Westport schools to offer virtual workout classes

WESTPORT — Westport Community Schools announced in a press release that, in collaboration with Infinite Fitness Sports Performance, the district will soon begin to offer virtual workout classes for students during the school closure.

The virtual workout classes will be created by Infinite Fitness Sports Performance owner Mike Fernandes and his team. The on-demand workouts will be available for use only by Westport Schools community members on the gym's YouTube channel. Private links will be provided for community members to access the videos.

Workouts will be posted three times per week. Each workout will be approximately 30 to 45 minutes. The on-demand workouts will include a warm up and workout suitable for any level of expertise. The workouts will primarily be total body workouts using minimal equipment so that everyone can participate regardless of what equipment they may have at their homes. Bodyweight exercises, sets, reps, progression and regressions will be built into each workout.

All workout classes will be free to Westport Public Schools community members courtesy of Fernandes. Videos will be posted for the duration of the stay-at-home advisory and school closure. Parents and family members are encouraged to join their students while working out.

"We are extremely grateful to have an alum like Mike who wants to give back to the community and ensure that our students have the resources needed to stay healthy and in shape during the school closure," said Superintendent Gary Reese. "Thanks to Mike, our students will have the ability to regain some form of normalcy while participating in these workouts that will be doable for all students. We look forward to seeing our students engage with his videos and hopefully share their experiences online."

Fernandes, a 1999 Westport High School graduate and lifelong Westport resident, was eager to jump on the idea of virtual workouts for the school community after a discussion with school committee member Nancy Stanton-Cross. At the time, Fernandes was already offering remote Infinite Fitness sessions for his clients along with a special philanthropic endeavor in the wake of COVID-19.

Infinite Fitness is currently running a virtual challenge, open to the general public, that will raise money for local small businesses. To partake in the 7-Day Fat Burning Challenge and support local businesses, individuals must make a donation of their choice, starting at a minimum of $20. Once the donation is made, the individual will receive access to the live virtual training sessions and recordings. Once the challenge is complete, they will receive 50% of their donation in the form of a gift card to a local small business.

"Mike and I discussed what this idea would look like becoming a reality with his team's willingness to post workouts each week for the kids and Westport community at large," said Stanton-Cross. "Mike's passion to give back to the community, in addition to his powerful positive attitude and workouts, will lift all of our spirits during these times."

"I'm very interested in providing something positive for the community as they and the kids need us right now," said Fernandes. "I'm motivated to give back and change lives. If I can give back to my community, that's exactly what I will do. I hope that these workouts will bring people together, reduce stress and anxiety and give them something positive to look back on during these unprecedented times."

Further updates on the status of and directions to access the on-demand workouts will be sent out by school administration.