Not Going Back to the Gym?

The New York Times ran an article at the beginning of the year that addressed the changes that had occurred in the fitness industry–in particular with fitness facilities–since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It focused on individuals who decided to forego the gym and were willing to pay thousands of dollars for personalized workouts. The examples in the article were somewhat extreme, but they point to a significant trend that has been addressed in later publications as well.

Gyms are having a tough go of it. During the time when gyms were shut down, people invested in equipment to use at home; some spent heavily on products like Mirror, Peloton, weights, mats, etc. I have an elliptical in my home now too! The spending spree continued when gyms re-opened but much of the public was reticent to re-enter them. I work with some clients who have nothing more than a pair of 2-pound dumbbells, but I also have clients with an array of weights, exercise balls, resistance tubes, and cardio equipment such as recumbent bikes and treadmills. With so much invested at home, why return to the gym…and start paying those monthly fees?

Still, there was something that was missing. For many people, it is hard to stay motivated at home. There are those that worry that they may not be using the right equipment or using it correctly. Enter people like me, entrepreneurs who have stepped into the personalized virtual and in-person training domain. I started my business just under a year ago and left the gym where I worked a few months later; my schedule is almost completely full and the inquiries continue on a regular basis.

What I offer is more convenient, less costly, and no less effective. There is no monthly gym membership to pay in addition to my personal training fee; I have much lower overhead and can pass those savings along to my clients. There is no commute–either I come to the client’s home or we Zoom–which is an extra bonus for older adults. There is also no worry about whether the guy coughing on the next treadmill over has been vaccinated or not.

This business model is one that I imagined before the pandemic arrived; the events of the last 18 months only accelerated the demand for it. Offering a niche service–training only older adults–has put me in even higher demand. The next step is finding ever more innovative ways to meet seniors in the virtual and “real” world to help bring fitness to an often-overlooked demographic knowing that many senior adults will never go back to the gym. I am proud of the work that I am doing–and, more importantly, of the results my clients are seeing.

Not going back to the gym? You are part of a growing trend. The next question is: what are you doing to keep yourself fit and healthy as the pandemic drags on…and in the years beyond it?

Fitness After the Pandemic

There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is not attached to an oncoming freight train. Vaccinations for COVID-19 are proceeding apace, hospitalizations are down, and folks are beginning to sense a return to some kind of normality.

Many months ago when gyms re-opened after the initial shutdowns, I asked in this blog whether folks would really return to gyms. The numbers who came back in the late spring and summer were quite small; as a personal trainer, I was operating at about 40% of where I had been pre-pandemic. Trainers at other facilities with whom I spoke reported similar downturns in gym attendance. But now that there are vaccines and hopefully something approaching herd immunity, what will the future hold for gyms? An article published on http://www.cnbc.com back in July, 2020 shared the results of survey; the findings were that 59% of Americans were not planning to renew their gym memberships after the pandemic. I am sure there is more recent research, but I have not seen it. Anecdotally, most of my clients have stated that it is more convenient, cost-effective, and (perceived to be) safer to pivot to on-line training; they simply do not plan to go back to a gym at all.

Clients at At Home Senior Fitness have begun to ask what my plans will be when things open up more. My business model–which I began to develop when COVID-19 was unknown outside of the scientific community–was always to train folks in their own homes; I would bring the equipment, the expertise, and the fitness plan. The pandemic pushed me toward virtual training and that now accounts for about 95% of my business–both in one-on-one training and in remote group fitness classes. I certainly have no plans to train in a gym any longer; the overhead is so high that I would make a fraction of what I do as a self-employed personal trainer…and I am still able to remain competitive price-wise.

I do think that gyms will come back, but perhaps not to the same levels as before. Those facilities that succeed will be the ones that offer the cleanest, safest environment; even before the pandemic, we know that some gyms, their equipment, and locker rooms were not clean enough. They will also be the ones that are able to respond to what customers are looking for rather than adhering to outdated “take it or leave it” policies.

As for my business, I only see growth ahead. Pandemic or not, many older adults prefer the ease of staying at home. They do not have to worry about driving. Those that have mobility issues do not have to fret about the walk from the parking lot to the fitness center. At-home training means they will not be intimidated by the machinery (we keep it to dumbbells, resistance bands, and body weight exercises) or others in the gym prancing around showing off their physiques. It is the most comfortable setting to be in.

There is a place for gyms. For those who like the social experience and want access to lots of different equipment, there is no substitute. Still, the pandemic has shown many that there are alternatives to the typical gym that have their advantages too.

The main thing is that once the danger of COVID-19 has passed, people need to recommit to their health and fitness. Just because the pandemic ends does not mean that all of the sudden we are healthy. It just means that we have one less obstacle in our way and more choices for how to reach our goals.

Whoa! The Horse has Already Left the Barn

Ohio began its process of “re-opening” in mid-May. The JCC where I work planned for a phased re-opening starting in June. At first, only personal training by appointment was allowed. Two weeks later, it was personal training by appointment and use of the Fitness Center without a trainer also by appointment with occupancy strictly regulated. Today, the pools opened as did the locker rooms.

And then…Gov. DeWine announced on Monday, June 29, that a number of public health orders surrounding COVID-19 that were due to expire on July 1 would be delayed by a week.

It seems like the timing is off–not just in Ohio but everywhere. At a point when cases are surging and it is clear that the curve was never really flattened, some places are continuing the process of opening up, others are taking a step back (Ohio), and still others are enforcing ever-stricter measures. The Federal Government has preferred to let states deal with the issue of how to re-open or not–which makes perfect sense as COVID-19 has definitely boned up on US geography and knows which states are which [sarcasm]. Why is there no national plan like in other countries?

I get that folks want to get the economy and our lives as we remember them rolling again, but at the current trajectory it looks like the process of re-opening in which we are now engaged will actually further delay those goals. Until the virus is under control, it will be impossible to get the economy under control.

I feel safe at the JCC right now. Lots of precautions have been put into place to keep the employees and members as safe as possible. As it becomes clear that the pandemic is not just disappearing but, in fact, getting worse, can any of us be sure that we are doing the right thing? Will it be possible to backtrack and tighten things up again? Can the fitness industry (in particular, gyms) even survive what is ahead if we need to close up again? So many questions and so little direction from the Federal Government.

The “Re-Open Horse” has already been let out of the barn. He is running around like crazy. Not sure if we can catch him if we need to. Even if we do, can we get him back in the barn?

We need leaders who can be honest about the sacrifices that we will need to make until the pandemic is under control. While Ohio’s governor has made good decisions so far (although I disagree with him on nearly every other policy issue), does he have the political will to “disappoint” the people of this state again with more restrictions?

At the very least, we all need leaders who are willing to admit that there is even a horse. Only then can we corral it and get it back in the barn. Until then, that horse/virus is going to keep on running…and it may be too late to catch him.