SANDAKAN - The reimposition of the conditional movement control order (CMCO) has put the brakes on recreational activities, and zumba classes in Sabah are now being conducted online.
Local fitness instructor Fe de Vera said she invited her friends, and existing customers to join her Zumba session three times a week through the Timelink application.
Fe said she was doing it for free because helping others stay fit is a self-rewarding experience.
“I love the online classes. It is like a charity activity to help people get motivated and keep themselves healthy even when they are just staying at home.
“By doing it for free, I believe more people will look forward to exercising. The reward I get is the satisfaction because I can help people to maintain their workout routine as best I could,” she said.
Fe added, she chose to use the Timelink application because she gets to see the participants exercising with her.
“I want them to feel like they are in actual class with me where we can have interactions during class, even though this is a virtual class,” she said.
Fe’s participants consist of women from all walks of life.
“We have working mothers, students, housewives; all those who would like to join are welcomed. What is good about a virtual class is that they could do it together as a family too,” she said.
Meanwhile, fitness and zumba instructor Janney Kobilig, 40, has taken to Facebook live to stream her classes, enabling her peers and customers to view and join.
“Our zumba group, Fitness Gojes Gold is based in Inanam, but due to the CMCO, we could not conduct classes, so we have taken it to Facebook instead.
“As fitness instructors, we do not focus only on income, but also emphasise the importance of exercising for health. Conducting this class for free is like blessing people with better health,” she said.
Janney also encourages more women of older age to join her class to promote active lifestyle among the seniors.
Penny who is a grandmother to six grandchildren has been active in zumba as she joins the classes at least three times a week without fail.
“That was how I felt during the MCO period in March (uneasy). Zumba class had become a routine for me that it almost felt like I would get ill without exercising in a week. I would become weak and feel fatigued all day.
“So, when Janney told me that she is conducting class on Facebook, I was happy and quickly got my sports shoes to join. I would be in my living room during the session, but it does not matter as long as I get to dance and sweat,” she said. – The Vibes, October 14, 2020.
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