As gyms land in Covid jam, can they regain fitness?

But working out at home is not the same as going to the gym!” sighed Karamveer over a video call to his personal trainer, after completing a set of 30 burpees. Sudeep, the trainer, encouraged him to do another set but the effect just wasn’t the same. For one, that personal touch and intensity were missing. They had something else to worry about: internet speed.
As office-goers continue to work from home, and fitness enthusiasts work out at home, the sale of gym equipment has risen but gyms remain closed even in Unlock 1.0. Worryingly, for the proprietors, not many members are willing to head back even when these fitness centres do open their doors again. And that’s not surprising.
According to a study published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, 112 people got infected with the Covid-19 virus in South Korea in February and March, after participating in a Zumba class.
Some days back, a survey by the Delhi Gym Association claimed that 70% of the city’s gyms may shut for good if they can’t reopen within a month. Revenues have nosedived and rents are due. The crisis is getting deeper with each passing month, and the pandemic blazing past milestones hasn’t helped sentiment.
“We are not clear when they will allow us to operate – maybe in the next three-four months? Bangalore might be the first one to open its doors but it’s different for each city,” says Naresh Krishnaswamy, marketing head for fitness giant Cult.Fit. Rrashima Swaarup, director of marketing at HEEAATZ, a fitness centre in Sector 50, Gurgaon, is unsure if Unlock 2.0 will bring better news.
Manjeet Mann of Fitness Buff, one among the smaller gyms hidden in the bylanes of Delhi’s Malviya Nagar market, is considering opening 24x7 if the authorities give the go-ahead for the same. “We are willing to follow all standard operating procedures (SoPs) and hygiene guidelines provided the government permits us to open by next month,” he says.
Like anyone else in the lifestyle, leisure and wellness space, gym owners and managers are finding out that a clientele spooked by the pandemic will be looking for guarantees that gyms are bio-secure enough for them to return. Still, it’s not a one-way street. “Having safety guidelines in place requires a bit of compliance from customers as well,” reasons Krishnaswamy.
Digital, a poor substitute?
Swaarup admits that response to online classes has been far from “phenomenal”, even though many are slowly coming around to accepting virtual workouts. “We have started yoga classes online, we post workouts on YouTube (as well as on other social media) which can be done at home. However, the personal touch cannot be replaced,” she says.
Still, that doesn’t mean the fitness conscious give up on their routines. “Exercise and yoga are not only about fitness, they help calm an overactive mind. Also, we are conducting regular webinars on health and fitness with experts,” says Swaarup, adding her facility is ready to welcome back clients, with all hygiene and sanitisation procedures in place.
Yet, checking that social-distancing norms are being observed in gyms comes with its own challenges. For one, it means ensuring fewer people are exercising together, which translates into diminished revenues, according to Krishnaswamy of Cult.Fit. “Our focus right now is to keep costs low, by negotiating the rent of the facility with the landlord to as low as zero, if possible,” he says. Cult.Fit, too, has had to embrace digital, and is offering personalised online classes. “In terms of operations, we are trying to focus on day-to-day activities and gainful employment – keeping the ‘trainer force’ engaged is critical as they are our digital products,” he explains.
Mann worries they won’t be able to afford rents or pay salaries in the coming months. “We are literally on the verge of shutting shop now. We have already sent our staff on unpaid leave; some of our trainers who have gone back to their home towns, in Meerut and Hapur, are unwilling to return until the picture is clear,” says Mann.
For big and small players alike, the challenges are manifold. In Cult.Fit’s remodelled centres, for instance, a space in which 25 people could once work out comfortably will now accommodate not more than 10. “This directly affects the cost, so the added safety operational process will have to be smarter. Like every gym, we are also working on managing costs and generating revenue,” shares Krishnaswamy.
Steps into the unknown
Life, they say, imitates art, and that’s exactly what Swati Mohan – founder of Gurgaon-based Danza Performing Arts – has been feeling. With studios closed, dance has transitioned to the virtual world. But online brings with it a loss of tactility, which robs choreography of its very essence. “Performance art cannot be done without interaction; it has a lot to do with energy and physical proximity. So, we have been hit the most,” laments Mohan, who has been teaching contemporary dance for 12 years.
“Summer is usually the peak time for us, but we are helpless now. Freelancers like us are in a fix, and 0performers are really struggling.”
It’s a disorienting situation, but also one that calls for adaptability. Krishnaswamy has the bigger picture in mind. “We have been using this time to reimagine how our gyms will function once things go back to normal. From the safety and social distancing point of view, space will be redesigned – there will be no physical interaction,” he says. It’s a reset, he insists, which will lead to cost efficiency while bringing value to the customer. “We will be ready for the safety of customers and their expectations.”
Still, while all the planning and tweaking continues, the pandemic is going nowhere. “Covid-19 remains a key threat for operations for at least the next 12 months,” admits Krishnaswamy. But, life must go on.
“I believe this year is providing ample time for self-reflection for all artistes – the next time we step out, we will create more magic,” says Mohan.
People, then, will keep on keeping in shape, either by working out or through mastering dance steps. They’ll just be more watchful about it now. As, indeed, will your familiar (or unfamiliar?) neighbourhood gym.