Setting up your first week of virtual classes on Core to Coeur
by Madison Page, CEO + Co-Founder of Core to Coeur
When we’re creating new habits and setting new goals, even the most ideal self care practice might still be jeopardized by the amorphous emotional blob of overwhelm, shame, resistance, and doubt. Before we get started with our recommendations of how to set up your first week on Core to Coeur with success, let’s dive into that blob. We’re here to tell you, with confidence:
You are not alone. This blob feeling is normal, and we can help.
And we’ll prove it through SCIENCE.
The human body, in all its glory, is both magnificent and complex. The part of the brain that controls emotions is millions and millions of years old. The limbic system has the power to help or hinder the success of your goals. Simply put, we’re hard wired for laziness, and if we’re not conscious of it, we can blame ourselves when we don’t feel like moving. Resistance to learning, creating new pathways of behavior is part of the body’s mechanism of survival because it expends energy. Suffice to say, it is natural to feel a sense of resistance to exercise, fitness, movement, wellness — anything that feels different than your baseline will likely feel uncomfortable. Familiarizing yourself with this phenomena is one step towards self-kindess, and I believe can ease the barrier to entry towards a movement-rich life. Once we know what we’re dealing with, we can work with it, not against it.
In short — cultivating self kindness is the part of the equation that is under your control (mostly).
The second part is where Core to Coeur comes in. You may be feeling the overwhelming barrier to self care. It’s because this fitness culture is not built for you. Structurally and culturally, the “fitness system” is not built for most people in human bodies. This system doesn’t take into account that human bodies are psycho-emotional complex organisms. Gyms and studios are a new cultural phenomenon in the way humans have moved. The human body is designed to move for shelter, food, building structures for protection, and gathering.
So, it isn’t your fault that you feel like you want to go eat tacos outside of the gym in your car rather than going inside the gym. You don’t fit the gym, and the gym doesn’t fit you.
The premise of Core to Coeur, while seems very future-y and sci-fi to be able to connect and move together over video, actually may be more familiar to our bodies than we might think. We would argue that this is in fact the best fit for the human body to move in current society that scientifically meets its mechanical wiring.
Core to Coeur’s philosophy:
- We were made to move in and around the home environment.
- We were made to move inside of a community.
In essence, we’ve come full circle and are able to meet ourselves, and our family and friends to help motivate us to move over video. Cool.
So as you begin to curate your first week of classes on Core to Coeur, keep all of this in mind.
1. Start off with a realistic plan.
My partner is known to set ambitious goals. He hasn’t taken a run in years, and then say “Today’s the day I will start running at 6:00AM, every day, for one hour.” Then, he sleeps in and feels terrible about himself and his day starts with self-loathing.
We’ve all been there.
What went wrong?
Derek needs some time to get up in the morning. He wakes up at 6:30am. He’s not out the door by 6am. It’s an ambitious goal and the stretch from current behavior to desired behavior is vast.
As you begin to plan out your week, what is the most realistic week that will create a positive experience for you in the long run? Is it one class every day? Is it one 30 minute class where you turn your camera off? What times of the day are more convenient for your schedule? Start right where you are.
2. Set up your schedule when you feel stable and grateful.
Did you scoff at this one? It’s cool I can handle it. Studies show that cultivating gratitude is one path toward feeling more optimistic and hopeful when you’re trying to match your behavior to your aspired behavior.
Feeling stable = you are neither in an emotional mindset, nor a detached mindset.
I think this combination is imperative to set up your classes for the week with clarity. Once you’ve recognized this feeling, sign up for the classes a week in advance and commit to it. Challenges, work, and life will come up, and remember that we’re in this for the long term health and wellbeing of ourselves. If you have to cancel, be sure to do within the cancellation window- 4 hours for groups, and 24 hours for one to one private classes.
3. Set a budget and stick to it.
When you experience a class or two on C2C things can get a little…exciting. 2 credits for Self Massage with Carla Harless, 2 credits for Pilates Reboot with Adrienne Soles, 4 credits for Rhythm Therapy with Jeanine T. Abraham… and heck why not book a 13 credit private class with Adam McAtee because WE NEED TO KNOW HOW OUR BODIES WORK WITH SCIENCE. And then before you know it … you’re wondering where all your credits went!
Trust us, set an amount of credits you’re willing to spend before you sign up for your first classes. We recommend a ballpark of $15 - $45 or your first week depending on the class and teacher.
And remember 1 credit on Core to Coeur = $5.00, so you can mix and match classes as you see fit across all digital studios. Credits are yours for up to 12 months of purchase, so you can feel good knowing that even if you have to take some time off, you’ll have your purchased credits in your account waiting for you when you get home. More questions on our credits? Click Here.
Pro budget tip — find teachers that have sliding scale offerings where you can spend your hard earned money in a more flexible way.
4. Decide beforehand if you’ll take class with your camera on or off.
Making choices before you go into a new situation could help anchor you, increasing the feeling of being more present in class. Lean into the flexibility on Core to Coeur — turning your camera on during your first class might help the teacher put a face to the name, and if you end up taking their class regularly, might help them get to know you and your body better.
But, sometimes we’re just not up for being seen. If that is preventing you from taking class, turn your camera off. Our teachers are trained to know how to teach an effective, dynamic, and engaging class to all of their students, and you don’t have to feel even a bit weird keeping your camera off. If you’re in your PJs, just rolled out of bed, or have little ones all around you, turn your camera off for a more private and intimate experience.
Prepare to sign on a bit early to let your teacher know beforehand what’s going on with your body if anything.
If you feel up for it, and if time permits, let your teacher know you’ll be in the waiting room a few minutes early. Especially if you have, as Jo McDonald from Cascadia Pilates says, “bits of trivia” you need the teacher to know about you before you get moving. Here are some common “trivia” people come to class early for:
- Scoliosis
- Osteoperosis, Osteopenia
- Chronic pain or illness
- Broken bones/sprains
- Difficulty with specific exercises
- Disc issues
- Surgeries
- Pre or post natal body
Make sure you can see the teacher.
If you are new to an activity on Core to Coeur, especially if you are a visual learner, make sure you set your device up in a way that you can see the teacher. For any additional FAQ on technology and space set up, please click here.
Take a moment to journal afterward — what about this class did you like? Did you not like?
Your first impression is the most important. How do you feel after class? How does your body feel, how does your spirit feel, how do you feel emotionally and mentally? For your first week of classes, we’re not looking for something that is going to leave you with a oh sH** that was so hard that I never want to take class again. Because it turns out statistically, you won’t go back. But taking classes that are reasonably difficult for you is the sweet spot where the likelihood of your will and desire aligns to support your goals. Take 2 minutes, and write a few words down that will help you remember what you feel like after class.
Find an accountability buddy.
Lastly, starting new things can feel scary. I don’t care how old you are or how much experience you have in whatever you do, feeling afraid is another barrier to trying virtual training. Do you have a friend that has the same lunch break as you? Do you have a partner, a sibling, or a parent willing to join you in this journey if you need it? If it will increase the likelihood of showing up to class, reach out to them. If you’d like for us to set you up with a class buddy you can either email us or post that you’re looking for a class buddy in our incredible Community on Facebook. There are hundreds of kind, generous people that are also looking for accountability, too.
In summation dear future mover, creating a realistic structure to help bolster our aspirations is what we believe creates a launch pad for success. It has to be both will and environment.
TL;DR We know you can do it, and we’re here to make it easier.
Thanks to a few articles who helped give the research for this piece:
