It’s tough to stay fit and active under the current circumstances.

But local businesses and organizations are doing the best they can to improvise for their clients with the use of interactive video.

The Zoo Health Club is a 24-hour fitness center located at the Carbon Plaza Mall in Lehighton. Thousands of locals rely on the club’s services to stay healthy and work out.

Gwen Remaley, owner of the Zoo Health Club, knew it was time to get creative.

“It was more or less just for the fact that I felt so bad because classes are a huge outlet for a lot of people,” Remaley said. “As an outsider, looking at classes, if it’s something you’re not interested in, you don’t really think about it too much. But a lot of people come to six or seven classes a week and they don’t know what to do with themselves now.”

Remaley, who has been at the helm of the Zoo since 2017, created a Facebook group called Live Classes from the Zoo, which is open to the public. The group, which already features over 400 members, offers free live online classes via Facebook Live. A gym membership is not required to join.

“I think the biggest thing is just the impact it makes on people’s lives. As a gym owner, I wanted to do something,” Remaley said, “So I want to provide something. And I have people in the group that don’t ever take classes, who are at least getting up, active and doing something.”

Mountain Karate Academy is also using Facebook Live to engage its students. Each Thursday, Paul Maglionico teaches karate sessions on the Mountain Karate Academy Facebook page. The academy has been around for over 30 years and has two venues; one in Palmerton and another in Tannersville.

“It is strange, because when you’re teaching, you get the feedback from the students; you’re able to correct and compliment the students,” said Maglionico, who has been instructing since he was 11 years old. “When you’re looking at a camera, you don’t really know what they’re doing. But you fall into a zone and you kind of fall into a groove and you’re able to teach like a normal class.”

Mountain Karate Academy currently has about 80 students. In addition to the weekly live sessions, Maglionico sends homework assignments out each week to keep everyone fresh and up to date.

“We have great support from everyone and we’ll be able to weather the storm because of that support from them,” Maglionico said.