Fitness companies see rising demand as Americans rush to lose weight Covid

The economy is reopening at a rapid pace. Restaurants, sports arenas and even offices fill up again as pandemic restrictions rise. And that means a lot of people who have been kidnapped in their homes in the last year are venturing out, even if it doesn’t look exactly the same.

The stressful and sedentary nature of life during the coronavirus pandemic has caused many to fall out of their fitness routine and gain weight. In fact, 42% of American adults have reported unwanted weight gain due to Covid, according to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association. Average increase: £ 29.

“It was fun to make bread with dough. It was fun to make bread with bananas, but the result is not great,” said Jim Rowley, CEO of Crunch Worldwide.

On the other hand, 18% reported unwanted weight loss, possibly in part due to muscle loss due to everyone around them. No wonder, gain or loss, that fitness companies suddenly see a new growth in activity.

“Now we get a lot of people who haven’t seen us in the winter, who are ready and realize it’s been a long time,” said Lucy Ballentine, studio manager at Orangetheory Fitness in Washington, DC. telling him, “It’s been over a year since I’ve done any training and I’m really desperate to get back in shape.”

While home fitness has seen a huge increase in demand in the last year, benefiting from big names like Peloton, Beachbody and Mirror, the pressure to get back in shape is clearly now, as Americans go out of their way.

This was the overwhelming feeling at an outdoor Orangtheory class in a DC parking lot.

“You mean I have to go back to the wardrobe I don’t fit into anymore? Yes,” said Stacey Weinstock, who has been working from home since the pandemic began.

“We’re getting a little closer to the moment when everything will open up and we want to look our best and feel better,” Rachel Robins said as she prepared for class.

Both gyms and streaming fitness companies are suddenly seeing an increase in new demand and general training. The number of Orangetheory members nationwide rose 17% in the first quarter of this year, with the largest increase of 9% in March, the company said.

Crunch reports that members’ visits increased by 30% in March to February. It also had the strongest sales of new members in a year, despite its huge footprint in major cities that still have heavy restrictions on the gym, such as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“You predict that the big boom will be in September, when it’s summer, the kids are back in school, there’s some normalcy, and companies are opening offices again, especially in urban centers like Manhattan and San Francisco,” Rowley said. .

Barry’s Bootcamp said studio attendance in March was up 31% from February and 48% from January. His new streaming workouts are also up.

Class attendance is increasing due to reduced restrictions and increased vaccinations.

“I feel more comfortable being closer to people and sharing the air with people now that I’m vaccinated,” said Rachel Weiss, another Orangetheory client.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the new boom in streaming and home fitness. Crunch, for example, has had a streaming offering for more than a decade.

“I can tell you that we spent money while stopping to improve our lighting, improve our sound, improve our camera and improve our digital presence,” said Rowley, who claims that those who focus on fitness have always used more options. “They were the first to buy Thighmaster, Ab Cruncher, so it’s not unique to say, ‘Oh, I have a gym member and a platoon.’

Peloton, which has seen phenomenal growth in its streaming fitness platform and sales of bikes and treadmills in the last year, doesn’t seem to be losing any steam now. While the listed company will not release the latest numbers on live workouts, CEO John Foley recently said he is not worried about returning to the gym.

“I can engage in hypergrowth,” Foley said. “What we’re seeing is a change that people want to work at home … it’s the future of fitness, Covid or not.”