12 December Online fitness hub thriving December 12, 2019 By Real Communications Business, Community, Sport An online fitness business created by friends Kelly Payne and Sam Edward, who are based in Woodend and Northwood, is making it easy and affordable for people throughout New Zealand and overseas to stay fit. The duo, who studied personal training together, set up SwitchFIT a year ago to reach a wider audience and to cater to people wanting a flexible approach to fitness. Kelly was struggling to keep up with demand for her personal training business BellaBody, so it made sense to launch an online offering. “With personal training, two children and competitive sport, it’s difficult to see heaps of people in a day. It’s awesome to be online and reach out to so many people. It’s also more affordable than one-on-one time.” It took a while for the pair to feel comfortable using the live-stream and doing a class without a live audience. A year later, they’re very comfortable in front of a screen, with their classes live-streamed via a private Facebook page. “It’s great because you have interaction going on during the class with people commenting throughout the workout. We can tailor classes to what people want. “Some people do live classes, while others watch when it suits them. If they watch the recording, they can pause the workout and grab a drink or take a break if needed.” Using Facebook Live and their phones, Kelly and Sam deliver four classes per week from wherever they are on that day. They’ve streamed from their homes, the beach, Wanaka and even overseas. “If we’re travelling, we just fit the workout around our location and members see that you can exercise wherever you are which makes it more real. “We’ll take our workouts to Fiji and the USA in the next few months, so we’ll give our members a bit of look at where we’re staying before jumping into the workout.” SwitchFIT operates via a subscription service with members ranging from young mums through to retirees. “We cater for all levels with classes including HIIT, core and strength workouts. There’s always a beginner and a more advanced option, and no equipment is needed. Every now and then we might use a chair or a drink bottle, and sometimes we’ll do bonus sessions like Swiss ball workouts.” Three months ago, mobility and stretch workouts were added to the online programme. “Members love these classes, so we’re releasing a new monthly 20-minute mobility session. We encourage members to do these on their rest days or regularly if their goal is to increase flexibility and range of motion.” Kelly and Sam were originally concerned about their children interrupting live streaming sessions, but they’ve learned to embrace it and now they sometimes include them in the sessions. “My son did a workout earlier this week. If you’re a mum, it can be hard to have time for yourself so why not get the kids to join in and exercise together.” SwitchFIT is also passionate about giving back to the community. Late last year, around 200 people, including SwitchFIT members, did a walk for prostate cancer at Christchurch Adventure Park which raised over $600. They’re holding another event on October 20th at the Adventure Park to raise funds for mental health. “It’s a great cause and since we don’t get to meet all of our members face to face it helps us build connections.” Kelly and Sam are keen to grow their membership base by adding new offerings and providing more diversity in terms of instructors. “We’ve had special guest interviews discussing mindset which we’ll continue to offer. We’d also like to have a male instructor to encourage more men to join our workouts.” Related Articles Council COVID19 Update - 24 March 2020 Waimakariri District Council staff are prepared to conduct as much business as possible online for the coming month as the nation moves to alert level 4 as of tomorrow. We encourage people to conduct business with us online or over the phone and will be posting regular updates on our website and social media channels regarding how we intend to maintain service levels within these new restrictions. New Waimakariri local info page launched The Council have published ... International award for the culinary school in Kaiapoi The International Culinary Studio based in Kaiapoi is confident the demand for their online education business will gain a boost in the sweeping changes to lifestyles brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Studio’s head office might be situated far from a city or centre for hospitality, in fact its sits between a funeral-director and a dog parlour on Williams Street, but as Director of Studies, Cheryl Nesbitt, says, “Online education is the way of ... Solidarity solid in Rangiora Having an online presence was the game-changer for retailers in Rangiora during the Level 4 lockdown, and now it is the community support which is warming the hearts of the town’s small business owners. I’Adore Homeware and Gifts’ Ashe Grice said last December she had agonised over the amount of time she had put into establishing a website for their Durham St business. Together with Debbie Grice this popular mother-and-daughter combination offer a collaboration of ... Represent your Country! We can all represent our country The current lockdown situation is giving us a sporting chance to beat this virus. Despite the disappointment of seasons remaining unfinished, or not even beginning, we all know this situation is one that needs to be won, and if we all work as a team, we can do it. The effects are far and wide. Professional sports are on hold, the Olympics delayed. The level of training and preparedness for ... Business outside the box A desire to boost physical and mental wellbeing, while helping clients maintain an exercise routine prompted Laura Organ of PT on Panckhurst to move her classes online the day before the lockdown began. Pre-lockdown, Laura ran box fit classes for general fitness and balance and strength sessions for seniors from the Woodend Community Centre, along with personal training sessions from her home gym. She’s kept the online sessions running at the same time to provide ... Waimakariri District Council Turns Focus to Community Need There have been significant changes and adjustments made by all of us in the united fight against COVID-19. We understand that many residents are concerned about paying bills and we want to provide some relief and options when it comes to rates. There are a number of ways we can help - including deferring payment. Give our team a call on 0800 965 468 or email rates@wmk.govt.nz to talk through the options available. More info on how we can ...