The COVID-19 epidemic emptied pools worldwide in March 2020. It was a springtime that no one will ever forget. Fitmotivation never stopped producing videos and if you haven’t logged in lately, you definitely want to get caught up on the latest aqua videos, land workouts, online education and the recently launched PoolFit App. 
COVID-19
Newsletter? What newsletter? Yeah…I know. The last newsletter, Winter 2020 went out on January 28. We usually strive for every couple of months, but compiling a newsletter was the LAST thing on my mind in Spring 2020. This year, we truly did have a reason to beware the Ides of March. The fitness industry was especially hit hard by COVID-19 and the ensuing lockdowns. By March 15, instructors all across the globe were put on pause as most fitness facilities and pools closed. On March 18, we posted the last regularly scheduled video, Aqua Yoga Basics. Fitmotivation then pivoted content between late March to end of April towards in-home fitness and online education to better meet the needs of instructors on lockdown.
IN-HOME FITNESS
Three land fitness videos were posted in Spring 2020. These in-home videos were produced to provide subscribers opportunities to exercise during lockdown. The videos will now be archived as we develop a new “land fitness” category for subscribers who also teach group fitness or personal train clients. All three video workouts were based on class formats I teach at Our Y in Sarasota, FL.
Low Impact Cardio & Conditioning: This 50-minute video workout is based on a class called Prime time and includes 30+ minutes of low-impact aerobics choreography, light toning with hand weights, balance, core and more.
Total Body Conditioning Workout: With just a simple set of hand weights, this 42-minute workout targets every major muscle group with a progressive approach to utilizing the powerful force of gravity. Based on a class called Muscle Works, this muscle conditioning workout is designed for all ages and fitness levels
Stability Ball & Tubing Workout: This 55-minute workout is also one I use in my Muscle Works class and features a compilation of some of my favorite ball & tubing exercises and is designed to challenge all of the major muscle groups.
ONLINE EDUCATION
Lockdown was a good time for instructors to spend some time working on their continuing education. There are now 22 Fitmotivation Online Ed Courses. Subscribers can watch a video, download an extended education handout and then take an online 20-question quiz. Each quiz is approved for 2.0 AEA CECS. Fitmotivation posted 4 new online education videos between March 1 and May 1.
Deck Blocks: Jenni Lynn Patterson-LaCour shares a video tutorial on how to build class routines based on stacking blocks of content categorized by essential class components.
Name That Muscle: Based on an IAFC 2011 session, this video is designed to help aquatic fitness instructors identify the working muscle in every situation, with and without equipment.
Aquatic Law: Based on an IAFC 2014 session, this video demonstrates how to increase and decrease intensity in aquatic fitness classes using the Physical Laws.
Aqua Yoga for Arthritis: Christa Fairbrother shares a program that utilizes a pool noodle and is designed to improve joint range of motion (ROM) and manage pain, promoting a better quality of life.
LATEST VIDEOS
In May, Fitmotivation resumed posting aquatic fitness videos as instructors slowly started returning to classes. Just posted, Boundless Opportunities with Miff Hendriksen, showcases a routine for the COVID era – no travel and no equipment. This video also showcases an entire routine taught with grounded movement, which is ideal for shallower depths, in case social distancing causes students to migrate to water below chest depth. We have a busy filming schedule for June, including a return visit from AquaGym Fitness as they film two more of their popular interval workouts. 
POOLFIT APP
Big news from our sister consumer site – PoolFit. The tech team has been hard at work developing an app that allows PoolFit subscribers to download a video workout and take their device poolside and follow along with water workouts without the need of WiFi. Just in time for summer and for those who prefer social distance exercising in their own pool, the PoolFit App is now available in the App Store. If you know someone who has access to a pool, please pass on this news and let them know there is a free trial month with no commitment. Sign up on the PoolFit website and then download the app in the App Store. If they aren’t convinced, pass along this article - 10 Reasons to Exercise in the Water.
Note: This app is only available to PoolFit subscribers for exercising in the water. There is no app for Fitmotivation. We are open to developing a Fitmotivation app, but need your feedback on what features you would be interested in.
As we cautiously head into Summer 2020, it is my sincere hope that many of us will be back teaching by summer’s end, bringing health, joy and fitness to our class participants whom we all miss very much. Keep the faith Aqua Nation. We’ll get through this together.