The deadly Covid-19 has devastated many sectors; and the fitness industry, especially gyms, has been hit hardest. After nearly six months, the Government of India gave the green signal to reopen gyms from the first week of August.
In our State, the turnout of members has been less than 40 per cent, much to the disappointment of the gymnasium owners.Most gyms, which were once lively, filled with fitness enthusiasts and workout music, now look deserted with only a few fitness-conscious members occasionally turning up for their routine workouts. Flexible batches are available, but people are not coming forward. Rebates are offered, but there are no takers.
The sector is hit so hard that it may take many more months to recover. Hardly 40-45 per cent of customers are going to the gym.
People are under the impression that they will get the coronavirus if they come to the gymnasium. Despite following Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as directed by Union Health Ministry, people are still not ready to come.
Another reason for poor attendance is that after the Covid-19 outbreak, people found alternate ways to stay fit and healthy without visiting gyms. With plenty of fitness equipments available online at discounted rates, health buffs just workout at homes. There are also a number of fitness apps available online which one can download and follow to maintain basic fitness.
The only hope of revival for the fitness industry is after a vaccine or cure for Covid-19 is available. Several gyms have closed in Odisha and more will do so as memberships are not being renewed which means no money to pay salaries of trainers, rent and electricity and, worse, EMI for the equipment bought on loan for the gym. They have fallen on hard times.
In Bhubaneswar, many gyms are offering heavy discounts to woo people and even that idea is not working out. What is making it even harder is that most gyms are losing time and money as they have to sanitise every piece of exercise equipment after its use, which means more staffs, chemicals and time. So, while admission has hit the bottom, the cost of maintenance has hit the roof. The plight is that once the flourishing industry is now begging for survival. Many gymnasia closed down in Odisha as they were unable to make payments and now even after reopening, hardly 50 per cent of the members are coming while the rest are waiting for the vaccine to arrive.
Earlier, they used to have separate batches for young, old and kids. Now, people above 60 years of age and the kids below 10 years are not allowed. Besides gym equipments, most gyms used to have yoga sessions, karate classes and dance practice in their precincts, but now all that has stopped since March and it does not look like it will start anytime soon. I hope in a month, youngsters will come back as colleges reopen.
Most gyms in Bhubaneswar are giving a lot of importance on “distancing” and allowing only three to four persons into the gym on an appointment basis. But there are no sign of new registrations and minimal hope of old memberships being renewed.But I would like to add that gyms will not disappear, they will come back. Gyms are like clubs; instead of meeting to drink or eat, here people meet to be fit and enjoy working out with friends.
Gyms are an important part of a community’s social fabric; while promoting fitness, they also bring people together and build camaraderie. So, gyms will spring back. The Government should step in to help financially this much-needed industry and banks should consider offering subsidy on the loans taken by gym owners. After all, the owners are running gyms for public health fitness.
(The writer works with NSS, CHSE, Odisha. The views expressed are his own. Mob: 9437616497)
