Sequoia Wellness Takes Fitness into Homes

ROOTSTOWN  – After closing down because of state shutdown orders, Sequoia Wellness took to the internet to rebuild its community, marketing coordinator Sean Fejes says.

With members unable to attend in person, the fitness center at Northeast Ohio Medical Center instead tapped into its staff’s expertise to offer live virtual classes, exercise challenges and opportunities for community support.

“We found ways to spread health and wellness to our community that, had there not been a pandemic, we may never have found,” Fejes says.

Such content, he continues, is here to stay. As a whole, the fitness industry saw a drop in membership last year and to stay relevant, in-home fitness and wellness offerings are now a must-have, Fejes says.

“With consumer fitness and wellness perhaps changed forever through in-home fitness services and equipment, facilities like ours will have to adapt,” he says, noting that Sequoia added things like fitness discussions and cooking demonstrations to its suite of services.

Over the two months Sequoia was closed, staff worked on preparing the fitness to be as safe as possible for in-person workouts. Equipment was reorganized to ensure social distancing, a new HEPA air filtration system was installed and a “Pledge of Protection” was created to inform members of safety measures.