In The Spotlight With PLYOGA Founder, Stephanie Lauren
This month we talk with Stephanie Lauren, athlete, entrepreneur, on-demand fitness devotee and founder of PLYOGA™, the national fitness movement to help people understand their bodies are power.
Q: PLYOGA has grown incredibly quickly over the past few years. Tell our virtual fitness users about your program and what it does for them.
PLYOGA combines plyometric exercise and Yoga to create the ultimate fitness solution for people of all ages and abilities. It is a High Intensity Interval training program which uses Yoga postures as active recovery for functional PLYOmetric movement. You don’t need any equipment – just your body, and really don’t need much space at all. So, you can do a PLYOGA workout just about anywhere. PLYOmetric movement burns calories and fat quickly while increasing strength, endurance and speed. Then we use Yoga movements during cool down and recovery to build core strength, flexibility and even mental fitness.
Q: You founded PLYOGA six years ago. How did you come up with the concept and get into the fitness industry?
I was a Division I, Two-Sport athlete in college – in gymnastics and track and field. I still hold the Outdoor Long Jump record at Towson University. When I left college, I was looking for my perfect fitness solution and a path forward to stay fit. I got into weightlifting but wasn’t satisfied overall with the experience. Then I discovered Yoga, which at first, I thought would be easy. I soon realized the unique benefits of Yoga movement and incorporated it into my own fitness routine. It didn’t take long before I had a light bulb moment and saw how other athletes could benefit from the program.
Q: What are some of the other benefits of PLYOGA?
It’s a system that works for everyone. You don’t need a lot of space, or any equipment at all. We’re teaching people that their bodies are power. It’s not about complicated or expensive pieces of equipment and you can do it anywhere – at work, home, in hotels when you’re traveling.
Q: You are focusing on the education category now is that right?
Absolutely. The physical education programs in many schools are substandard. We need to teach a whole generation of kids, how to move and look after their bodies. Because PLYOGA doesn’t require any equipment, we’re seeing great results in low income neighborhoods and schools where budgets have been cut or strained. Our team has been training and certifying PLYOGA coaches and trainers all over the country and online, so we can really make a difference with as many people as possible.
Q: How did you first get involved with FitnessOnDemand and why?
We met the FitnessOnDemand team at a fitness conference and knew immediately that we were a natural fit. Many FOD classes require no equipment just like PLYOGA. Through the FOD platform, we’ve really been able to offer our PLYOGA programs and classes to an incredibly diverse, large audience – across gyms, health clubs, hotel chains and now apartment and condo buildings where having the latest, most effective fitness classes right on site is a huge benefit.
**Stephanie Lauren is founder and visionary of PLYOGA, a fitness system and nationwide movement that combines plyometric exercise with yoga technique for maximal strength, endurance, flexibility and core workout success. Founded in 2013 PLYOGA is now taught by certified trainers across the country, with a focus on the education category.
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