Southern Californians find alternative exercise options amid pandemic

After gyms closed in March as the coronavirus pandemic spread throughout the United States, many Americans have been finding new ways to exercise and ensure that physical activity would still be a regular fixture in their daily lives.

In Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, which entered California’s most restrictive tier again in November, closing most gyms, residents have been enrolling in virtual yoga and aerobics classes, buying their own weights, or using what resources are available to them outdoors.

Weights and home equipment become a hot commodity for gym enthusiasts during lockdown

When most states had issued stay-at-home orders in the first couple of months of the coronavirus pandemic impacting the U.S., the idea of developing a makeshift home gym intrigued many Americans. This was evidenced by an eBay sales report showing an increase in the sales of dumbbells and weight plates in America by more than 1,000 percent in March and April 2020, compared to the sales of those items over the same two-month period in 2019. Buying these items proved to be competitive, as many online equipment suppliers sold out quickly.

Home gym owner Kevin O’Toole and Gold’s Gym employee Austin Leonard discuss the value of exercise, including both physical and mental health benefits. As is the case for nearly all Southern California counties, gyms and workout studios in Ventura County and Santa Barbara are preparing to shut down again as coronavirus reaches a tier four health risk.

Before the shutdown, Santa Barbara resident Kevin O’Toole would frequently exercise in his office building’s gym before going in to work, but he has since been forced to find a new outlet.

“It took me a few tries with the equipment selling out so fast, but I bought a bench press and some dumbbells over the summer because I knew [our family] would use it consistently,” the Santa Barbara resident O’Toole said. “I’m excited that we have our own little space at home, and now we don’t have to worry as much about the risk of returning to the big public gyms and possibly contracting COVID in the coming months.”

Kevin O’Toole works out with his new gym equipment in his Santa Barbara home. In recent months, Kevin has been working on making a space for his family to practice weightlifting and yoga in their home.

O’Toole added that he and his family struggled to stay active during the first few months of quarantine, which “took a toll on everyone’s physical and mental health.” He noted that he has continued doing body-weight exercises and light running while staying at home during the pandemic, but the weights and bench press are a “nice upgrade.”

Sports retailers’ outdoor equipment flies off the shelves

Sports equipment retail stores are seeing an increase in the purchasing of certain items, yet also struggling with a decrease in the sale of team sports items. Megan Arousse, sales manager at Play It Again Sports in Santa Barbara, noticed a significant boost in their sales of golf apparel and clubs, surfing gear, and camping supplies.

Surfboards line the walls of the Play It Again Sports store in Santa Barbara. Sales manager Megan Arousse says the increase in sales of wetsuits, surfboards, and boogie boards has helped make up for losses in other departments during the pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Megan Arousse)

“We’re grateful to be staying afloat, despite some of the challenges of the pandemic,” Arousse said. “We’re seeing customers buy wetsuits, surfing gear and golf gear more than ever before, and those kinds of sales are making up for the losses we’ve had in other departments.”

With the cancellation of all fall season youth and high school sports in Santa Barbara County, Arousse acknowledged that their sales of football, basketball, and soccer gear are down more than 150%. Arousse said Play It Again Sports is a major provider for affordable youth sports equipment, so the postponement or cancellation of most team sports was a “tough blow.”

Surfers find safe haven in open waters

More evidence of Southern Californians exploring unique ways to exercise without weights or ellipticals, while still maintaining caution during the pandemic, comes from the growing surfing community. ActionWatch, a sales data analytics group for surf and skate shops, reported a 115% increase in the sale of hard surfing goods (surfboards, leashes, fins, bags) when comparing numbers from June 2020 and June 2019.

After teaching a private lesson in Malibu, surf instructor Alex Mitchell squeezes in his own session before the sun sets. Mitchell has doubled his number of clients since the start of the summer.

Alex Mitchell, an employee at the Val Surf store in Thousand Oaks and a part-time surf instructor, said he’s seeing more Southern Californians picking up the hobby. Mitchell noted that surf-related retail significantly increased at the Thousand Oaks store over the summer, but he welcomes the newcomers.

“It’s great to see more people taking up the hobby,” Mitchell said. “Surfing has been so beneficial for me personally, so I hope others are able to find the same excitement in it, especially during tough times.”

Mitchell also added that he has worked more than double the number of private surfing lessons this summer and fall than he had in past seasons.

Though beaches were closed for many months after the coronavirus pandemic began impacting the U.S., the water was open to surfers in many Southern California counties.

“I’ve always enjoyed both surfing and working out, so when gyms were shutting down in March and April, I definitely started going surfing more than before,” Thousand Oaks resident Kassem Hamideh said. “For me, being out on the water by myself, it’s a great way to relieve stress and clear my mind, and it’s a great workout as well.”

Kassem Hamideh rides a wave in Ventura on November 29. Kassem has been surfing “more than ever before” during the coronavirus pandemic, and he now considers his surfing trips equally valuable as a mental health exercise and a form of physical activity.

Though he prefers the calming effect of going out on the water alone, Hamideh said he also likes to meet up with friends in the morning and surf together on weekends, while still minding social distancing and health protocols during the pandemic.

“My father is considered part of the at-risk demographic with his health conditions, so going to the gym isn’t really an option for me anytime soon,” Kassem said. “Surfing has been incredibly helpful for me, as a way to de-stress and exercise with less risk to my family.”

Group workout classes go virtual

The shutdown of studio-based workout classes was no different, and online aerobics and yoga classes have increased in popularity as a result. An article from Mindbody Business on workout trends reported their virtual classes immediately saw a 230% jump in attendance after the first week of “shelter-at-home” ordinances in the U.S. Kaylin Merrill, an instructor at the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Orangetheory Fitness studio, noted user traffic has increased by more than 200% for their at-home workouts since the start of the lockdown in March.

“Like so many of our clients, I rely on the group classes as a way to work out consistently,” Merrill said. “It’s been challenging to find that motivation again and make a habit of exercising while staying at home, but it’s great to see a lot of members supporting our stay-at-home workout videos.”

Because the majority of the at-home videos are free and available to anyone visiting the Orangetheory website, Merrill said members have been given the option to freeze their memberships since the studio closed down again in November. However, she noted that many members are remaining loyal and enjoying the perks of membership.

“We’ve introduced some smaller, private virtual workouts for our members, and we’re happy to see the success of that plan,” Merrill said. “Our studio is doing the best we can to help provide some comfort and normalcy, and we know that’s been hard to find in recent months.”