FITNESS AUTHOR
Sarah Leahy, CPT
PANDEMIC FITNESS TRENDS THAT LAST n The pandemic brought challenges to the
fitness industry but also provided a space for businesses to pursue creative solutions, which are hopefully here to stay.
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t the start of 2021, we were hopeful for a year that would feel more “normal” so we could move forward from the impact 2020 had on the fitness industry. What started with an estimated two-week shutdown in March of last year snowballed into a new reality that was challenging to navigate for many industries, including the fitness world. When you’re in the business of coaching indoor group classes or training people one-on-one, a pandemic certainly complicates things. But with this uncertainty came new opportunities to grow fitness practices differently and allow more flexibility with the way that people access trainers, group fitness and other services. What started as something that felt impossible has led to creative new ways of connecting fitness to the public, and some of these changes are here to stay.
DECEMBER 2021
Small group fitness studios were hit particularly hard and had to pivot every aspect of their business to stay accessible for their clients. In a small studio setting where regulars become a family, the gym closures and regulations were tough to navigate. Group fitness sessions draw people together who need to be around others when working out – to feel like a part of a community where they can feed off of the energy and motivation that comes from a group setting. When you’re a group fitness fanatic, the thought of working out alone from
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home isn’t particularly motivating. Technology helped bridge the gap between home workouts and group fitness. Through Zoom and other video platforms, studios could offer online classes, allowing regulars to work out in real time with their favorite instructors and see the smiling faces of their gym friends from the comfort of their living rooms and back yards. Offering live classes online helped people feel a sense of community while also mitigating the mental health challenges of not having a schedule to adhere to during a
