Los Angeles, CA – POUND, the international fitness company known for the innovative drum-inspired cardio-jam session that makes a workout feel like a rock concert, is launching POUND Unplugged, an efficient 30-minute class designed specifically for mental wellness.
The fitness company’s first new program in over five years, POUND Unplugged connects mind, body and sound in an efficient and effective 30-minute class. Launching at Crunch Fitness locations in major US markets on September 19th, POUND Unplugged will roll out to additional fitness partners around the globe in early 2023.
Recognizing a mental health crisis and seeing how depleted people have been feeling even before the pandemic and especially after, POUND founder and CEO Kirsten Potenza wanted to create an immersive workout that meets class-goers where they’re at – mentally, physically, and emotionally.
“The class is a deeply intentional rhythmic journey to promote the health and fitness of the whole person,” says Potenza. “Unplugged is a natural evolution for POUND since the cognitive benefits of music, drumming and exercise have always been at our core, as well as our dedication to community, mental wellness, and self-acceptance.”
The rock and reset class structure blends 20-minutes of high-intensity training and a challenging mat workout to build strength inside and out, followed by 10-minutes of rhythmic breathing, restorative stretching, mindfulness and meditation. The high-intensity portion uses POUND’s signature lightly weighted drumsticks to both increase output as well as connect to the music, which releases and boosts neurochemicals, before ‘resetting’ into a peaceful, recharged and empowered state.
“POUND Unplugged embodies the innovative, fun and empowering nature of Crunch’s group fitness class offerings,” says the National Vice President of Group Fitness for Crunch Signature, Marc Santa Maria. “It’s a great feeling to be able to offer a class designed specifically for mental health to our customers who value holistic wellness and impactful workouts.”
Breathwork, mental health, and fitness elements maximizing the benefits of the workout were informed by the global POUND Unplugged Advisory board – therapist Jess McKee, fitness industry veteran Santa Maria, and breathwork expert Michelle Opperman. London-based therapist McKee is a qualified therapist registered with the British Association of Counselors and psychotherapists, head of Mental Well-being for 1Rebel, Fitness Educator, and one of the first European POUND Icons. Opperman, who is based in San Francisco, is a POUND Icon and breathwork expert who is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and certified Soma Awakening Breathwork Instructor.
One-day POUND Unplugged instructor training is available now in the U.S. and other countries. POUND currently serves nearly 30,000 POUND instructors and 8,000 venue partners across 107 countries.
About POUND
POUND®, an international fitness company based in Los Angeles, was created in 2011 by two women who were both recreational drummers and former college athletes. Designed for all fitness levels, POUND’s programming fuses drumming and movement to connect mind, body + sound. Using Ripstix®, lightly weighted drumsticks engineered specifically for exercising, fitness-goers can become the music and tap into the physical and cognitive benefits of drumming and the mind-body connection. Founder and CEO Kirsten Potenza cultivated a brand and community that stands behind its pillars of mental health, inclusivity, community, and self-expression. Today, POUND offers three different programs (POUND–Rockout. Workout, POUND Unplugged and Generation POUND) and serves a passionate global community through its nearly 30,000 POUND instructors, 8,000 venue partners, and on-demand platform (POUND Backstage). PoundFit.com
About Crunch
Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of ‘No Judgments.’ Crunch serves a fitness community for all kinds of people, with all types of goals, exercising all different ways, working it out at the same place together. Today, we are renowned for creating one-of-a-kind group fitness classes and unique programming for our wildly diverse members. Headquartered in New York City, Crunch serves two million members with over 400 gyms worldwide in 34 states and the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Crunch is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe.
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