Everyone in the world of fitness is familiar with the joke that, at the beginning of the New Year, gyms are packed with the people eager to turn over a new page but who then reliably empty out after a few weeks as they discover that January 1 hasn’t magically endowed them with the commitment to exercise.
“That joke is sad!” exclaimed Jenny Schatzle, the Santa Barbara health guru behind Bond Fitness. “We want people to be able to commit to long-term changes in their approach to fitness, and that all starts with meeting yourself wherever you’re at.” Schatzle is now posting five-minute workout videos on her personal Instagram account. Even if you can’t make it to the gym on a particular day, she explained, you can still get in a workout and get your heart rate up. “I developed this right after having my twin girls. Being a new parent can be very isolating, and I started making a goal of moving for five minutes a day, whether it was a walk around the block or a circuit I did in the living room.”
The videos include a variety of short routines that work out the arms, legs, shoulders, and abs. In one, Schatzle and her mom do a combination of pushups, burpees, and mountain climbers in their kitchen as Schatzle’s daughters eat breakfast and cheer them on. Schatzle does a more vigorous variation of each exercise, while her mother demonstrates the easier version.
The videos are made for people who, for whatever reason, might not be able to make it to the gym. “Some people might work crazy hours, or not be able to afford a gym membership, or have to stay home and take care of kids or loved ones,” she said. “But these workouts can be done anywhere, and they’re created so you don’t need any equipment. They’re meant to shift your energy and your mood.”
Schatzle believes that the key to real, lasting change in the way people approach fitness is to first be practical with themselves. She says she understands there’s no one-size-fits-all formula, and that people in different circumstances have different needs. “I always tell people that, as a mother of two, I don’t even make it to the gym every day, and I own a gym!” she said with a laugh. “We want everyone to be able to enjoy exercise, regardless of where they’re at.”
Check out Bond Fitness at bondfitness.com.