Orangetheory Fitness helps people achieve fitness and health goals
Story By Bridgette M. Redman
PHOTO COURTESY OF ORANGETHEORY FITNESS
For many people who have spent the pandemic on their couch, it’s time to get moving again.
A survey by the American Psychological Association, reported by CNBC, said that 42% of adults gained weight they didn’t want during the pandemic with the average increase being 29 pounds.
The folks at Orangetheory Fitness in Playa Vista are prepared to help. They reopened their studio on April 8 and are already filling their limited-capacity classes. As a health and fitness organization, the employees are committed to a safe reopening, something the corporate-level staff has been working on for all locations throughout the year.
Jeff Miller, senior vice president of marketing for Orangetheory Fitness, says they are following all the state, local and national guidelines because they want their members and staff to be healthy.
“Health and safety are our No. 1 concerns, even taking out the world of COVID,” Miller says. “We want members to focus on it. Physical and mental health is essential and vital.”
To make the studio a safe place, the classes have limited capacity. Everyone wears masks, even during workouts. All staff wear goggles and there is extended time between classes so that they can engage in cleaning and sanitation activities. Members undergo a symptom check when they arrive, and they exercise on every other piece of equipment to maintain social distancing.
“We’re listening to our members, playing by the rules, and doing what is needed for the health and safety of our members and team members,” Miller says.
Miller describes himself as a “COVID-19 baby” as he came on with Orangetheory in May 2020 and has been part of the team that has helped prepare each studio for reopening and planned digital offerings. It’s been tricky because every county has had different guidelines, and some studios around the state and throughout the country had starts and stops through the pandemic’s rollercoaster year.
As a way of helping members through the pandemic, Orangetheory froze memberships whenever the studios were closed so members wouldn’t lose the time for which they paid. They developed live, small group-led digital classes that they plan to continue.
“It takes the simplicity of Zoom, but makes it 100 times better for fitness,” Miller says. “That will be part of everyone’s membership moving forward.”
They also tried to stay in communication with their members, whether it was through social media or emails. Orangetheory provided its members with digital tools and free online workouts throughout the whole pandemic. However, Miller says, members miss the in-person experience and the fitness community that they become a part of. He says group fitness really helps people meet their goals.
“There is a little bit of a competition element, energy, music and the endorphins within group fitness,” Miller says. “That’s what our members are telling us they miss. They miss the community. They miss the coaches. We offer coach-led classes, and we have technology so that your heart rate is being tracked.”
That’s part of what they are offering people who return to the Playa Vista studio as well as Orangetheory’s other locations, including Marina del Rey. Members will get the community and group benefits even while there are restrictions against high fives and hugs. Orangetheory is there for when people are ready to return.
“It’s not business as usual, but you can still get the same or better results,” Miller says. “Anything is better than doing nothing. It’s scary how many people did not do a lot of health and fitness activities over the year, so anything is great.”
Orangetheory Fitness 12746 W. Jefferson Boulevard, Building 3, Playa Vista
213-279-2006 orangetheory.com
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