Forever Strong in Springfield is making sure its members stay active during its closure. The gym sends emails to members who would normally be working out at the gym. 

“Members have been excited about the workouts,” says owner Victor Filipe. “They’re doing it with their families and making their kids do it and calling it PE class. It’s been good.” 

He says that he, Mollie Filipe (his wife) and Dev Filipe (his brother) design the workouts and try to keep them more interesting than what you can find on Instagram and to keep members working out while keeping it as creative as possible. 

The gym has different membership levels — ranging from basic to private one-on-one to powerlifting. It even sends the Thurston High School football team daily workouts to make sure the athletes stay in championship shape. 

A typical class has participants warm up (by doing something like running a mile) and do some core work. Depending on the objective of the workout, members could be doing workouts with jugs of water or a filled backpack instead of dumbbells, he says. That way a member at home who doesn’t have weights can adapt accordingly. 

For members with just gym membership, the staff sends workout tips a few times a week. But to keep members strong in the time of COVID-19, Forever Strong takes some of its equipment outside, where members can reserve an hour to lift weights. The equipment is sanitized and has a capacity to ensure it meets social distancing measures, Filipe says. 

Since weights sold out before the governor’s executive order, Forever Strong’s outdoor gym is always packed, he says. The outdoor gym allows people to do squats, bench press and has an area for deadlift. And the gym even writes up a workout on the blackboard in case someone wants to change up their routine. 

“For a lot of members, the gym is a way of life. It’s an important part of their life,” he says. “Without it, nothing feels right. We threw it out there for those who need to lift and need the therapy.”

For more information about the gym and its workouts, visit IAmForeverStrong,com

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