Shopping, dating, communicating – we live our lives online. Now, the rise of million-subscriber YouTube channels like Yoga With Adriene, and Instagram fitness celebrities like Kayla Itsines (Bikini Body Guides and the Sweat with Kayla app) and Toronto’s Lyzabeth Lopez (Hourglass Workout), has taken personal training into the virtual realm, too.
Local fitness model turned trainer Meghan Amelia Wilson has noticed an increase in clients contacting her via Instagram (@meghanameila). “People like to see photos and videos, so it helps get clients in,” she says. “People feel like they have a personal connection to you. Before, you just went into the local gym and it was whoever is available. Now you can find a trainer anywhere in the world, and that’s incredible.”
With online training typically costing between $100 to $1,000 a month, it pays to find a customized program that includes personal chats, emails, texts or Skype calls. “Do your research,” advises Wilson. “Anyone can post a photo of themselves at the gym and say they are a personal trainer. You’re throwing money down the drain and can hurt yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Catherine Roscoe Barr launched The Life Delicious in 2013, and as word of her “personal training for mind, body and spirit” spread outside of Vancouver, she used Skype to work with international clients. “Online training removes barriers. There’s no commute, often it’s more cost-effective, and you can do it from the comfort of wherever you are,” she says. “You can connect with people online… and get a good feel for whether you want to work with them, regardless of where they are. It opens a great pool of personality, talent and expertise. The disadvantage is [it lacks] the energy exchange you get in real life: You can’t finish a session with a high-five or a hug!”
One of Roscoe Barr’s clients, Eric Pateman, has a busy travel schedule as owner of the Edible Canada restaurant and shop, so the online option worked for his lifestyle. “Trying to set a regularly scheduled in-person meeting was close to impossible, so having the flexibility to use Skype was amazing,” he says. “The biggest thing is finding someone you can connect with that has that energy. It didn’t matter if we met in person or on Skype. Catherine’s always so incredibly positive, you know she’s going to inspire you.”
Inspiration also comes from regular communication, as even professional athletes can find motivation challenging at times. Former NFL player Mitch Berger uses his friend (and former CFL player) Tommy Europe’s app. Now a stunt performer and star of the TV shows Bulging Brides and The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp, Europe began offering online training 10 years ago in order to reach more people. “The last year and a half of training with Tommy has got me in the best shape of my life,” says Berger. “I’m very committed, but once in a while, if I’m very tired or don’t want to do something, the daily reminder inspires me to do it.”
“It’s easy to b.s. and check in and say you’ve done [the training]; you definitely have to want to do it,” says Europe. “If someone is not motivated at all, then online training is not for them. It’s like buying a treadmill and thinking you’ll be running every day.”
Europe suggests taking a couple of in-person sessions with a personal trainer before you head online, as proper form is important and some people end up injuring themselves if they lift more than they can handle. His online programs range from the Tommy Europe Fitness app to the 4 Weeks to a New You and TE60SHRED programs. “Constantly encouraging and offering variety is key,” he explains. “Through my app, people can message me, get their programs, get email alerts reminding them they have a work out the next day, check in, and track what they are doing. It’s an extra bit of accountability.Because we have our phones with us all the time, it doesn’t really matter where they are. It keeps them motivated.”
But motivation doesn’t have to cost money. Free fitness apps can be a “pocket personal trainer” if you have the willpower and the Wi-Fi. MOVR is a new app that creates customized workouts using algorithms based on questions and five ranges of motion.
“I wanted to bust the myth that working as hard as you can from a template isn’t the way to see long-term change,” says app creator Aaron de Jung, founder of Kitsilano’s 108 Movement Studio. “I see a huge disparity between what people actually need and what they do in regards to their bodies. As a personal trainer, I’ve developed a movement system that works for my clients, and I wanted to bring it to life and share it with as many people as possible.”
Getting fit online is not just a solitary sport. BC-based 5F is a new “Tinder for fitness buddies” app that connects people looking for a platonic tennis partner, running mate or gym friend. “Thanks to dating apps, people are comfortable using a service like 5F to connect online,” says app founder Urs Camenisch. “There are lots of workout apps and tracking apps, including GPS. 5F is taking a bit of a different angle… Somebody has to motivate everyone to actually use all those other workout apps.”
