While many businesses closed their doors with the start of the pandemic, Larissa Maloney’s virtual fitness program, Active Kids 2.0, was just beginning to form. As the majority of offices, and eventually schools, closed, many families and children had to transition to working at home. Keeping children healthy and fit became a nationwide problem as physical education was taken out of the weekly online schooling sessions. According to experts, regular physical activity helps children build strong bones, develop motor skills, stay fit, and improve focus in the classroom. Maloney, a certified fitness trainer and professional volleyball coach, launched her virtual fitness program in 2020 to provide children with a way to stay healthy while studying at home.
Creating Active Kids 2.0
Before starting her own business, Maloney worked as a personal fitness instructor and head volleyball coach for a high school in Florida. In early 2020, Maloney was in a meeting with her school principal where they discussed with the staff the eventual transition into online classes, although she was told that it would probably not happen anytime soon. That very night, however, Maloney received an email telling her that the school would be closed and that classes would be going fully virtual. “I had no idea how to teach personal fitness virtually,” admitted Maloney. She had to devise a way to provide impactful sessions while also making sure it was interactive and engaging enough for her students. So she decided to stream weekly 30-minute fitness workout sessions live on YouTube, using her home gym as a backdrop. Maloney hoped that in this way, students would be able to see her on-screen, and she could engage with them just like in a classroom. “The first day that I went live, I had over 7,000 families join in,” said Maloney. “From then on, it was just more and more and more throughout the whole of the rest of the year. And it really built a community.”Even Maloney’s own children were keen to join in whenever their mother hosted classes. She explained that when she started, she had her kids home with her, and it was a fun way for them to keep active, too. “Everyone back then had a lot of anxiety,” she explained. “No one knew what was going to happen next with the pandemic.” In providing these virtual fitness classes, Maloney wished to instill hope in children and provide them with a sense of normality. Active Kids 2.0 also provided a means for the whole family to come together, regardless of age, and participate in staying healthy. “Some of the messages that I got said it’s not just me doing it—it’s now my brother, my sister, my mom, my dad, even grandma’s doing it with me,” said Maloney. “So we really created a family life environment.”
