Fight Coronavirus: Let's Help Each Other Stay Healthy at CORE Buckhead
*UPDATE 3/22/20*
Try our Virtual Classes for FREE - This Week Only!
FREE CLASSES BROADCAST VIA FACEBOOK LIVE
Here’s your chance to give online classes a try. Eight of CORE’s teachers will offer a free class in the coming week, one per day March 23 - March 29. To tune in, visit our Facebook Page at the time below. Please share widely!
Monday, March 23 at 12pm – Yoga & Pilates Flow with Dr. Kali
Tuesday, March 24 at 10am – Love Your Back with Dr. Charlotte, Physical Therapist
Wednesday, March 25 at 11:30 am – Pilates Power Mat with Ila
Thursday, March 26 at 7am – Pilates Mat with Kristian
Friday, March 27 at 2pm – Pilates Mat for Dancers with Kristen
Saturday, March 28 at 12 pm – Pilates Mat with Kimberly
Sunday, March 29 at 10am - Pilates Mat with Clare
We will be launching a full group class schedule starting Monday, March 30 and will update our schedule every two weeks. Existing CORE members get access to these classes FREE as part of their membership.
Not yet a member? Join CORE today and get your first two weeks of classes for just $49, a savings of $50!
*UPDATE 3/17/20* What is Telehealth? Our in-house Physical Therapist, Charlotte Salgado, DPT, talks about who would benefit from physical therapy.
*UPDATE 3/15/20* Check out Jessica’s Facebook Live Video for tips on why staying active is important during these uncertain times, how to get started and skip ahead to around the 10-minute mark to see how she set up her at-home space.
*UPDATE 3/13/20* Online class options start this Monday, March 16. Be prepared with recommended equipment. Get more info here.
*UPDATE 3/13/20* Updated Semi/Group class schedule to start Monday, March 16. View it here.
*UPDATE 3/12/20* In just six weeks, CORE will celebrate its 14th birthday. As a studio, we have weathered many storms, but the looming threat of the coronavirus is a new kind of challenge that we haven’t faced before. I met with my team and we decided how to handle this issue as a studio community.
My very first concern as a business owner is my employees. We have an incredible team, and their health and safety are my responsibility. A very close second to that concern is my concern for the health and well-being of our clients.
My third concern is financial. Like every other small business in America and around the world, a major disruption to our business could be catastrophic for my employees and for CORE as a whole.
As I have been tracking the news and recommendations of public health officials and state and federal agencies, these three concerns have been at the top of my mind. I do not want to overreact, but I also would never forgive myself if one of my team members or a member of our client community developed a life-threatening illness because we tried to keep on keeping on with our business.
When we met tonight, we discussed the potentially catastrophic consequences of one teacher being infected and unknowingly passing the virus to 20-40 clients over a week before becoming symptomatic. Given the number of people we serve and our client demographics, the risk of remaining open is simply too high. As a result, we have decided to temporarily close our physical studio.
We know the studio is an important part of your self-care routine. You rely on the studio for interpersonal connectedness as much as for exercise... and we do too. Our relationships with our clients are an important part of the social fabric of our lives whether we teach or work on the client care or operational side of the business. We want to be able to continue to deliver these benefits to you in a fashion that is safe for our team and our community members.
With these three considerations in mind, starting Monday, 3/16, we will be offering three remote options for continuing your exercise or physical therapy. We will send a separate communication with details on how to sign up or confirm an existing appointment for remote instruction. We will also suggest supplies you might need to work out at home. We do have a limited number of props for home practice available for sale, we will be offering these for pre-order and pick up or delivery.
We will send another update by Sunday with details on how to manage your schedule and shift to remote/online lessons with your instructor. A number of our team members now have children at home with them, and this will impact their availability. We are clarifying our collective schedules and hope to be able to honor as many of our standing appointments as possible.
If you are unable to receive instruction remotely, we will extend all membership and package expiration dates to allow clients to make up (or gift) their missed sessions at a later date.
We will be re-evaluating this decision weekly and will reopen (after a deep cleaning by a professional sanitization crew) when the immediate threat of COVID-19 has passed. We will continue to communicate with you by email and text message. We will also update our voicemail and social media accounts.
Impact on CORE’s Team
CORE offers 1-2 weeks of paid leave to our full-time employees, an unusual benefit in our industry. The vast majority of our employees are part-time, however. The financial impact of this issue on our team will be significant.
I am considering how to set up a fund to support our team so they can be financially stable and can return to work when this crisis passes. I know that every American, regardless of their means, will be financially impacted. That said, if you would like to contribute to such an effort, please contact me directly at jessica@coreatl.com.
Staying Well
Our physical health goes well beyond handwashing and other hygiene. As you take care of yourself and your loved ones during this stressful time, be mindful that you are getting enough sleep, staying hydrated and avoiding processed foods, especially sugar and alcohol.
Whether you pray or meditate (or both), find time each day to center and ground yourself to breathe. Find a moment of simple pleasure or joy every day. Keep a gratitude journal.
If you – like so many of us – manage ongoing anxiety or depression, seek the support of your personal network or a therapist. For me, focusing on the controllable variables and making only the next right decision has been a helpful tactic.
Most of all, feeling connected and taking care of each other is critically important during this time. If we can do anything to support you, our beloved community, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We love and appreciate each one of you and we hope to see you online! Stay well!
Warmly,
Jessica & The CORE Team
*UPDATE 3/4/2020* Given the announcement of Coronavirus in Fulton County and the likelihood of community spread, I am sending you, our client community, some friendly reminders regarding your time at CORE.
1. If you are sick at all, please stay home until you are well. If you have a fever, please do not come in until at least 24 hours after it breaks. We have clients who are immunocompromised and clients and team members whose families have complex medical issues. We are a wellness studio, and we want to keep our clients, our team and our families safe.
2. Wash your hands frequently. Please make a stop in the bathroom on your way into the studio to wash your hands. Best practice is to sing Happy Birthday twice, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, and be sure to get under your fingernails. While hand sanitizer is not a substitute for hand-washing, we have PLENTY of hand sanitizer in the studio. Please use it before, during and after your sessions.
3. Please wipe down any equipment you use as you move through your session. Your instructor can help guide you on properly and thoroughly cleaning all equipment. Be sure to wipe down equipment as you go (not at the end) and remember to get not just the upholstery but also the handles, footbars and props.
4. If you come to the studio sick, we will politely send you home. Please rest, let your body heal, and we will see you when you feel better.
5. Consider bringing your own mat or reformer towel. If you will be on the mat, cadillac or tower, you can bring a yoga mat with you. If your session will be on the reformer, we have washable reformer towels available for sale in the reception area.
Here is the best article I've read about how to avoid infection.
Stay well!
Jessica