A majority of successful businesspeople, entrepreneurs, thinkers and executives incorporate sport into their daily or weekly routines. This is not surprising. Vast research and countless testimonials have shown us that sport greatly reduces stress levels, helps maintain a healthy balance between work and leisure, stimulates the mind and cultivates leadership qualities.
It’s never been cooler to be a gym rat. Yet in 2020, the coronavirus changed everything. Fitness gyms closed. Sport events were prohibited. Outdoor sports were curtailed due to lockdown.
This is the story of how we, Naotech, adapted to this change in sports and fitness culture. This is also the story of Naotech’s personal trainer, Amir Levavi, and his inspiring resilience.
The Evolution of the Naotech Workout
At Naotech, we view sport as essential to our collective business success. For the past three years, the Naotech team participated in a weekly sport workout with Amir Levavi, a renowned personal trainer. The training sessions with Amir not only kept us in shape, but also allowed us to vent our energy. More importantly, it allowed us to carve out a space where we could “let loose” and enjoy one another’s company, without any hierarchies or work-related tension.
Prior to the pandemic, Amir would visit the Naotech offices on a weekly basis, and we would all venture to the nearby park for an hour of healthy jumping, stretching, lifting and sweating. And suddenly, everything came to a halt. In March of 2020, our employees began working from home, and public gathering in the park was no longer allowed. Yet as the need for our services increased, so did our workload. As a result, our thirst for a collective workout became even more dire.
We had to adapt. Luckily, the solution we needed – the Zoom platform – was right under our nose. We offered Amir to continue to train us via Zoom, and walked him through the platform’s diverse features. During lockdown, our new weekly routine included two Zoom training sessions instead of the single session in the park. After the lockdown was lifted, we brought back our beloved park training session – and kept the two Zoom sessions.
Today, as the pandemic continues to impact our lives, we look forward to training with Amir on a weekly basis. We can safely say that continuing and even increasing our weekly sport regimen has helped support our business continuity during these trying times.
Amir's Story
As a seasoned fitness and running trainer, Amir Levavi never intended to conduct his business online. But life is full of surprises.
Prior to the pandemic, Amir trained the Naotech team – as well as several other organizations – on a weekly basis. In addition, he served as a personal trainer for individuals throughout Israel. Suddenly, this was no longer possible.
“When the coronavirus started, Naotech offered to continue the workout via Zoom”, recalls Amir. “Technology isn’t really my thing, but I was surprised by how user-friendly the platform is. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to implement a fitness workout on Zoom.”
Amir’s successful pilot session with the Naotech team persuaded him to make changes to his business model. Soon, he was offering Zoom workouts to his group and individual clients.
“First of all, working with Zoom makes distance a non-factor”, says Amir. “I can work with just about anyone. You also don’t have to get in your car and drive anywhere. There’s no traffic involved.”
During the pandemic, Amir was requested to quarantine in his apartment for several days, for precautionary purposes. Luckily, this did not affect his business. In fact, the new reality pushed him to examine his own limits and rethink his service portfolio.
“I now provide my clients with new products”, says Amir. “I offer intensified 30-minute workouts that can effectively replace standard 45-minute workouts. It’s a very focused, very intense workout. But it’s also shorter, which makes it much more attractive.”
In the future, Amir plans to continue to focus on his Zoom-based workouts and expand them. He is currently thinking about investing in more advanced hardware, including a state-of-the-art camera.
“Online training has opened up a lot of new options”, says Amir. “Not everyone shares my enthusiasm. For example, I have a colleague who doesn’t like to do digital workouts. But I see the value in it.”
Adopting a Digital Mindset
The past few months have had a devastating effect on local and global economies. Millions of businesses all over the world are struggling to survive, and many others have been forced to close their doors. Due to new regulations, entire industries are facing extreme difficulties that currently make it impossible for them to operate, let alone succeed. Our hope is that once this pandemic is behind us, they will emerge stronger and more resilient than ever.
In this tragic reality, we can take some comfort in the businesses that were able to embrace change, remain stable and even thrive. The Naotech-Amir Levavi connection is a great example of how two completely different businesses used the power of video conferencing – and each other – to increase their internal and operational resilience. Both businesses are stronger for it.
