Triangle YMCAs shut down amid coronavirus outbreak; What you can do to stay fit

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Now that we've stocked up on all that food and are working from home, looking for a way to burn some calories is becoming more of a challenge.

On Monday afternoon, the YMCA of The Triangle announced it is closing all locations through at least March 25.

As of now, several gyms in the area, such as O2 Fitness in Brier Creek, remain open. The key questions: for how much longer and are they even safe to enter.

Like most business, the staff at O2 is working to make sure equipment is clean and germ free. The group that runs O2, MDO Holdings, shut down child care and fitness classes last week. As closures continue, many organizations, including the YMCA are making an effort to put free workout videos up on social media sites.

Raleigh resident Katie Sweet is taking advantage of a free video provided by her gym, Pure Barre. The kitchen isn't nearly as convenient as a studio, but Sweet said she feels that staying home is the right thing to do.

"We talked about it as a family and felt like we needed to do our part to flatten the curve," Sweet said. "So that means some adjustments. It's a small adjustment to make to work out at home instead of at the gym."

National fitness chain Planet Fitness began offering live workouts for free on its Facebook page Monday. At 7 p.m. every day, the gym will post a workout that fitness aficionados can do at home.

Like many areas of our lives right now, we've got to improvise. If you don't have weights at home, grab some cans from the pantry and use those. Or try a bodyweight workout. It may not be the first choice, but finding a sensible way to stay active and fit is a smart call in these uncertain times.