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Virtual fitness classes to help you stay in shape while you stay at home

If there was ever a time to lunge, squat and stretch your way into a virtual fitness class, this is it. We round up some of the best free sessions hosted by travel companies

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Visit Jamaica, G Adventures and Tui are among those offering virtual classes
Visit Jamaica, G Adventures and Tui are among those offering virtual classes

It’s six weeks into the government-ordered coronavirus lockdown and there has never been a time when virtual fitness classes have been more popular. Joe Wicks, otherwise known as The Body Coach, will emerge from the pandemic an institution for his daily live streams and there are more free classes online than there have ever been before.

 

The travel industry, though one of the most hard-hit in this crisis, has jumped on this trend. Countless companies are offering free virtual fitness classes filmed everywhere from the sandy beaches of the Maldives to the verdant mountains of Saint Lucia, all designed to keep both minds and bodies healthy during the crisis.

 

Ranging from hiit (high intensity interval training) and resistance workouts to salsa and stretching, there’s a class to suit all levels of fitness and most need little or no equipment. Here we round up some sessions to get you started.

Resistance workout with BodyHoliday Saint Lucia

Put your suitcase to good use during the coronavirus crisis by using it as a resistance weight in this 20-minute workout with Mantas at Sunswept Resorts’ BodyHoliday Saint Lucia. He recommends you fill the case with tins of food, bags of rice or books to make it your desired weight and leads the class from the mountaintop – complete with Caribbean Sea backdrop.

Salsa class with G Adventures

G Adventures’ easy-to-follow beginners’ salsa-dancing class comes to you all the way from Ecuador. Ando, one of the operator’s chief experience officers in the destination, encourages viewers to don their dancing shoes to learn the basic steps while hearing a little about the history of the dance in Latin America and the Caribbean.

All kinds of classes with Tui

Tui’s “grounded” holiday reps have been busy curating a calendar of virtual events ranging from pub quizzes and comedy shows to dance classes and live music designed to bring the holiday spirit into your living room during the Covid-19 lockdown. There are a range of options for those looking to get moving, including a 30-minute full-body Loo Roll workout from Tui fitness instructor Sharna Johnson in Newcastle, line-dancing lessons from Rotherham-based Tui activity host Colby Medlock, Mascha Spaniol’s Zumba classes coming to you all the way from Majorca, and Greece-based Saskia van Bommel’s desk-chair yoga classes targeting people working from home.

Hiit workout with Visit Jamaica

This workout from personal trainer and sports nutritionist Kamila McDonald is just one session in the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Escape to Jamaica virtual experiences series also featuring yoga classes and Jamaican cookery lessons. You will need some light weights and slightly heavier weights, but water bottles or soup cans will work just as well. Think lunges, squats, jumping jacks and full body combos; this 20-minute set will really get your blood pumping.

 

Mindful movements with Crystal Cruises

As part of the cruise line’s new Wellness Wednesdays plan, Crystal Cruises’ certified instructors are sharing a series of stretching routines and simple exercises to release lockdown stresses and support your body through a change in daily routine. The sessions are no more than 15 minutes and led by Crystal’s guest Pilates instructor Natalie Ross. Wellness Wednesdays are a feature in the cruise line’s new virtual programme, Crystal@Home: A Virtual Cruise Experience.

 

Yoga with Joali Maldives

The Joy of Living at Home programme by luxury resort Joali Maldives features a yoga routine complete with modified options to suit different levels of ability. Filmed at the resort’s Spa by ESPA on the shores of the Indian Ocean, it brings the sound of the Maldives to your own home. Namaste!

Hiit, dance and yoga with Velas Resorts

On 1 May luxury Mexican resort Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit hosted a Wellnessing Getaway on its Facebook page, with all sessions available to watch now in case you missed them live. The day started with a 30-minute Burn Fat and Tone class followed by a 15-minute full-body workout, then moved onto streams focusing on nutrition, anxiety relief and art therapy. Towards the end of the day there were more opportunities to get moving, with a dance workout and yoga session featuring on the agenda.

One-on-one training with Chiva-Som

Chiva-Som, a wellness resort in Thailand, is offering one complimentary one-on-one consultation with the Naturopath team or an exercise coach as part of its Online Wellness Services collection. This virtual session could be 45 minutes of one-on-one fitness training for example, giving you the chance to curate a customised workout designed to help you reach your goals. For those seeking something a little less structured, yoga and meditation classes are available. Been to Chiva-Som? Past and regular guests have unlimited free access to Online Wellness Services.

 

Thai-style workouts with the Tourism Authority of Thailand

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s new Stay At Home Thai Style campaign features a short series of fresh fitness videos. You can choose from a 20-minute Muay Thai boxing workout, a 15-minute Pilates-inspired full-body workout designed to tone muscle, and a five-minute posture and alignment guide. The campaign also offers Thai recipes to try cooking at home (when you’ve worked up an appetite from the Thai exercise!) and the opportunity to learn some popular Thai phrases.

 

 

Mountaintop yoga classes with Courmayeur Mont Blanc

Tune in live to these yoga sessions with Mont Blanc in the backdrop at 9.30am on 6, 13 and 20 June. Missed them? They’re all available to catch up with on the Courmayeur Mont Blanc Instagram page. The first class focuses on flexibility of the spine, the second on renewing yourself through breathing and the third on energy flow for the summer solstice.

 

Live yoga classes from the British Virgin Islands

Taking place on Thursdays at 5pm (UK time) from 18 June, yoga classes hosted by Necker Island’s resident yogi Katie Doo will transport participants to the private island’s idyllic surrounds. The series of four weekly sessions for all yoga abilities will go live on Instagram at @virginlimitededition.

 

 

Visit TTG’s Coronavirus Business Support Hub for more helpful tips on how to keep your mind and body healthy during the pandemic.

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