With new COVID restrictions imposed, over 1 lakh fitness industry employees stare into an uncertain future. Gym owners claim that up to 25 percent of the gyms were not reopened during the previous lockdowns and the current restrictions could have dire consequences for the entire industry.
“During the last lockdown, we had to pay the fixed costs for electricity. Many employees became unemployed. We had to spend a lot of money on maintenance and continued to pay taxes Fixed fees during this time. Also, over 90 percent of the gyms are operated in rented accommodation, but there are no rental discount policies, “said Mahender Agarwal, managing director of Energie Fitness to India Today.
There is a worldwide change in the industry. A November study by ClubIntel of 2,000 US gym members found that 54 percent of respondents either frozen or canceled their membership. By September, when more than 87 percent of fitness clubs in the US reopened, 60 percent of members still hadn’t returned to the gym, while 20 percent had stopped exercising altogether, Reuters reported.
The effects of this were felt last year when the traditional January gym membership surge led to a surge in online classes considering the importance of maintaining mental and physical health during COVID-19. According to experts, the online shift can change the $ 32 billion industry forever.
The fitness lobby group International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) estimated that as of September 30, 15 percent of gyms in the United States were permanently closed. It also lost more than $ 15 billion in revenue and cut 4,80,000 jobs, according to Reuters.
“The government should understand that the gym goers are the ones who are careful about their health. Therefore, they will never take the chance to expose themselves to COViD Agarwal, General Manager, Energy Fitness.
Industry leaders say the government must convene a fitness sector meeting to discuss the situation before the lockdown is imposed.
“Like any other business enterprise, we can be odd or 50 percent full. What are we gonna do now? How will we pay our employees? Where should we go to make a living? The government must act sensibly and consult us before taking such action, “said Dinesh Sharma, CEO of the Iron Pumpers Gym chain.
(With input from Abhishek Anand)
