COVID-19 restrictions have disrupted many people’s daily routines, making it harder to eat right and work out – and as a result, some have put on weight over the last six months.

“People began to get a lot of takeout, eat differently and they didn’t have access to fitness that they were used to. It was always for them – in many cases – it was beyond their control,” says Michael Cowen, of FlexFit Training Center in Edison.

But now that gyms across New Jersey have reopened – fitness trainers say that they are seeing many people returning to work off the excess weight.

“What we saw was a real desire to train again,” Cowen says.

FlexFit decided to take action early in the lockdown by moving the indoor gym to the outdoors so that the public could train once again.

“When they came out here, we saw better attendance, better energy, better moods and better results,” says Cowen.

FlexFit Training Center has outdoor classes every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.