Coronavirus, social distancing can't slow down Zumba enthusiasts

If you thought coronavirus gives you an excuse to pull the covers over your head and dump your exercise ritual, Krista Bremer won’t let it happen.

Bremer, owner of Regent Square Zumba, is aware that many of her members are practicing social distancing. Especially this week, with six confirmed cases of covid-19 in Allegheny County, officials urging nonessential businesses to close and a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.

But that doesn’t mean she needs to cancel her five-nights-a-week classes.

Actually, she did — until March 29 — but the story doesn’t end there.

Bremer and two other Zumba instructors went into a studio, filmed a class and will upload two nearly 15-minute videos to YouTube and add a link to their Facebook page.

They asked their 200 members to recommend music to go along with the Zumba instruction, and 150 responded. It will appear on YouTube at 6 p.m. Monday.

Bremer wanted to do the videos live, but Zumba Fitness branding regulations and music copyright laws got in the way. But the good news is this: “Anyone can use them whenever they want,” she said.

Plus, there is no charge.

“We’ll do another round of those in a week or two, if we’re still hunkered down,” she said.

Elsewhere in the city, the Pittsburgh Fitness Project in Lawrenceville held an on-line Pilates class Tuesday morning that attracted 50 people, co-owner Tom Duer said. He also plans daily on-line classes at 9 and noon.