No Excuses: Sweating with Social Accountability

Screen Shot 2020-03-18 at 5.41.26 PM
Screen Shot 2020-03-18 at 5.41.26 PM

Social distancing has had an impact on Houstonians’ routines — from dining out to working out, the ways people go about their day have changed. Restaurants are adapting by offering to-go alternatives and incentives (see our roundup here), but what about the fitness industry? Moving your body and getting fresh air are important factors in maintaining a sense of normalcy and a positive attitude. Here are some ways that your favorite gyms and boutique studios are stepping up their livestream game to make sure everybody has an opportunity to stay active during their quarantine.


Big Power Yoga

Livestream sweaty, fun yoga routines through Big Power Yoga for $10 a pop. The studio is offering hour-long classes via video-conferencing website Zoom, where Big also hosts a free “Community Circle” video call each day at 12:35pm for folks simply wanting to see other humans’ faces.

Boost Pilates 

The “Boost Babes” are posting at-home, pilates-inspired routines — utilizing everyday props like water bottles, scooters, seat cushions and more — on Boost Pilates’ social media platforms.

CycleBar

With several Houston-area locations, CycleBar is part of a larger national network of fitness concepts. Each is offering its own workout via Facebook Live daily, and the schedule is posted on Instagram and Facebook stories. Today included a Club Pilates 30-minute mat workout at 8am, a CycleBar ride for those with stationary bikes at 9am, a Pure Barre workout at 10am, plus yoga, stretching and rowing in the afternoon.

Define Body & Mind 

Henry Richardson has made his workout classes available online for free, for members and non-members alike. The Define on Demand classes include Bounce (utilizing a small trampoline), barre and yoga (including prenatal), Beat (a rhythm-based, full-body workout), and Mind (breathwork, meditation and mindfulness).

LagreeHTX

Upper Kirby's Lagree studio with a cult following is suggesting routines modified for home use, without its signature megaformer machine. Owner Anna Van Delden offers bite-size sessions (8-12 minutes each) with a slideshow of videos on the LagreeHTX Instagram page.

RYDE

The spin studio with locations in River Oaks and Downtown — and, later this year, the Heights — is going live on Instagram at noon and 7pm daily. Catch 30-minute, rhythm-based, full-body workouts from one of RYDE’s energetic instructors. Workouts are available via Instagram Live for 24 hours.

Shredded by Shelley 

Popular personal trainer Shelley Kutsch is for the first time offering daily workouts that can be streamed online for a small fee. Clients can request access to her new Instagram account (@streamingbyshelley) through direct message.

Dispatches
Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less

Photo by Lynn Lane

HOUSTON GRAND OPERA’S second fall repertoire production is Gioachino Rossini’s Cinderella. The colorful, commedia dell'arte-inspired production opens Friday, Oct. 25, and stars Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard — a breathtaking brunette beauty, even when doused in soot — in bel canto role of Angelina, known to her mean step-sisters as “Cenerentola.”

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

BRETT MILLER WAS just 10 years old when his parents took him to a screening of the 1925 silent film, The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney as “The Phantom” of the Paris Opera House, with an accompanying soundtrack played live by an organist. The film contains one of the most famous “reveals” on celluloid (We won’t give it away!) and is all the more shocking when accompanied by live music played on the Phantom’s favorite instrument.

Keep Reading Show less