Bengaluru: Post covid opening, as per Bonton Fitness Centre there is a 30 percent loss in the gym business as there is an increase in the usage of Fitness Apps. Gyms face drawbacks because there is an increase in the usage of online fitness apps. Smaller gyms are on the verge of shutdown and larger ones are still fighting unemployment and a huge loss. Around 30 percent of the gym trainers have lost their income.
Mukunda, Former Gym Trainer said “I can’t effort to pay the rent and I am unable to resume my work. My owner always calls me for the rent. I still have equipment with me. I don’t know any other work other than this. Because of some reasons now I am selling milk.”
Chethan Kumar, a Gym Owner, and Trainer said “We are paying rent. We have a lot of experience, and this gym was launched 12 years ago and we ran successfully. But after Covid-19 we are paying losses. Customers are taking online classes and they are working out at home. They are not coming to the gym.”
He also adds that the gym-goers are afraid to come because they still fear of Covid-19. Before covid, the gym was filled with more than 100 people, whereas now it is less than 50. This has affected their income.
According to a world economic forum report, there was a 46 percent increase in the download of Health and Fitness apps worldwide during the pandemic. India saw a 157 percent increase in downloads the highest in the world, along with an 84 percent increase in Daily Active Users. That means there were 58 million new active users in the country. Apps like Cult Fit, Cure Fit and, Home Workout were trending and have completed more than one million online classes.
Nikitha k, student and a fitness enthusiast said, “It is easy to use fitness apps and no need to worry about covid, we can choose the timings according to our leisure time and choose one to one interaction with the best trainer.”
Sushiel, Member of the Gym Association said, “It is all because of the new trend and the attracting offers by the apps and the lack of interest in people to visit gyms. 60 percent of the people are not interested to visit the gyms again. So gyms have to adapt to the new changes.”
Gym owners are still in a hope of finding new ways to adapt to the new circumstances.
