Global Health Asia-Pacific July 2020 July 2020 | Page 24
Holistic Health
Yoga instructors Zoom into
web yoga to beat lockdown
Online yoga can also give you a better picture of your technique
Zoom lessons have proven to be convenient
Lockdown in some countries has seen millions of
people struggling to maintain their fitness levels
under home isolation.
�ome countries, like the �nited �ingdom, have
built exercise into their lockdown plans, first allowing
people to leave the house for one session of exercise
daily, then upping it to two sessions after the COVID-19
infection rate started to fall.
Malaysians have not been so fortunate, however.
Official regulations prohibit Malaysia’s locked-down
population from taking any exercise outside the home.
�ut this has not stopped residents from finding new
ways to keep up with their exercise routines.
�uala �umpur yoga instructor Melanie Matulka has
taken to �oom to continue lessons for about half her
clients. The format has proven to be convenient, and
the expat teacher intends to keep using it after the
pandemic restrictions are lifted.
�he had been planning to start using �oom even
before the lockdown, which began on March 12. And
though the lockdown could come to an end soon, an
expat client who had returned home asked her to keep
the training sessions going over �oom.
�Then people were suddenly locked down in
Malaysia, so I decided to �ump in. It was either that or
lose my clients,� Matulka told �lobal Health Asia-�acific.
�There’re loads of classes, lots of yoga teachers
doing online stuff. It works out well one-on-one with
�oom because you can see what your body looks like,�
she said. �While teaching a class in person will always
be best, �oom has been pretty good.�
In locked-down �ingapore, the government’s
Active�� Circle sports club platform is similarly
encouraging residents to practise yoga.
�aunched in April, the platform connects 88 private
fitness instructors and freelancers with its members,
who can also access online fitness classes for pilates,
�umba, and strength training. Membership is free, as is
some of its content, though some programmes must be
paid for.
�rom an instructor’s point of view, online yoga can
be more challenging, but some students prefer the
convenience of not having to travel for a session, says
Matulka.
��ogistics-wise, it’s great. �eople keep better
timings for appointments because they aren’t going
anywhere and being late because they have over-run.
�I wouldn’t say it’s more fun though. My wireless
headphones have cut out on me before, and tech stuff
you have to deal with can be a pain. If their computer is
far away, you might not be able to hear what your client
is saying. It can be tedious and challenging� she said.
�ut with a stable Wi-�i connection and a well-placed
laptop or i�ad, Matulka’s sessions can go seamlessly,
and she can fit more into the day.
�My longterm goal is now to do more classes online.
Typically I would have up to 40 in-person classes a
week, which is pretty full-on. Moving online would
allow me to do more classes with no running around in
between them,� she added.
With a stable
Wi-Fi connection
and a wellplaced
laptop or
iPad, Matulka’s
sessions can go
seamlessly, and
she can fit more
into the day
22 JULY 2020 GlobalHealthAndTravel.com