'Sweaty Selfies' help boost morale of people turning to online fitness classes

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Like many, Meghan Lafferty has turned her living room into a gym but she's not training clients, This week she's putting her children to work

With gyms closed across the country, many are turning to online workouts but trainers are losing clients and having to make adjustments.

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Lafferty, a mother of four and a personal trainer, spends every day encouraging others.

Now with the gym doors shut it's self-motivation and "sweaty selfies" that's driving her.

"It's hard to work out by yourself it's so hard," Lafferty said. "Our people have been posting sweaty selfies of themselves and it pumps me up every single time."

Burn Boot Camp, where Laferty works, is one of many gyms across the country offering online coaching and workouts.

"It's a huge stress reliever just to sweat every day. Some people want to work out, some people need to work out," she said. "We just wanted to make sure people knew that you can contact me at any time and we can talk out whatever you're dealing with."

Firman Walden, the owner of FirmFit Training, is another trainer who is being affected. He's had to suspend classes and some one-on-one training sessions.

"It affects the bottom line being a small business owner doing less sessions per week," he said. "Our clients aren't going to not get a session they paid for so we eventually are going to have to perform those sessions. We are already feeling it in the pocketbook."

Walden is trying to think of out-of-the-box ways to keep people moving such as outdoor workouts because he knows how difficult this can be.

"A lot of young people that I know personally won't get to enjoy their senior spring season and that's hard to stomach," said Walden. "I hope they realize it will only make them stronger as they go through life and have other challenges because we will have other challenges."