Cary’s Fitness Scene Adapts

Cary, NC — Fitness in Cary has experienced a significant turning point following COVID-19 related closures. We’ve compiled a few tips and resources on what this new age of fitness looks like from a handful of Cary gym owners and Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht.

Cary Mayor Shares His New Fitness Normal

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht lifts weights using at-home equipment

For those who don’t personally know Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, he has been a fitness fanatic for about 40 years as is a self-avowed endorphin junkie.

” I need about an hour and a half of cardio daily to get my endorphins firing,” said Weinbrecht.

Since the gym closures, Weinbrecht says he doesn’t have access to an elliptical and now runs a lot more while practicing social distancing. Also adding to his new fitness routine is the twenty-year-old stationary bike that he recently starting using again at home.

“I found that I can watch TV and not lose my mind with boredom,” said Weinbrect. “I will be looking for additional ways to get cardio. One is going up and down stairs. The faster you go the more your heart rate gets up.”

Another recent practice of his is circuit training which involves lifting light weights in rapid succession in the upper, mid, and lower parts of the body. For those wanting to try this method, Weinbrect advises taking a few seconds to recover before repeating the circuit and doing that over and over.

Try the Mayor’s Workout

If you have access to some at-home equipment and want to take on the Mayor’s routine, here’s his usual week-long schedule:

• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings: Weights for a half-hour including upper, mid, and lower sections of the body
• Tuesday and Thursday mornings: Abdominal workout with several hundred crunches/sit-ups
• Saturdays: 6+ mile run
• Daily cardio: either a half-hour or hour of a stair/elliptical combo, usually followed by an hour of tennis drills

“I used to run a lot more than once a week but since my knee surgery last October I have been cutting back and doing more stair elliptical,” said Weinbrecht, who practices stretching before and after every workout.

Cary Gym Owners Weigh In

“With the state-mandated closures of gyms & fitness studios, we have been forced to shutter our doors,” said Dakota Fox, co-owner of Aradia Fitness Cary and Downtown Cary Yoga. “Our revenue stream has already dropped more than 50% and like other fitness boutiques in Cary, the future of our fitness industry is in a precarious position.”

Fox is one of many gym owners in Cary who relied on a group fitness class experience to succeed in business. In this new age of at-home fitness and outdoor cardio, gym owners are doing all they can to continue their services while staying positive.

Amanda Dismukes, owner of Hustle Fitness Studio said,

“It’s not about the workout, it’s about community.”

Dismukes has transitioned her studio to be a virtual space that goes beyond the expectations of an online workout.

“Now after a Zoom class, we chat and touch base about life or introduce our pets and kids to the other class participants. It’s been really tough as a business owner financially but even harder to not have our community together at the studio,” said Dismukes.

Fitness Options For Members and Non-Members

Here’s a breakdown of virtual offerings from four Cary gyms.

Aradia Fitness Cary

• Aradia Fitness Online offers pre-recorded instructor-led workouts for clients to access
• Donation-based live-stream classes provided three times a week in the private student group on Facebook called, “The Aradia Fitness Triangle Student Forum.”
• Virtual personal training sessions with studio owners Dakota Fox and Janine Cooper
• Videos from boot camps to dancing workouts can be rented individually or included in an all-access monthly subscription

“All of these platforms allow us to keep employing our instructors in some manner, as their income from teaching has taken a huge hit as well,” said Fox.

Hustle Fitness Studio

• Classes offered weekly at 6:45 AM, 9 AM, and occasionally at  12 PM and  5:15 PM
• Weekend classes available as well
• Classes are $8 and registration can be done through the MindBody app
• Offering strength, cardio, yoga and pilates classes
• Most do not require equipment

These classes are open to everyone and at least 45 minutes prior to a class, an email is sent to those registered with a Zoom video link. Contact Hustle Fitness.

Life Time Cary

• Complimentary Life Time Classes On-Demand
• Virtual at-home workouts
• Nutrition information and recipes
• All available at my.lifetime.life with content added daily

“All of our virtual content is also available to non-members complimentary. We want to ensure we are offering everyone tips so that they can maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially in this unknown and stressful time,” said general manager James Garcia.

Taylor Family YMCA

• All virtual Y exercise videos are available to members and non-members
• Recordings of activities great for entertaining kids and families also available
• See the Virtual YMCA website for all videos

“We all need to be creative with how we get our exercise in, but the important thing is that we do it. Even if it’s just for a few minutes a day, exercise can help to strengthen your immune system, relieve stress and strengthen your body,” said Beth Blount, Healthy Living Director at the Taylor Family Y.

Greenways & Parks Remain Open

Cary residents Stephan and Pamela Yannoni take a Friday afternoon ride along the Black Creek Greenway.

According to the Town of Cary website, all playgrounds are closed, but greenways, parks, and park restrooms remain open for the time being. This opens the door for some out-of-the-house fitness including walking a pet, hiking a trail, running and biking.

How Are You Staying Fit?

Leave a comment to tell the community some of your new fitness ideas and share your Cary fitness photos with us on social media. We are @CaryCitizen across the board.

Story and greenway biking photo by Ashley Kairis. Other photos courtesy of Aradia Fitness and Life Time Cary.