By Hermes Joy Tunac
My last yoga practice in a studio before the coronavirus pandemic gripped the globe, including our little corner of the world, has remained quite vivid to me to this day—it was a Friday night over three months ago. After office hours, my two editors were convincing me not to go to the studio anymore because of the likely possibility of catching the virus. During that time, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country were starting to rise.
Despite my colleagues’ well-meaning advice, I still attended my class. I had to get my fitness fix. Everything felt normal that night, except for the plastic covers dangling from inside the elevators of the Medicard Lifestyle Center in Makati, where Surya Fitness Yoga is located, the omnipresent alcohol bottles in almost every corner of the room and the compulsory wearing of face masks. I usually don’t bring my own mat when I practice in a studio, but due to the pandemic scare, I decided to bring my own.
We, meaning all eight of us including the Yoga instructor, were able to finish a 75-minute Vinyasa class, but right after we were done, the instructor broke the news that Surya Fitness Yoga, together with other fitness facilities, would be closed until further notice due to the pandemic.
I wouldn’t say it was welcome news to me, but at the same time I wasn’t the least bit surprised by such a development. As news of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases started to trickle in from within and outside the country, it was something almost everyone, including myself, expected to happen.
Right now, Metro Manila is still under general community quarantine. And according to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, fitness studios are only allowed to reopen at half capacity in areas under modified general community quarantine.
In preparation for the reopening of fitness outfits, PeopleAsia looked into some of the biggest and most in-demand studios in the country on how they cope with the current situation. Aside from the standard procedures of washing of hands, foot bath, temperature checks and intensive and frequent sanitation of facilities, how are they adapting to the new normal?
Evolution Wellness Philippines
“We have set an extensive business operation plan to adapt to the new normal. Some of the new measures and initiatives that will be introduced are—contactless check-in for members, limiting slots for gym floor access and group fitness classes, requiring members to pre-book through mobile apps and encouraging members to bring their tumblers, yoga mats, hammocks, boxing gloves, towels and workout apparel for hygiene purposes, among others,” says Evolution Wellness Philippines country manager Mark Ellis.
Evolution Wellness Philippines operates 12 Fitness First and two Celebrity Fitness clubs in the country.
Beyond Yoga
“For us at Beyond, we value the Yoga practice and what it brings to our communities, so we shifted into digital quite quickly. We’ve been doing our best to shift our perception into being more present and realistic about what the current situation is. At the moment, we continue our free live Facebook classes twice a week, and currently have Zoom classes where our clients can practice in a more interactive environment,” says Beyond Yoga managing partner Rianna Gatus.
Beyond Yoga is one of the biggest full-service yoga studio chains in the Philippines.
Electric Studio
“In the beginning, our bike rentals would only go for one month. But as the lockdown continued, we began offering riders a way to extend their rentals plus provide them with options to purchase a bike. We have to continually be nimble and adapt while keeping our team lean and operationally efficient. Our core team’s roles have changed overnight – we’ve had to do more with less and focus on digital efforts. Our instructors have had to adapt to a new method of teaching online and keep our riders engaged via this new medium,” says Electric Studio CEO and co-founder Kristina Sy.
Electric Studio is the first indoor cycling boutique in the Philippines, offering a full-body fitness experience.
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