New Delhi (NVI): Among several sectors that have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic is the fitness industry which is bearing the brunt of this unprecedented crisis, pushing many gyms around the world to the brink of permanent closure.
The global pandemic has disrupted the functioning of many sectors, nothing is same as before. The normal life of a person is now unsettling, many people have lost their jobs and businesses due to the financial crisis.
The fitness industry, which has also been impacted started a rally called “Save Gyms” to handle the existential crisis.
In many countries like US, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Milan, Dubai, China and India, the fitness industries have been hit hard by the coronavirus induced lockdown.
All gyms and fitness centers are temporarily closed since last five months, as declared by the government for all the non- essential businesses till the situation is under controlled and it is suggested to maintain social distancing in all regions.
In India, the Government had released a new set of guidelines recently under Unlock-3 phase saying that gyms and fitness centres can open. However, people in Delhi are still waiting for gyms to reopen and gym owners have now planned a protest outside LG Anil Baijal’s residence.
The gym owners had started making preparations to reopen as per the Unlock 3 guidelines but DDMA (Delhi Disaster management Authority) which is headed by the LG, denied permission.
To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the gyms and fitness centers are shut since March in India. Although they have been opened in some parts of the country, they are still closed in some major cities.
This situation has led the gym owners to shut their gym centers which are the only livelihood that was available for them.
During this period, staying at home in the quarantine, the central factor for people is to be healthy and boost their immune system. So, the fitness industry is making sure that the public is connected to their fitness gyms by engaging them in online workout classes.
Apart from this, the dietary supplement industry is also crumbling, the demand for gym products has gone low and people are only thinking of essential needs right now.
The staff at offices and gyms have been laid off temporarily until the situation is under control. Thus, looking at the current situation, there can be a time where 85 percent of the gyms globally will be closed permanently due to the huge losses that have been faced by the industry.
Therefore, the owners and public are demanding the government for reopening the gyms with new guidelines and precautions.
Anuj Choudhary, member in the Indian Body Building Federation (IBBF) and founder of Animal Booster Nutrition said, “There are unprecedented restrictions everywhere around us, the gyms and yoga centers are closed to prevent the spread of the virus. From big to small, neighborhood gyms and branded gyms like Cultfit and Gold gyms all are suffering, as a result, many gyms have been shut permanently due to the financial losses.”
He added that being a fitness coach, he understands what is going through the people who are into this business. “The fitness industry is going through a very tough time,” he added.
“It looked like the gyms will be closed only for a week but then the whole 5 months have been passed and no action was taken nor any announcement has been made by the central government but preventing the whole business from drying many gyms have started an online fitness training sessions for members on Zoom and Skype where they can start from easy to moderate and then core exercising.
“There’s no new enrollment in the gyms and the existing are leaving. Let us hope the government waves a green flag on starting our operations soon.” Choudhary said.
-RJV/ARK
