Why What We Do is Different: Virtual Fitness at VideoAmp

When we shifted into stay at home orders the fitness supply industry got slammed. Kettlebells, dumbbells, bands and fitness machines were stripped from their virtual shelves. Wait times for these items became weeks, then months. Instagram celebrities put fitness programs together, Peloton stock shot up and virtual boot camps became the replacement for in-person classes. 

For VideoAmp, fitness is at the core of what we do and always has been. One of our foundational pillars is to Embrace Wellness and when we say that we mean it! We take care of our people inside and outside the office, mind and body. 

For over a year I have had the pleasure of being a part of the VideoAmp employee experience as the Director of Health and Wellness. This position isn’t a common one, yet, it’s at the core of our CEO Ross McCray’s vision for VideoAmp and his goal of creating a company that challenges the common workplace experience. In these unprecedented times we have chosen to lean into the wellness sphere to help bring our holistic employee workplace experience to homes. I, along with VideoAmp’s People Team have implemented a program of company-wide benefits to ensure employees still reap the rewards of health and wellness. 

Currently, VideoAmp is providing employees with:

• Virtual Environment Setup Support – Allowing employees to request monitors and proper equipment to ensure a productive work-from-home environment is available to all.
• Virtual Fitness and Nutrition Resources – Online workout classes via Zoom with Jess, including a virtual yoga program, Instagram workouts, one-on-one coaching and nutrition appointments, ladies only classes and kettlebells or dumbbells shipped directly to employees.
• ‍Mental Wellness – Employees are offered breathwork and meditation sessions via Zoom. They’ve also been provided with access to Modern Health and a suite of LinkedIn Learning Courses including how to optimize for working remotely, managing stress for positive change and building resilience.‍
• Giving Back – VideoAmp has redirected funds that would have been spent on in-office benefits to make a donation towards 50,000 meals to Feeding America.

The take away from all of the above is most everything we are doing is in house. We aren’t sending people to virtual fitness gyms, they are following me in my home and we are sweating and sharing in a little suffering as a community. This is a key element to the success we’ve had in our fitness initiatives. We don’t just offer a gym stipend, we go to the gym together and even now we are continuing our culture online. The fact that I can notice if someone has fallen off coming into class or speaking up on slack and I can reach out to them real time and see if they are ok and what they need is one of the greatest features of our health and wellness program. We have a real community and a people team that proactively supports our people.  We have couples working out together, people that had been too scared to attend classes that feel safer and more comfortable attending classes with the camera off at home (and sometimes now turning it on)! Going through this experience OF COURSE has changed all of our lives, for me, it was a not so gentle reminder that we can adapt to what life throws our way. If you would’ve asked me a year ago if I would do virtual fitness classes in my living room, I would have scoffed or thought it was silly. Now through putting Health and Wellness first, we have been able to not only have a shared experience amongst employees but amongst friends and family and even clients. This experience has changed my life and I hope others too can find the time to put their health first no matter the stresses we are facing in life. 

In times like this routine and exercise are imperative to our mental health and physical well being. Though we are starting to head back to “normal,” I plan on offering our virtual fitness classes until all of our employees feel safe returning to work.

No Equipment? No Problem

• Use a laundry detergent bottle for ‘tempo pressing’ or squatting (a slower tempo simulates a heavier weight) 
• To make heavier weight, you can fill a backpack full of books and wear it in front or back 
• A sturdy table, couch or chair are your best friends when performing dips, step-ups, inverted push-ups and split squats 
• A pup, baby or small child always makes good weights as well – get everyone involved!
• Your body! There are so many bodyweight movements we can all get better at. From burpees to air squats to push-ups, we can always get stronger and increase our work capacity in these areas without any equipment at all

Here’s an example of a VideoAmp at-home workout from this week: 

Strength: Leg Focus

 4 Rounds

• 10 Single-Leg Deadlifts Each Side 
• 20 Alternating Step Ups (holding weight if possible)
• 15 single leg Glute Bridges (holding weight if possible)

Conditioning

Tabata: Tabata is 20 seconds on / 10 seconds rest between rounds

• 6 rounds: Air Squats
• 6 Rounds: Situps
• 6 Rounds: Dips
• 6 Rounds: Burpees

Download Zoom and join us for our daily virtual workouts at 12pm PST / 3pm EST here: https://videoamp.zoom.us/j/878973464