NEWSHEALTH Coronavirus impact in Massachusetts: Free virtual workouts for those in recovery Boston’’s mayor has praiised The Phoeniix program

BOSTON, MA: April 14, 2020: Dana Gonsalves poses outside of the Phoenix in Boston, Massachusetts.(Stafff photophoto byby NicolausNicolaus Czarnecki/MediaNewsCzarnecki/MediaNews Group/BostonGroup/Boston Herald)

By RICK SOBEY || [email protected]@bostonherald.com || BostonBoston HeraldHerald PUBLISHED: April 19, 2020 at 5:29 p.m. || UPDAUPDATED: April 19, 2020 at 5:29 p.m.

Wiitth tthe corronaviirrus shuttdown especiialllly ttough on peoplle rrecoverriing ffrrom substtance use diisorrderr,, a llocall soberr acttiive communiitty has gone viirrttuall tto keep peoplle connectted durriing tthese iisollattiing ttiimes..

The Phoeniix — wiitth llocattiions iin Bostton,, Lowellll and ottherr spotts iin New Englland — iis offfferriing ffrree onlliine ffiittness cllasses durriing tthe corronaviirrus pandemiic.. The efffforrtt iis lless aboutt tthe worrkoutt tthese days and morre aboutt seeiing each ottherr and ffeelliing tthatt ttogettherrness,, iinsttrructtorrs and parrttiiciipantts ttolld tthe Herralld..

““Beiing iisollatted iis rrealllly harrd fforr peoplle iin rrecoverry,, and some peoplle arre haviing settbacks,,”” saiid Jon Morreno,, prrogrram managerr fforr The Phoeniix iin Lowellll.. ““So whiille we can’’tt have tthatt human connecttiion tthatt we’’rre biig on,, iitt’’s rrealllly iimporrttantt tto viirrttualllly engage ourr memberrs tthrrough tthiis diiffffiiculltt ttiime..””

The cllasses iincllude CrrossFiitt,, yoga,, mediittattiion,, rrecoverry meettiings,, and sociiall coffffee hourrs.. The nonprroffiitt iis offfferriing eiightt cllasses each day..

““We’’rre physiicalllly diisttanciing butt sttayiing connectted sociialllly,,”” Morreno saiid.. ““We’’rre goiing tto keep supporrttiing ourr tteam memberrs tthe bestt we can.. We keep ttelllliing tthem,, ‘‘We’’rre iin tthiis ttogettherr..’’ ””

Aboutt 10,,000 peoplle each yearr parrttiiciipatte iin The Phoeniix’’s prrogrrams arround tthe counttrry,, and aboutt 2,,500 peoplle have worrked outt att tthe Bostton llocattiion iin tthe llastt tthrree yearrs,, saiid Phoeniix ffounderr Scotttt Sttrrode..

““Sociiall iisollattiion iis a rreall concerrn fforr menttall healltth and fforr tthe rriisk off rrellapse,,”” Sttrrode saiid.. ““So iitt was iimporrttantt tto quiicklly piivott tto viirrttuall..””

The diigiittall prrogrram allllows tthem tto rreach morre peoplle iin rrurrall communiittiies,, ottherr ciittiies and arround tthe worrlld,, saiid Kelllly Cave,, iinsttrructtorr att tthe Bostton llocattiion and now fforr viirrttuall prrogrrammiing..

““One cllass had peoplle ffrrom Tampa tto Denverr tto Bostton tto everrywherre iin bettween,,”” Cave saiid..

Butt a new challllenge iis tthatt everryone doesn’’tt have access tto tthe iintterrnett..

““We’’rre ttrryiing tto sttay iin ttouch wiitth as many memberrs as we can,,”” Cave saiid,, addiing tthey ffrrequenttlly callll memberrs.. ““We keep checkiing iin tto make surre tthey sttiillll ffeell connectted..””

Diina Gonsallves,, a parrttiiciipantt att tthe Bostton llocattiion,, calllled tthiis perriiod a ““diifffferrentt chaptterr iin tthe book..”” ““We miiss beiing ttogettherr,, butt iitt’’s grreatt tto see ttheiirr ffaces and worrk outt wiitth tthem,,”” Gonsallves saiid.. ““II’’m sttiillll gettttiing my physiicall iin.. II’’m sttiillll gettttiing iin my rrecoverry meettiings..

““Even tthough we’’rre aparrtt,, we’’rre sttiillll uniiffiied ttogettherr iin tthe hearrtt and tthe spiirriitt,,”” she saiid..

Bostton Mayorr Marrttiin Wallsh,, who has been open aboutt parrttiiciipattiing iin viirrttuall AA meettiings,, has ttoutted The Phoeniix..

““The Phoeniix nott onlly hellps peoplle iin rrecoverry wiitth ttheiirr ffiittness goalls,, tthey hellp tthem ffulllly addrress ttheiirr overrallll wellllness,,”” Wallsh saiid iin a sttattementt.. ““Siince ttheiirr earrlliiestt days off comiing tto Bostton,, tthe Ciitty off Bostton has supporrtted ttheiirr iincrrediiblly iimporrttantt miissiion.. The Phoeniix iis an excepttiionall communiitty parrttnerr,, especiialllly now as we fface tthe COVIID--19 pandemiic,, because peoplle iin rrecoverry need as many viirrttuall supporrtts as possiiblle..””

To check outt tthe viirrttuall worrkoutts,, viisiitt www..tthephoeniix..orrg//viirrttuall.. To donatte tto tthe nonprroffiitt,, viisiitt www..tthephoeniix..orrg..

Tags: alcohol,, Boston,, coronavirus,, COVID-19,, Lowell,, Massachusetts,, substance abuse

SPONSORED CONTENT Subscribe for $1 a week.  By The New York Timesimes

Reporting that reveals more. From journalists in 160+ countries worldwide.

Rick Sobey Rick Sobey is a multimedia, general assignment reporter -- covering breaking news, politics and more across the region. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. Rick is a Massachusetts native and graduated from Boston University.. WhileWhile notnot reporting,reporting, hehe enjoysenjoys long-distancelong-distance running.running.