, senior wellness director at the State College branch of the YMCA of Centre County, said though things are continuing to open back up and they now offer in-person classes again, there are still people taking classes online. He estimated between 100-150 people each week participate in online classes.
The reason for choosing to participate online varies from being COVID conscious to wanting to avoid driving in bad weather. But by making that an option at the beginning of the pandemic, the YMCA was able to retain membership, Cone said.
“I think it was really beneficial to help keep that connection with people throughout that time, at least virtually. Not everybody is a class person. But I did see some people that aren’t class people that took it because they couldn’t do anything. But all those people that did take classes, it was really beneficial to help keep them connected with the Y, and keep them connected with the other people in the class,” Cone said.
The YMCA also has recorded classes on YouTube and its website for people unable to make a live class.
Live classes currently available via Zoom include “active adult total fitness,” “move, stretch, strength and balance,” “gentle yoga,” and “coached cycling.” Several classes are designed for seniors.
The senior classes have “a little bit” taken off of them, Cone said. For example, in the general yoga class, chairs are brought out and some of yoga is done sitting in a chair.
“Like the active adult total fitness, they take a little break in the middle and they they do some cardiovascular work in the first half of class. The second half of class is a little strength class,” Cone said.
Though various COVID restrictions are starting to loosen up and most classes are done in person, Cone said, a big chunk of the senior classes are available online. He said it may end up staying that way beyond COVID, based on that demographic’s need.
Beyond physical health and fitness, Cone made sure there was a mental health aspect in classes and at the YMCA, too, as many seniors were isolated and alone during the pandemic.
“By Zoom we tried to hold little talk times where they get to talk to each other and I would actually step away from the camera to let them just interact with each other in groups ... and just talk a little bit amongst each other about what was going on,” Cone said.
They had the mind and body aspect in place pre-pandemic, but since then, he said they’ve tried to make a special effort to have different senior activities, like luncheons and singalongs.
“We just really tried to get this group back together after a couple years of being pretty isolated. We have the group exercise classes, you know, whether it’s yoga, or cardio conditioning classes or strength classes for active adults,” Cone said. “We have a day where we have coffee time. And the goal of those types of events, whether it’s the senior luncheon, or the coffee time, is to get these people just to sit down and talk together, socialize for their mental health.”
A “really cool group” of people go to the State College YMCA, Cone said, and they care for each other. He thinks having classes virtually during the last couple of years has helped keep a lot of people healthy and sane.
