A staff member of Planet Fitness prepares for reopening to the public in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California, in March 2021. Xinhua/Xinhua via Getty Images
Gyms, fitness studios and other workout facilities have been slowly getting back into shape since the pandemic devastated their businesses, but the emergence of the omicron variant threatens to reverse that momentum at the worst possible time.: New Year's is typically a big boon to gym memberships, but omicron threatens to undermine it if Americans decide to stick with now-ubiquitous at-home fitness options.
“The last year has proven that the draw of fitness chains remains as strong as ever,” Ethan Chernofsky, vice president of marketing at foot-traffic tracker Placer.ai, tells Axios. “Should this trend hold into the start of 2022, the wider fitness space would be poised for an impressive return to its former strength.
California has already reimposed its indoor mask mandate through at least Jan. 15 amid a spike in cases. But the California Department of Public Health is making an exception for workouts “if a mask cannot be worn due to heavy exertion.”: 22% of health and fitness clubs have closed for good during the pandemic, totaling about 9,100 locations, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. Usage declined by more than 50% during the height of the pandemic.
“The business is performing extremely well. I couldn't be more pleased,” Planet Fitness CEO Christopher Rondeau told investors on Nov. 4, adding he expected the “New Year to be pretty spectacular” for his chain.: Americans have embraced home workout equipment and fitness apps. But many want to work out in person again — which means government restrictions could decide the fate of gyms.
Nobody should be in a gym. They should close voluntarily. How obvious does this need to be?
The gym near me has been milking this thing. Since they’re still paying rent but have been closed for 20 months I assume they’re getting federal relief. There’s no reason a restaurant can be at max capacity but a gym can’t be open.
One can exercise without a gym membership. Further, America would not be so out of shape, pun intended, if more people cared about simply surviving and protecting the lives of others? GetVaccinatedNow
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