9 Adaptations Those Offering Fitness Need to Make Post COVID-19

This article is the 2nd in a series examining the impact of COVID-19 on the fitness industry and exercisers in general.

If your organization offers fitness, adaptations are required as a result of this pandemic. What is not so obvious is the level of adaptation and change required to move forward in the short term, and where the opportunities are as a result.

Let’s start the discussion.

This not only applies to traditional big gyms, but small boutique organizations, university and municipal recreation centers, high schools and colleges, company gyms and fitness rooms within a condo as well as hotel gyms and anywhere else fitness is offered.

The size of the facility and how much is relied on membership revenue will determine the level of adaptation required.

We are already seeing big gym chains suffer as a result of this time reduced to 0 or almost 0 revenue.

1 group in Canada have closed and over 1000 employees have been terminated with 125 000 members left hanging in the balance

Some organizations are closing some of their locations:

Others seem to be teetering :

Each region will play a role on how this plays out. If a gym accommodated pre COVID-19 over 2000 workouts a day for example, the impact of only allowing 50 or less in at a time is significant to all aspects of their operation.

There are many adaptations required, Here is a list of 10 that will be required to some degree:

1. Adapt or Perish Mindset.

At every level in every type of facility or fitness room, adjustments will be required. These adjustments are predicated on how much COVID-19 impacts normal operations.

There is a “new normal” now, and understanding that quickly and adapting will determine survival or not.

1 things seems certain, facilities will not re-open under the same procedures as prior to the virus.

2. Physical Distancing

Perhaps 1 of the biggest adaptations that will apply to any size fitness room or gym is how much space between people and equipment and how many people in a space.

In sports teams facilities or small performance centers, this is more manageable. Bigger facilities with treadmills 4 inches apart will be affected. Short term includes blocking offer every second machine. Long term, does this permanently change spacing guidelines? When that does , that will impact how many exercisers can be accommodated at once. The domino effect becomes significant for many stakeholders.

3. Hygiene

Surface area cleanliness and wiping is one area that will need to be planned and monitoring. This changes the supply of materials required and staffing (See point 4).

Air quality assessment. In the medium to long term, careful inspection of air quality will become the norm inside facilities. Medical facilities have become subject to a certain standard for some time. Gyms, restaurants, shopping malls, retirement homes, hotels, multi family housing, corporate offices are just a few that stand to be affected. Anyone who serves people in a common location o na regular basis will be subject to stricture air quality guidelines.

4. Revising of Staffing Models

We just mentioned ,the physical requirements of keeping things clean. Physically wiping equipment, monitoring and servicing cleaning stations, and monitoring exerciser habits will all be requirements moving forward. We already see this in the grocery stores. Do we think that pre COVID-19 standards will apply? No.

5. Group Training within Big Gyms

Many facilities rely on 20 or more participants in an exercise class as a staple to their service. Indoor cycling classes in some boutique studios have 40 bikes available. It is not as easy as to spread people or equipment out. Spaces wont be accommodate as many people as prior to COVID-19. So where does the equipment go?

What happens to the revenue model?

6. Group Training : Growth of Boutique Studios

Smaller group training setting stand to keep growing. That is 10–15 or less is bigger spaces. In the local performance studio where my son and many athletes train, rarely are there more than 15 working out at a time. They will have less to juggle than other settings who accommodate more people.

So far we have reviewed some of the adaptations required to the existing operational models.

What about opportunities?

Where are they as are result of these changes?

Here are the top 3 opportunities, some of which we are already seeing:

7. Community Hub

If offering fitness is a main source of revenue, building a trusting bridge with the audience will be more important than ever.

Larger organizations have not always supported their patrons with information that builds credibility to their services.

Some hotel groups do a great job for example in using fitness rooms as 1 part of the overall wellness experience they offer.

Regardless of how fitness is offered, positioning the organization as a leader and hub of information to make the process easier is an opportunity that many will ignore. They should not.

8. Virtual training

We have seen this almost as soon as gyms were closed. Organizations jumped to offering fitness via video conference. Those groups that build out their customized apps years ago did not have as big an adjustment to make. In fact, those combining #7 and #8 as been practiced by many prior to COVID-19 quite successfully. They were ahead of the curve.

This is no longer an option. Not everyone needs to provide online workouts, but an online connection to your patron is certainly a best practice that can not be ignored any more.

9. Online resources and revenue

How to further combine #7 and #8 will dictate how organizations offering fitness can thrive in the coming months and years.

A more holistic approach to exercise has been proven to help with results and health across age groups. The adaptations from COVID-19 will push this approach.

Every organization offering fitness and any level serves a community, their community. That level of service builds connection and connection builds opportunity.

Very simple in theory, but not easy to execute.

“The only constant in life is change”-Heraclitus

As life after COVID-19 develops, more adaptations will be required.

What we know for sure is that there is a new normal.

Those who accept, adapt and evolve will prosper the most.

Greg Lawlor works with fitness facilities of all sizes as part of his role with Johnson Health Tech Canada