Fuel Training Studio owners Julie Bokat, left, and Jeanne Carter watch a fitness class inside their gym, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, in Newburyport, Mass. Gyms and fitness studios were among the hardest hit businesses during the pandemic. But for gyms who made it through the worst, signs of stability are afoot. – One day in January, a once-regular customer at Fuel Training Studio in Newburyport, Massachusetts, stopped in to take a “shred” class.
They weren’t alone. Gyms and fitness studios were among the hardest hit businesses during the pandemic, hammered by lockdowns and then limits on the number of people they could allow in for classes and workouts. Unlike bars, restaurants and live venues, there was no industry-specific federal aid given to health clubs. Twenty-five percent of U.S. health clubs and studios have closed permanently since the pandemic began, according to the National Health & Fitness Alliance, an industry group.
Many gyms and fitness studios had to quickly diversify their offerings in order to attract customers during the pandemic – and some say those changes worked so well, they’re permanent. In his new space, Codio limits people on the floor to 10 or 12 so customers feel more comfortable COVID-wise. But most customers he sees are “over COVID,” and not as worried about getting sick as they used to be, he says.
Benhaim credits two pandemic changes with helping demand recover: outdoor classes and limited class size. She started outdoor classes from April through October during the pandemic in a nearby community garden out of necessity, but now has no plans to stop them.