Gympie PT goes big online

‘Since the lockdown I been trying to tell people that this is also for your mental wellbeing’

A GYMPIE personal trainer is trying to motivate people not just locally but nationally to come out of the coronavirus pandemic better than they went into it.

Cooloola Fitness Centre owner and head trainer Matt Stallmann has created a Facebook group — MS Family Home Wellbeing Program — which has a 21-day challenge with daily videos.

Cooloola Coast Fitness Centre owner and head trainer Matt Stallmann has more than 20 years experience in personal training and has a 21 day challenge.

With gyms closed until further notice, Stallmann said he had been adjusting to training online.

“Since the lockdown I been trying to tell people that this is also for your mental wellbeing,” he said.

“Being cooped up inside and not being able to do your regular routine plays with people’s mental state.

“If you can keep something as simple as exercise and with the public group to try and keep people engaged and motivated not just to physically move but to feel a part of a community, we are all in this together and help each other.

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“There are free workouts in there and there are about 330 members. We have people as far away as Sydney to Mount Isa.

“It started out with 150 people who were members of the gym and has more than doubled since”.

Cooloola Coast Fitness Centre owner and head trainer Matt Stallmann has a 21 day program which uses your body weight or even everyday object such as a backpack filled with any object from the house for extra weight.

There has been challenges for Stallmann with training people online rather that in the gym.

“I have started doing video calling with groups on Zoom, who have started their 21-day challenge.

“Being able to see people on the screen is good but seeing people in person is always better.

“But I can correct people on the video and give advice while they are completing the exercise.

“If I post a video they then have to try and work out how to do the exercise and if not completed properly then they could be injured.

Cooloola Coast Fitness Centre owner and head trainer Matt Stallmann’s Facebook group MS Family Home Wellbeing Program which started with about 150 has about 330.

“But it is a start to watch me about completing the move safely”.

Stallmann has been training and coaching for about 20 years which started off through school sport.

“From a very young age I played soccer, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, track and field and also specialised in racing motorbikes,” he said.

“I rode for Australia in 1998 and 1999, I have been to the elite level.

“I then did some time in the army and learned more.

Cooloola Coast Fitness Centre owner and head trainer Matt Stallmann is adapting to the world of virtual training and said he hopes people are as good if not better coming out of this pandemic.

“Once I made the Australian team for racing bikes I went to the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) not just as an athlete but also a coach.

“I worked in mining for 20 years and then I opened the gym in 2015.

“I want people to be able to learn from my experience rather than go through the pain of going through the experience.”

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