A Cape Town based company has developed South Africa’s first Covid-19 compliant workout, FitPods. With no word yet as to when gyms will reopen, the Ideas Cartel (IC) Group (IC) has created partitions at its four Cape Town locations and turned them into bases for South Africa’s first Covid-19-compliant and private "FitPods".
Three weeks ago, founder and CEO, Schuyler Bruce Vorster landed the idea of modifying the Cartel House leg of the IC portfolio’s co-working spaces to safe, singular pods.
Currently, the 20m²+ glass-sealed spaces are operational at the Loop Street setting while more are being developed at the inner-city Old Foundry and 71 Waterkant Hotel, and Casa Labia in Muizenberg.
The respective pods are fitted for indoor running, spinning, rowing, yoga and boxing. All are kitted with equipment required for a full body workout.
“Since before the hit of Covid-19, we have been seeing a natural progression towards (and desire for) private spaces,” said Vorster.
“Since establishing our co-working collection in 2013 we've expanded our facilities according to people’s demands, and what they need to help them be as productive and active as possible.
"During the lockdown, we wanted to keep our members engaged and expanded the Cartel Connect Online (CCO) app for members who had access to virtual networking, a virtual personal assistant, online food deliveries and live-streamed fitness coaching and music by local DJs.
“From there, the demand for a fitness space that could tend to active individuals’ needs within a safe and Covid-19 compliant environment was the motivation to start re-developing and refining a number of our co-working units or rooms into FitPods.
"We had the floor space, so we used the space and partitions to convert them into exercise-friendly pods. People are instantly influenced by the space that surrounds them and the opportunities within those spaces.
“We want to start eliminating the limitations brought by the pandemic and give people the opportunity to move as freely as possible within a safe and hygienic environment, may it be to exercise, work, learn, sleep, eat and connect otherwise.”
Each glass-sealed FitPod (ranging from 5m x 5m squares per pod) is hygiene-checked and re-sanitised as users enter and exit the pod. Each pod is kitted with the strength and stretching equipment you need for a full body workout, including a cardio machine of your choosing (treadmill/stationary bike/rowing machine).
“Due to Covid-19, we've put hygiene protocols in place across all our facilities in place to safeguard the health of hotel guests, co-working tenants, FitPod users and staff.
“This includes instituting hygiene and preventative measures based on World Health Organization guidelines, government requirements and our own creative initiatives to limit the transmission of Covid-19 in a safe exercise-friendly space.
“From check-in and the walk-through to the FitPod, including on-site shower facilities, safety and hygienic checks and requirements are documented.”
Since its development, Vorster says there has been a great demand for the FitPods. “Since opening almost a month ago, we have seen exponential growth in demand as we're adding to our pod count. The spike in interest has been organic, and in many cases, on a word-of-mouth basis. People are curious about the spaces.
“For us, it’s a matter of listening to what people want, and really defining and refining a concept that is adaptable, scalable and beneficial for everyone who wants to be involved.”