Long Islanders Missing The Gym Build Their Own Backyard Gyms

HUNTINGTON STATION, NY —As the weeks and months with gyms closed continue, some Long Islanders are finding creative ways to keep their exercise routines going. Gyms, yoga studios and personal trainers have been doing online classes and sessions, and many Long Islanders are taking to the roads and trails for runs, bikes and walks. But Edmund Zarou, owner of Zaro's Cafe in Huntington Station, and his cousin Alex Solounias have taken home workouts a step further by inventing a makeshift outdoor gym that can be installed in backyards.

Zarou and Solounias built a workout station with bars for pullups, dips and other exercises out of wood and metal poles in Zarou's backyard. The materials cost $350 and the poles are cemented into the ground for stability but can be removed later.

The two Uniondale residents have had inquiries from people looking to set up their own outdoor gym stations and Zarou says he'd love to help others find a solution to the challenge of working out without gym access. The two men plan to install the bars in one day for those who want one. The setups can be of different sizes, Zarou said. The bars are allowing him to stay as fit at home, he told Patch, as he was when gym were open.

"Converting unused outdoor space into a simple yet effective work out station has helped me stay in shape from the comfort of my own backyard. Calisthenic workouts are by far one of the best workouts to do."