Here’s how bakers and dancers are keeping people engaged through social media during lockdown

Dance, bake, workout and enjoy your time at home as more and more courses are available online

March 27, 2020 06:47 pm | Updated March 28, 2020 04:43 pm IST

Baking an assortment of holiday sugar cookies in New York, Nov. 1, 2016. Basic, but never boring, the tender, buttery sugar cookie can be a blank canvas for festive designs, or a vessel for bold flavors. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times)

Baking an assortment of holiday sugar cookies in New York, Nov. 1, 2016. Basic, but never boring, the tender, buttery sugar cookie can be a blank canvas for festive designs, or a vessel for bold flavors. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times)

Usually, Faiz Begum’s schedule is packed with high energy workouts at her fitness studio where she conducts Zumba, Tabata and Zaco. Now the lockdown of the State left her with a lot of free time. Like a lot of us out there, all Faiz did was receive and read worrisome news about the virus and the death toll. “It started taking a toll on my mental health and I realised that there were a lot of people like me who weren't used to staying at home. So I started with instagram workout sessions where I conducted classes by going live on my handle,” she says.

These days she looks forward to these classes that she conducts in the mornings and afternoons. “I have made a schedule of nine exercises that are to be done in three rounds. I have designed these routines keeping in mind that people are home and have limited space,” adds the Visakhapatnam-based trainer.

Faiz has been a fitness trainer for over a decade now. However, this is the first time that she has moved her classes online. “It is new and it is fun as there are no geographical boundaries when it comes to online classes.” But she admits that this cannot be a long time option. “As an instructor my job is not just to teach workout routines but also to work on the individual posture and movements of my clients That is not possible when the classes are conducted virtually.”

While Instagram came to Faiz’s aid, Ramya Adimulam, a wellness coach who runs the gym Fitness Edge has been encouraging her students through WhatsApp. “ We have a group with gym members added in it. I post a new workout routine every day. Since people can no longer step out for gyms they can use these routines to keep themselves healthy,” she explains.

Social distancing has helped Ramya discover her love for yoga. “I spend at least one hour in the morning doing yoga along with my kids. Including kids is important as they too get affected by being confined to the house,” she says. She posts most of these videos of her workout on her Instagram and encourages people to do the same.

Wake and Bake

Twenty-four year old Divya Gopal is busy putting together recipes of ‘Quarantine snacks’. A medicine student, Divya is using her time at home to conduct baking classes online. “I took to baking two years ago. This summer I had planned to conduct baking classes. However, with social distancing, I had to cancel them. But I wanted to help people get their minds off the difficult times. So I decided to start the classes online. Till now I have conducted two live sessions on Instagram and they have been quite successful,” she says.

In the upcoming sessions of ‘Quarantine snacks’ she will share recipes that are quick and contain no maida or white sugar. “The session will include chocolate muffins and fudge which are comparatively easy and quick to make. I will also make jeera cookies that people can enjoy during their tea time,” she adds.

Divya, who runs the handle @sweet_toothhhh tweaked her recipes to make them as simple as possible. “ I am aware that people may not have all the ingredients in abundance at home so I am putting out only those recipes that can be made from basic ingredients.”

Dancing alone together

Always wanted to learn the perfect moves, but were too shy or too busy to go for a dance class? Then you are in for some good news, as dance studios in the city are conducting free online classes.

After Sharat Pirates was forced to shut the doors of his dance studio- Broadway Dance Academy to keep his students safe, he decided to keep them active by conducting classes online. Now, every alternate day, he goes live on his facebook page (Sharat Pirates). “ It is not just a dance class but a dance-based class where people are also taught fitness regimes. I try to keep my steps simple and easy to follow as I have no idea who my audience is,” he says.

Interestingly, Sharat himself learns through online conference classes. “Online classes have been around for a while now, it is just that they are discovering their potential now,” he adds.

Since he does not have to physically visit his dance classes, Sharat is enjoying his free time home. “I have dogs at home, so now I spend more time with them. I am also working on myself and learning more styles of dance online.”

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