‘Quite a ride’: Exercise studio owners adjust to reopening

“It’s been quite a ride for those of us in the yoga industry as to what’s going to happen next,” Johnson says. “We’re extraordinarily hopeful the projections that have been provided by the Alberta government will stay.”

Johnson says health and safety have always been her priority and those in her yoga community have missed the in-person classes.

She says she was hoping to be included in Stage 1 of the Open for Summer plan.

“We were hoping to be able to have very safe, social distanced yoga in studio,” Johnson said. “We have a very proven track record of zero incidences of COVID here.”

For now, Johnson’s studio will host group outdoor yoga and continue with virtual classes.

Across the city, recently opened fitness studio Crew Training is also adapting. Owner Chelsea Purves says it would’ve been ideal to be fully open in Stage 1.

But for now, she will hold her fitness classes in an outdoor tent.

“I think over this last year and a half, everybody has been affected and everybody’s learned that you have to be adaptable.,” Purves said. “Yes, I would love to be able to run the programming I designed before I opened in February but one day we will. For now, we get to be out in the sunshine in the fresh air and it’s great.”

Now that COVID-19 case numbers are going down, both studios are looking forward to Stage 2 and having classes inside.

Then they’ll be able to run their businesses the way they want to.

by Teagan Rasche

‘Quite a ride’: Exercise studio owners adjust to reopening

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