THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: People had just started going back to the gyms for their daily fitness sessions after many months when the pandemic reared its head again. The second wave of Covid has forced the gymnasiums and fitness training centres in the city to close doors yet again, to contain the spread. However, the indefinite closure has left gym owners with not many options to overcome the crisis and many are considering wrapping up their business.
Many gym owners in the city said though the fitness industry survived last year’s lockdown, it won’t be possible a second time. “The fitness industry was largely affected during the first wave due to the triple lockdowns. While some were forced to shut their business, others were struggling to survive with a limited number of clients. We had started taking online classes for our clients since they were reluctant to come back. Now, the indefinite closure due to the second wave has left us helpless and we are clueless about how to make up for the lost revenue,” said Anand Xavier, owner of Q-Fit Transformation Studio.
“If we follow the Covid-19 protocol and allow clients in batches of 10 or 20 at a time, gyms can be allowed to function. Hand sanitation and disinfection of premises after each batch can be ensured. A lot of people including fitness trainers and supporting staff depend on the industry for their livelihood. Many have now turned to other jobs for survival,” he added.
Venugopal Unnikrishnan, president of All Kerala Gym Owners’ Association said, “There are currently more than 1,000 gyms in the state under the association. Around 100 have already shut business. We never expected such a sudden closure during the second wave. Though we were allowed to reopen last September and business was slowly becoming normal since January, we are back to square one with the new restrictions.”
He said the revenue has completely dried up and many have started looking for other jobs to sustain their family. “Many gym owners had taken hefty loans to set up their business . There was a period of recovery when people started coming back to train. However, the closure of gyms has crushed all their hopes of revival,” he said.
The association also said though they are also one of the most severely hit sectors due to the pandemic, they are yet to get any relief package from the government and if no action is taken immediately, the industry won’t be able to survive further.