Going to a gym has never been as controversial as during the pandemic.
While exercise helps to boost the immune system and health overall, with the start of the COVID‑19 spread, it came with a risk of getting infected with the coronavirus from fellow fitness enthusiasts.
Much like many other industries, gyms went online during the harsh lockdowns in Ukraine, broadcasting training sessions to the clients stuck at home.
Under the current quarantine measures, gyms are allowed to operate following the government’s guidelines: there should be no more than one person per 20 square meters, while visitors must wear masks when entering gyms or moving around inside.
Despite the safety requirements, fitness fans might not be able to fully avoid social contact, possibly exposing themselves to the virus.
For those not willing to take the risk, Kyiv gyms have come up with a variety of online training options. These often don’t require any special equipment, save time commuting and are cheaper than regular workouts.
The Kyiv Post has picked some of the capital’s best fitness clubs and services to stay fit while training at home.
Hiitworks
Hiitworks is a gym chain that has units in nearly every Kyiv district. Though named after the high-intensity interval training, a recent star in the world of fitness, the company offers all kinds of workouts from strength to TRX, total resistance exercises that require suspension equipment.
Hiitworks provides personal online training, under which a coach develops an individual program for each client, according to their physical abilities and goals and the equipment at hand. The schedule is made up depending on the client’s availability, and the training is held via Skype or Zoom.
A coach also gives recommendations on nutrition and a healthy lifestyle and is “constantly in touch to help and encourage” the mentees.
A single workout with a personal trainer costs Hr 350 ($13). A set of five workouts is Hr 1,500 ($54). Check details and sign up at www.hiitworks.com/ru/personalni-trenuvannya-online.
EBSH
EBSH is a sports hub for functional training and “a community of people obsessed with self-development” that has three gyms in Kyiv.
Its name is the acronym for a Russian curse word that means working one’s ass off. In line with the name, the company’s motto says “you can train, or you can work your ass off.”
The gyms provide 25 types of workout sessions. Three of them are available online as part of the group training offer including yoga, stretching and functional, or bodyweight, training.
EBSH’s clients can pick the type and time of a workout on its website, sign up and pay online. The number of people per session is limited so that a coach has a chance to pay attention to each trainee.
A single online workout costs Hr 112 ($4). Sign up at www.online.ebsh.ua.
Fizmat
Fizmat is another popular gym chain that has two outlets in Kyiv. The company keeps its menu minimalistic but sufficient, providing six kinds of training and promising to help clients fall in love with the sports.
As for the online options, Fizmat offers five pre-recorded programs to join. Each one covers from five to eight training sessions that remain available to a client permanently after watching.
The program list includes “Home Alone Functional” that targets all muscle groups with exercises of various intensity, “Barre” which uses static contractions to target core muscles, “Stretching Anatomy,” “Smart Yogi” that also touches on meditation and even “Face Fitness.”
Each program usually costs Hr 690–990 ($25–35). Right now Fizmat has a special offer for some of them for Hr 490 ($18). Sign up at www.fizmat.me.
Smartass
The Smartass gym is famous for its unconventional approaches, house-developed programs and attention to detail. The venue combines a sports club, a cafe and a beauty salon under one roof.
During the quarantine, Smartass adopted some of its star workouts for home. The choice offers total body sessions mixing cardio and strength, Tae Bo training that incorporates martial arts techniques and workouts that target specific muscle groups such as lower body and abs, upper body and abs, core and abs.
After signing up for a session and paying online on the gym’s website, a link to an online workout appears in the personal account. The link remains available for 24 hours.
Another option is “Smart Month,” a program that gives access to 12 pre-recorded sessions that include some of the gym’s most popular types of training.
A single workout costs Hr 100 ($4). Sessions come in packages of 5, 10, 25 and 50 workouts. The more workouts one buys, the smaller the price of a single one is in the end. “Smart Month” program — Hr 990 ($35). Sign up at www.smartass.ua.
