Kolkata: Backs broken, most gyms opt not to reopen – Times of India

KOLKATA: Battered by uncertainty and drop in membership due to safety concerns in closed air-conditioned spaces during the pandemic, several gyms have decided not to reopen despite the government nod for them to restart from July 1.
While those in dire straits are selling off equipment and quitting the business altogether, many are storing their equipment in warehouses and going digital to save on rent, electricity and other fixed costs. They intend to reopen only after the pandemic is over and normality returns.

Preet Singh, who operated Bull’s Gym in Baghajatin, has closed shop and moved to food business to stay afloat.
“In the first wave, the gym was shut for five months and we incurred huge losses. We spend around Rs 1 lakh per month on rent, electricity charges and staff salaries. When the gyms opened post lockdown, maintenance costs went up due to sanitisation requirements. Also, only 20% of the 150 members returned and we had to offer discounts to woo some. But this second closure left us financially broke. I have already closed the space and am now trying to sell off the equipment,” said Singh.
Rush Fitness, which has six centres, is planning to reopen only one. “The rent and overhead costs are too high to sustain in the present environment,” said Rush Fitness spokesperson Neeraj Surana.
A veteran in the business who operated three gyms in south Kolkata has decided to shut down one facility on Hazra Road. Unable to fork out the rent, he has asked the landlord to forfeit the rent and shifted the members to other centres.
Rupam Sinha, director and founder of Physio Max that operated three outlets in north Kolkata, did not reopen the Dum Dum facility after the first wave. He and many others say they are closing operations temporarily and parking the equipment in smaller spaces to save on rent till the situation normalises
Gagan Sachdeva, a senior member of the Gym Owners’ Forum that has around 200 members who operate about 450 gyms in the city, said with more waves predicted in future, gyms will continue to be a casualty. But instead of brooding over losses, he says many are also utilizing the time to integrate technology in the business.
“Gyms may shut down again in case there is another Covid wave. But we will have to adapt and upgrade ourselves. We also plan to collaborate for complementary offerings like fitness apps, online classes (Zumba, Yoga etc) and joggers or cycling Clubs. Fitness will always be important, more so in these Covid times,” said Sachdeva.
Fitness experts say closure of health clubs during the pandemic has spurred a shift towards personalized at-home workouts over video calls. Many gyms have even started renting out equipment to members. Despite this shift, customers aren’t entirely happy with their pandemic-era routines as they find at-home workouts not ‘intense enough’, or ‘less consistent’, or ‘not so motivating’. A mix of working out at a gym and at home therefore seems to be the future, they say.
“We plan to organise seminars to discuss the importance of fitness during Covid times and develop friendlier apps for people to take online lessons and classes,” said Sinha, who is also the director and founder of National Institute of Fitness studies.