Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus: Fitness trainers build and strengthen skills

ExPro, a virtual fitness conference, features 18 sessions delivered from 18 international presenters from all over the world. PHOTO: EXPRO_FITNESS/INSTAGRAM

While many sports and fitness operators have been forced to shift their focus online because of the coronavirus pandemic, they must make an effort to keep in touch with their clients during this period.

That is because it lets clients feel a sense of belonging, said several experts at ExPro, a virtual fitness conference organised by non-profit FitnessSG, yesterday.

Sara Kooperman, chief executive officer of SCW Fitness Education, noted that it will take time for things to return to the way they were when gyms are allowed to reopen. Some may be apprehensive about going to gyms, but reassuring clients that they have their best interests in mind, could help assuage their fears.

The two-day event, which kicked off yesterday morning, saw international speakers such as Jack Thomas, founder of the Base gym in Thailand, talk about how businesses and individuals can evolve and emerge stronger from the pandemic. About 1,000 industry members attended the virtual event.

The fitness and sports industry has been dealt a heavy blow by the pandemic, forcing many to change the way they operate.

The pandemic also forced the conference, originally scheduled from Sept 24-26 at Marina Bay Sands, to take place online.

The talks covered topics from multi-media marketing during and after the pandemic to bulletproofing one's in-person coaching experience to beat the digital wave.

Piloxing instructor Rasidah Caudal, who is used to conducting her classes in person, found some of the talks useful as she learnt about marketing herself online.

She did not have any income when circuit breaker measures kicked in and was forced to stop physical lessons. It took about two weeks for the 42-year-old to get about 50 per cent of her students to attend her virtual sessions.

"Everyone was initially sceptical, so I gave free trial classes and they started to tell their friends," said Rasidah, who holds the title of piloxing senior master trainer of Asia.

"I learnt how to improve my marketing during this time - not just about posting things on Facebook, but how you make your poster nicer and (utilise other platforms) like LinkedIn."

Jonathan Goh, a personal and group fitness trainer at Virgin Active, also thought the conference was beneficial.

The 48-year-old said: "It's something new for the industry. No one is sure what's going to happen in the future. It was helpful because it taught us how to upskill and prepare ourselves for the unknown."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 29, 2020, with the headline Coronavirus: Fitness trainers build and strengthen skills. Subscribe