Core Plus - Ascot Vale Studio
Location: 208 Union Road, Ascot Vale VIC
Studio owner: Bridie Wetzel and Ward Dawson
What has been your experience from moving from studio classes to online classes?
There is no doubt this experience has been an emotional, challenging time. Losing the direct connection and communication with our members who we see in-studio daily has likely been the main challenge, requiring us to react and adapt to a new reality without our face-to-face relationships.
During the first lockdown (and studio closure) we realised that maintaining our strong connection with our community of members and supporting our team of instructors was the most important thing we had to focus our energy on.
At a studio level, we acted quickly using Facebook to post encouraging and meaningful content and continue engaging with our members. At an instructor level, we set up Zoom classes where we rotated through instructing, in an attempt to continue teaching our favourite classes and seeing each other’s friendly faces. These actions were maintained throughout the entire 3 months and proved to have a positive impact.
At a franchisee level, our head office acted swiftly in creating a public Facebook community group (with currently over 19,000 global followers from far and wide) facilitating mindful movement throughout isolation! This free platform provided Pilates and yoga classes daily, guided by instructors from all seven CorePlus studios. It’s been incredibly humbling to see the Facebook community group exponentially grow and impact people’s wellbeing throughout this strange time in society.
This Facebook community group evolved into a paid subscription platform, now called CorePlus Connected. We are delighted to offer this platform globally at an accessible price; We want everybody to be able to experience our classes, and mindful movement seems to be as important as ever. This on-demand subscription platform supports our franchisees whilst the studios are temporarily closed, currently offering over 80 Pilates, yoga, meditation and active recovery classes.
There’s something for everybody on the platform; We preach moderation, ease and delight, and reject restriction and pressure to perform.
Do you have plans to continue the online platform ?
Online classes are here to stay! They offer flexibility and variety during our busy lives (outside of lockdown) and give people who are unable to attend a CorePlus studio the opportunity to move mindfully with us through yoga and Pilates. We’re grateful to be able to tap into a market of people we would otherwise not be able to connect with.
A variety of new classes (Pilates, yoga, Reformer inspired, strength, Cardio and Mediation) are added on a weekly basis in HD footage along with integrated music. On CorePlus Connected you’ll find our signature in-studio classes, as well as a range of new classes that all range from 10-55 minutes. There’s ample variety to suit varying interests, fitness levels, needs and schedule.
CorePlus Connected subscribers have unlimited access to all classes on-demand, and can engage in live streams. There’s also the ability to comment and communicate on the classes, facilitating discussion and connection. Classes can also be downloaded in advance, so when we are allowed to travel again, your favourites classes can go with you, fuss free. We believe it’s a great complimentary offering to our in-studio experience. And, there’s a CorePlus Connected app coming very soon!
Certainly, an online platform will never replace a physical in-studio experience. They’re entirely different experiences. However, throughout both lockdowns in Victoria, we have learned that strong community connections and new relationships can still be authentically created online. It’s also important to us that we continue to offer support to those who need, for whatever reason, to be long-term at home and away from the studio.
Our strap line “Mindful Movement For Every Body” is testament to this, and it’s our mission to continue to enable mindful movement with CorePlus further.
Will you be filming anything other than classes to keep up with the demand for online?
In addition to having access to each and every workout on CorePlus Connected, subscribers are able to utilise the Master Class category; Master Classes are designed to ensure movements are performed correctly and delivered in bite sized videos outlining specific exercises that we’ve noticed are commonly performed incorrectly.
What is the best way to access the online platform?
CorePlus Connected memberships are currently available worldwide, and sign up is available through www.ondemand.coreplusconnected.com Prices are shown in local currency. Once an account is created, subscribers will instantly be emailed their account confirmation. They can then start to sweat and stretch with us right away!
As an added offering during isolation 2.0, we are providing 25% off the first three months subscription by using the promo code STAYCONNECTED at the checkout for all MoveActive followers.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a part of the pilates/yoga/barre community ?
Despite the physical distancing, as a community of movement lovers we are stronger than ever. Our virtual platforms foster connection and communication with like-minded people. Our studio provides a welcoming, supportive and fun environment (we don’t take ourselves too seriously!). We connect through movement and build strong and enduring relationships with our community.
We’re on a mission to give every person the opportunity to be better: to think clearer, to sleep sounder, to feel brighter and to act with total purpose, in every area of life. That’s the magic of yoga, Pilates and reformer, and that’s the magic of CorePlus.
