Running coach inspires others to excel.
Fitness instructor stays inspired by encouraging others to challenge themselves
Renata Holland, 35, works full time in accounting, and like many Houstonians, she’s been working at home for the past several weeks, along with her husband, Clint, with their 22-month-old son, Richard, in tow.
She holds several fitness certifications, and prequarantine, she had been teaching two to three classes per week at three LA Fitness locations after work and on the weekends.
When LA Fitness closed its Houston locations in mid-March, Holland thought the closure would only last a week or two. Once it became clear that it would be longer, she signed up for a Zoom account and began offering some of her normal classes via the application from her Heightsarea home.
Holland is used to having company when she works out. Before the pandemic, she had been coaching a group of half-marathoners for Runner’s High Club. And she worked with several other runners, training for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, which was set to take place on May 3 and was ultimately canceled.
“The race would have been my first marathon in five years, and I was really excited to be putting in the training for it,” she said.
However, Holland’s training came to a halt with the cancellation, and she found herself lacking the motivation to run more than 2 to 4 miles on her own once social-distancing guidelines were put into place.
Now her classes are inspiring her, as well as other lapsed runners.
“Renata’s classes have helped me build back up the endurance I had lost from not running due to injury, and she’s been great about encouraging us to modify any exercises if we need to,” said Jessica Gomez, 39. “Each class has been fun, challenging and easy to follow, and I’m now injury-free and am running stronger.”
For Holland, creating a space to be able to maintain a sense of community among her workout crew has helped to lift her spirits and maintain confidence.
“Being able to connect with people through these classes has provided a huge mental health boost for me during this whole situation,” she said. “Getting a workout in and seeing friends at the same time is definitely a win-win for me.”
She created a makeshift studio with lights and an iPad in her home office, and once she saw increased interest, she added to her class lineup. Holland advertises classes on her Instagram and Facebook accounts, giving a brief description of any special themes and providing the Zoom participation link and password upon request. More than 100 people have registered for her classes, and she has hosted anywhere from five to 25 participants at a time, with most being either her friends or clients from LA Fitness.
“I’ll usually tell my Zumba attendees that I just want them to move to the music, even if they’re doing so from their chairs, rather than trying to copy my moves,” she said.
“While it’s definitely a huge bonus if anyone gains some extra fitness out of my classes, I’m mainly just hoping to provide an escape and help give people a little break from the current reality we’re in,” she said.
That escape has been a big boost for some of her clients, including Patty Trussell, a 37-year-old recruiting coordinator.
“During these times of quarantine and uncertainty, I’ve really appreciated Renata’s enthusiasm and dedication in motivating others to challenge themselves by working out,” Trussell said. “Not only do I feel stronger than I did before the quarantine, but I am also seeing some little muscles on my arms, which I never had before. But most importantly, I’m having fun."
Holland plans to offer her classes even after she is able to return to the gym, teaching Zoom classes a few days a week while she continues to work from home for her full-time job. She’ll also head back to LA Fitness when it reopens; while gyms will be allowed to reopen beginning May 18, Holland said LA Fitness has tentative plans to start up again later this month but has not yet announced an official date.
To view Holland’s updated class schedule and request access to her classes, visit her Instagram account at instagram.com/zumbarunner262.