PORT ORANGE, Fla. — As restrictions are being lifted, many are sprinting back to normal life. However others, are just not there yet. Psychologists shared that it's normal to be on either side of the spectrum.

A fitness studio in Port Orange has found a way to cater to both kinds of people.

At Orangetheory Fitness, many are working up a sweat running toward getting back to normal. Studio Manager James Hinton said they opened at the height of the pandemic last year and are just now starting to offer some classes at full capacity.

“We knew with these demographics, we knew how excited our members were to go full capacity," Hinton said. "We knew it was just the time, the right time to do it."

While they say the change is well-received, coaches shared not everyone is ready to move at that pace.

“I coached several classes on Monday, and it was the first day that we implemented the full capacity, and you can see a little bit of an anxiety, they were a little uneasy about it at first,” said Rhonda Sherrer, an Orangetheory coach.

Dr. Chris Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University, said feeling that way is totally normal.

“Given the CDC recommendations on this kind of came suddenly for a lot of people, that may feel a little bit like whiplash, you know?" Ferguson said. "A lot of us are locked into this mental frame of thinking of other people as potentially being dangerous, potentially being a factor that could affect us."

Hinton said that he understands how some members may be feeling and wants to make sure they are comfortable during this transition.

"We do have a few members that chose to wear masks," Hinton said. "The good thing about our schedule right now is yes, 50% of our classes are full capacity, but there is also 50% of our classes that are still reduced classes that aren’t necessarily too comfortable with the full capacity yet.”

Ferguson said that type of separation is a great way to start to ease anxiety when it comes to gyms, or even places like restaurants, movie theaters and theme parks. He said it's important to take the changes at your own pace.

“So start some place where you are pretty sure that you have a pretty good amount of control over what is going on, you can feel pretty safe and then start to work your way up from there," said Ferguson. "Don’t dive into the pool in the deep end all at once if you are feeling like that is going to be a little too much for you, but work your way into more and more unfamiliar situations and assess your anxiety level as you progress through them."

Hinton said by next week, half of all their classes will be at full capacity, and he plans to keep it that way for a while longer.

But he is excited for what the future holds as more people adjust.

“As we take off the limits and restrictions, you know it is just exciting that we know more people are going to come to us,” said Hinton.