A fitness instructor in Spain was determined to keep people moving amidst the lockdown implemented in the whole country. Despite being confined to their flats, residents in a block of apartments in Seville, southern Spain, came out to their balconies and participated in an extraordinary mass workout.
Locals followed the instructions of a fitness instructor named Gonzalo, who stood on a roof in a courtyard as upbeat exercise music blared out around them. He performed basic exercises such as squats, jumping jacks, and reverse lunges.
The uplifting footage was taken on Saturday, the day when the government announced a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. It was shared on Instagram by Sano Sevilla Los Bermejales, the personal training center where Gonzalo works as an instructor. See video below.
“This is how @gonzalo_gbroto is passing the time with his neighbors. This is the spirit of Sano Sevilla Los Bermejales. Despite such adverse circumstances, we’re going to get the best out of you,” the caption read in English.
The video went viral, and Gonzalo explained what pushed him to start the exercise: “It was something spontaneous and sporadic because I was bored.”
He emphasized that despite the current situation, it is vital for everyone to stay active and maintain a good level of fitness. Being confined at home shouldn’t be an excuse for missing a workout.
“I think it’s an opportunity to promote a healthy lifestyle and sport and that we are all united. We will get through this,” the fitness instructor said. Luis Javier, a manager at the gym, told Today that Gonzalo organized the workout for his neighbors through the messaging platform WhatsApp.
“All the neighbors were having a hard time and sad, but now, every day they are looking forward to the time for their training. It is a healthy idea, which helps people feel much better and face the situation in Spain in a positive way,” he said.
In Italy, a similar situation has also been captured on video. Two men tried to beat the boredom of being on lockdown by playing tennis while they were several meters above the ground.
The hilarious footage shows the two neighbors leaning out of their apartment windows and knocking a tennis ball back and forth. The opponents managed to keep the rally going for a few seconds before the ball fell to the ground as one of them missed a shot.
As part of the drastic measures to contain the virus, the Spanish Prime Minister ordered a nationwide lockdown prohibiting citizens from leaving their homes except for when they need to report for work or buy groceries.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the new policy and its guidelines on Saturday after Spain experienced a massive spike in the number of cases. It became the second European country to take such strict measures after Italy was put on quarantine last week. As of Monday, Spain has recorded 7,753 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 288 fatalities.
It’s great to see that amid these difficult times, people have learned how to find good in the situation by cheering themselves up and making the most out of their time at home.