When Stokes, who co-owns the studios with Stacy Wise, announced that the facilities would temporarily close March 18, members started to reach out to say how much they would miss getting their daily workouts in with their instructors.
“We just wanted to just give back to the community that has really been so supportive and loving of us, so we put all our memberships on hold and then started offering a new free service,” Stokes said.
Stokes has since launched Vybe Now, a joint YouTube channel for the two studios, where she has started streaming workouts that people can follow live and refer back to later. All of the videos are later posted on the Facebook pages of Urban Vybe and Vybe 5.
Each of the daily workouts are different. One is centered around yoga, while another combines yoga, cardio, strength training, flexibility exercises and high-intensity interval training.
“We're not making any money off this," Stokes said. "This is just us trying to give back to the community and recognizing that there are a lot of people in need right now financially who still want to workout. What better way to make you feel better or hopeful than working out and feeling good in your body and knowing that you have a community of support?”
As Flower Mound and Frisco residents—along with the rest of the world—face growing uncertainty due to coronavirus, Stokes said, many people are experiencing similar emotions: anxiety and fear.
“When you're in a state of fear or worry or anxiety, your body actually responds to those thoughts by releasing a stress hormone called cortisol,” Stokes said. “And cortisol, actually, is very detrimental to your body: it causes inflammation; it actually suppresses your immune system. And this is the time when we really need our immune systems to be at their most optimal level.”
Stokes said one of the best ways to combat the negative effects of stress is to stay active.
“Just because you're in quarantine, we don't feel that those healthy habits have to go down the drain,” she said. “We feel that there's a way that we can keep people engaged and make them feel supported.”
For those suffering from anxiety, Stokes said, the instructors at Urban Vybe have created yoga workouts geared specifically around relaxation and meditation techniques.
“We're here for you, and we're all in this together,” Stokes said. “We're going to create as much content as the community needs so that we can stay connected and healthy in this uncertain time.”
Though Urban Vybe celebrated its fourth anniversary this month, Vybe 5 has been open for less than a month. Stokes said her business manager is working hard to see if the studio can get some kind of business loan so it can continue paying its instructors during the temporary closure.
“We are hearing from our membership that many of them have been hit with financial hardship,” Stokes said. “So we want to support them at this time. The best way for them to support us is just to follow us on social media and know that we will be here for them now and when our doors reopen.”
