This blog brings welcome news to those of you who LOVE your gym. It also brings equal promise to those of you who LOVE the home-based digital workouts you’ve discovered during the pandemic. We recently learned at the Connected Health & Fitness Summit that while gyms have indeed reopened and foot traffic continues to mount, consumer appetite to continue working out at home remains. What’s more, a hybrid approach to fitness, which combines your “home gym” experience with brick and mortar gym visits, may be the steadfast wave of the future.

In fact, you may be one of these very people balancing both environments and finding that a hybrid approach also gives you great results! At the beginning of the pandemic, you might have saddled up on your living room chair to do tricep dips out of necessity, but now you’re warmed up to the comfort and convenience of working out at home, on your own time. Perhaps you’ve appreciated the freedom and flexibility that a home workout affords you too. Fast-forward to now when the world feels a bit safer and you’re venturing out again. The social aspect of the gym, the in-person instructor guidance, and accountability you give to your gym workouts feels great – and is a welcome return. It all feels so right. So, what more does an expert have to say on this wave of the future?

We connected with Amira Polack, Founder & CEO of Struct Club, who recently presented at the Connected Health & Fitness Summit. Here is some of what she shared with us directly about maximizing your hybrid training plan:

What are the top three benefits of a hybrid program?

The top three benefits are optionality, variety, and flexibility.

In terms of optionality, I’m talking about expansiveness of your workout horizons to achieve your desired life balance in motion. Say you’re a group class lover who makes a lot of friends at the gym or studio (like me!), doesn’t have all the space at home for every equipment piece (also like me!), but also prefers to practice some of those less familiar exercises at home first before their “public debut” (if ever!) – more options, more choices.

Related but different, variety is the spice of life. A hybrid life can keep your exercise routine exciting by allowing you to discover and fall in love with more ways to move. For example, strolling around my block in the sunshine, tapping into the rhythm of a dim-lit cycle class, slugging it out a boxing bag, and popping in some planks throughout the day – it’s harder to get bored or plateau when you’re shaking it up and keeping it interesting.

Last but not least, flexibility is so important to getting what you want, when you want it, the way you want it – especially if you’ve got a lot on your schedule. While home workouts are often positioned to offer more flexibility, studio and gyms can actually offer even more flexibility for those whose daily habits take them out of the house. Consider the gym next to the grocery store!

Are there any drawbacks or considerations for a hybrid approach?

Certain advantages also have their disadvantages! The top drawback of optionality is indecision. Questions like “How do I design my workout schedule this week?” can make it tougher to establish consistency that comes with doing the same workout, the same place, the same time, every day. For those of us lacking unlimited resources, it can get expensive owning home equipment, constantly subscribing to digital workouts, being a member of the gym, and taking all the classes! We all need to be mindful of what’s going to work for our own lives, first and foremost!

What is an example of a great hybrid workout schedule?

A great hybrid workout schedule is one that you enjoy and can sustain! I actually have a yoga mat on the floor next to my bed, so I can both wake up and wind down to some stretches, yoga poses, breath work, and simple core exercises. I love a post-work, pre-dinner group class that’s high in energy with the music bumpin’ – if it’s cycling, I’m often the one teaching class! I also have a Saturday morning crew where we work out together in a friend’s basement and catch up on the week’s events. Personally, these aspects of my hybrid schedule are great for me because they “make sense” for my life. They’re crafted for my own convenience, enjoyment, and compatibility with moods and energy levels throughout the day and week.

What can you to do ensure you’re getting the most out of your hybrid plan?

Showing up is half the battle, so I highly recommend putting your workouts in your calendar -- including the buffer time required to schedule (say, Sunday), change and prepare, shower, and get to-and-from wherever you need to go! Think about where you can locate your things to increase the probability of your success with your routine; for example, I always keep a pair of cycling shoes in my car! Extremely important to getting the most of your workout routine is having the right music (look up “biomusicology”) that casts the right soundtrack for your motion with the precise rhythm, intensity, and vibe you need for the right moments. This is a big reason I do what I do at Struct Club!

As Amira says, put the optionality, variety, and flexibility of your workouts in your own hands!