The lockdown caused by the Coronavirus emergency has changed the habits of all of us. Sportspeople who, with facilities and gyms closed for long periods, have had to adapt to different solutions well know this. There are also those who have built a gym in their own home, but not everyone has the space and the expertise to do so. In short, there are many people who needed to work out safely, that is, protected from contagion, but also followed by a qualified person. From these needs, but also from the need to work, the intuition of Karim Gharbi, president of the Dojo Gharbi association with two active gyms in Ravenna, was born, who responded to the pandemic and closures with a personal training project at home.
“The project started in September 2020 with the reopening of the gyms, to prevent the economic losses resulting from a possible second closure – says Karim, personal trainer and former judo athlete – The second wave, which forced the closure of all fitness centers , stimulated me to invest the earnings of the few months of opening and online training in a used car to be used as a transport for gym equipment. This project showed me that we could get up and start again stronger than before “.
If the athlete cannot go to the gym, the gym comes to the athlete’s home, together with the personal trainer. Karim explains how the personal training service at home works: “You can book your lesson from the morning until 8.30 pm. It is an hour of training, with muscle stretching included, based on a personalized path for each person. We coaches , equipped with Super Green pass and ffp2 mask, we arrive at the home of the sportsman with all the sanitized equipment, bringing what is needed according to individual needs “. From dumbbells to barbells, all the material useful for training is brought directly by the coach.
Now, more than a year after the start of that project, Karim returns to reflect on the results of his project: “I’m definitely happy, I didn’t expect such intense growth and demand. We took advantage of the opportunity to be able to provide a new service. in Ravenna that was not yet there “. A project that immediately met the favor of many members of the sports association, but which, over time, has also attracted the interest of new people. So much so that the project also continued with the reopening of the gyms. “It has become a fundamental point for us. The demand has increased and some have become accustomed to this convenience. A commitment that we carry on in parallel with the gym”.
“In one year we have come to extend our personal training at home with 7 coaches, all equipped with a car, with a trolley to carry tools – continues Karim – I am very satisfied because this little dream, born in a period of great uncertainty. and tension, it has given us the opportunity to make our reality grow “. Of course, the period of closures was not easy for the sports associations in our area and Karim can testify as well: “In our sector we suffered a beastly crisis with all those months of closure. We had three offices, but we had to close one. “. However, the desire to get involved has never ceased. “I have always been used to moving forward – concludes the personal trainer – even Covid is a challenge that I wanted to face head on, trying with online courses, a gym on the beach, and then with home workouts”.
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