What started as a Facebook and Zoom-driven response to gym closures due to COVID-19 has turned into a new brick and mortar venue, Movement Studio in Plymouth, which opened late last year while adhering to pandemic restrictions.
When gyms closed last year due to the pandemic, Monica Moreland started a private Facebook group to lead workouts at the requests of gym attendees, who she met will working as a fitness instructor. Numbers quickly rose—reaching over 1,000 members after one week—and Moreland saw an opportunity.
With 15 years of experience as a fitness instructor, she began the journey of opening her own studio while continuing the virtual workouts. Now, with a Facebook group of nearly 7,000 members and a newly-opened physical location, Moreland, who attended middle school in Maple Grove and Osseo Senior High, has created a positive, fun environment for people locally and worldwide (via the Facebook group), who want to feel good during uncertain times.
With the start of the new year, Movement Studio is offering the FIT challenge, a monthly assessment of physical performance. Aimed toward making progress rather than reaching daunting goals, the FIT challenge allows members to work out at their own pace with encouragement from Moreland and the community. Participants test in during the first week of the month and participate in a range of daily exercises. At the end of January, they’ll test out and celebrate progress with the Movement Studio community. Each month will present a new challenge.
Participants can join Movement Studio with virtual memberships ($29 per month) or a studio and virtual membership ($45 per month). Virtual classes are accessed through Facebook and Zoom. Individuals can drop in for single classes by going online to movementstudio.live and reserving a spot.
