Some people were using the extra time from being at home more to focus on their fitness, one New Hampshire business found.

By Kelly Burch, Granite State News Collaborative

Last September, Jen Adams launched her fitness training and life coaching businesses, Fierce Spirit Fitness. After 15 years working in law enforcement, Adams was excited to continue to be of service, but with a different approach: teaching people the importance of caring for their mental, emotional and physical health. 

“As I worked with individuals in crisis and dealing with traumatic experiences, I developed a passion for taking care of oneself, incorporating meditation, yoga and exercise to help,” said Adams, whose business is based in Franklin. 

When she launched Fierce Spirit Fitness, she couldn’t imagine that self-care and health would become more important than ever, with the world in the grips of a global pandemic. Yet, after a few rocky first weeks in March, Adams has seen demand for her services rise. 

“I help people, mostly women, to feel like physical fitness and their health is something that they can focus on,” she said. During the pandemic, many clients have more free time, since they’re not commuting to work. A lot of people are dedicating that time to their fitness. 

Early on during the pandemic, Adams switched to virtual training sessions. As the weather improved and she was able to get outside more, she started offering socially-distanced groups workouts and personal training sessions in parks around Franklin. Now, she has a hybrid approach, allowing clients to choose between virtual and in-person options. 

For people who haven’t worked out in a long time and who are uncomfortable with physical exercise, the remote option can be particularly welcoming. 

“They’re not feeling that intimidation of walking into a gym, or into a class with a big group of people, while they’re starting to work on their health,” Adams said. 

In addition, offering remote workouts has allowed Adams to expand her clientele. People who are interested in training but wouldn’t have made the drive to Franklin now participate regularly in Fierce Spirit Fitness classes. Adams has clients around the state and beyond. That’s one silver lining from the pandemic that will benefit her business long-term, she said. 

“It opened me up to something that I may not have been opened up to if I wasn’t forced,” she said. 

Looking forward to the winter, Adams is preparing to move classes inside once it gets too cold to exercise outdoors. She’ll be holding socially-distanced classes at the Bessie Rowell Community Center in Franklin, but continuing to offer clients the option of remote workouts. 

Now that kids are going back to school and more workers are being asked to return to the office in some sectors, Adams is seeing a change among her clients. Some are excited to have the structure and routine that leaving the house offers. Others are wary of how they’ll incorporate their new-found fitness routines into the schedule. 

“There’s a little bit of heightened anxiety about going back,” Adams said.  “Clients are saying, ‘How am I going to fit this into my real life now that I’m going out every day?’”

Adam counsels those clients to book in their fitness sessions and quiet time for journaling or meditation, marking them on the calendar just like any other commitment. 

“It’s so important because taking time to move your body and taking the time to be still won’t only help you stay healthy and free from disease, but it will also help you be more productive and most of all happy and able to live your strongest lives,” she said. 

This story is part of the 50 Businesses, 50 Solutions series, shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative, that aims to highlight how business leaders across the state, from mom and pop shops, to large corporations have adapted to meet the challenges and disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus in the hopes others may be able to replicate these ideas and innovations. Tell us your story here. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.