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For the past 12 years, Pitbull Gym, in Chuchepati, has opened at 5:30 in the morning. One of the first to reach the gym is Kishor, the gyms owner/chief instructor. By 10 am, which is when the gyms morning shift ends, an average of 60 gym members will have finished their daily workout. The gyms evening session, from 3 pm to 7 pm, sees around 30 to 40 members.

Located on the third floor of a commercial complex, which houses a restaurant, a beauty parlour, and a bank, the otherwise busy Pitbull Gym has remained shuttered since March 24, the day the government announced nationwide lockdown, and Kishor has been out of work.

Thousands of gyms, from the small ones located in neighbourhood alleys to large commercial complexes, across the country have remained shut ever since the lockdown. The network of fitness gyms form the heart of Nepals fitness industry, and ever since they have closed, the entire industry has come to a grinding halt, with chances of business resuming soon seemingly bleak.

Before this year, the longest I have had to close the gym was after the 2015 earthquake. My business was badly impacted and it took many months for the business to recover from it, says Kishor. But looking at the impact that Covid-19 and the lockdown have already had on my business and the uncertain future ahead makes 2015 look like childs play. This ones going to be tough.

It was mid-March when Kishor first began noticing the impact of Covid-19 at his gym. Even though the virus wasnt widely spread in Nepal then, we realised that our members were concerned by it and we introduced more safety and cleanliness at the gym. But we never really saw a drop in footfall until the day leading to lockdown, he says.

For Nepals fitness industry, the timing of the virus and the subsequent lockdown couldnt have been worse. From March to September, gyms in the country see a surge in new memberships, making the period a peak business season for gyms, says Raul Moktan, co-founder/executive director of Gymkhana Muay Thai. By September, which marks the start of the festive season and winter, memberships begin to drop.

When gyms were closed suddenly, thousands of members were unable to make use of services they had already paid for. Pitbull Gym had more than 100 such members, and Gymkhana had more than 300 members. One of the first things we decided to do was freeze memberships effective from the day we closed the gym, which means they wont be charged until the gyms reopen, which is when their membership will be automatically reactivated, says Moktan.

At Pitbull Gym, Kishor has come up with a slightly different plan. Clients who had less than seven days left in their monthly membership when the gym closed will be charged for the whole month, and those who had more than a week left on their membership packages can make use of the gym for that period when we resume operations, says Kishor.

For many gym owners like Kishor and Moktan, the bigger challenge they face now is the operational costs that they continue to incur despite being closed for more than two months. Even though revenue has been zero for the past two months, we continue to pay rent and staff salaries, says Moktan. But many gym owners say that a protracted lockdown will make covering operational costs a huge challenge.

To adapt to the changing times and to still stay relevant, many gyms have started giving online fitness classes to their members. In Kathmandu too, gyms like The Pump and Gymkhana have followed suitproviding classes through social media and video conferencing apps like Zoom. According to Moktan, Gymkhana started providing online classes for its members from March 30, just a week after the lockdown. We conduct four online classes a day, two in the morning and two in the evening. These classes are free of cost and our aim is to provide the best workout experience under the current circumstances, says Moktan.

At Pitbull Gym, Kishor hasnt started online workout classes but he provides over-the-phone consultation to the members of his gym. I receive more than five calls on a daily basis from my gym members asking questions ranging from homework out tips to dietary tips, says Kishor.

The closure of gyms after the lockdown has had a domino effect on every aspect of the fitness industry. Fitness equipment stores in the country, which mainly rely on bulk orders from gyms, have seen a huge drop in business since the lockdown. Bulk orders from gyms make up 75 percent of our revenue, but with gyms closed for more than two months, business has hit rock bottom, says Uttam Silwal, managing director of Fitness Choice, a Kathmandu-based fitness equipment store. We also havent been able to dispatch existing orders to our clients. We have gym equipment orders worth Rs 75 million put on hold due to the lockdown. So far no one has cancelled their orders yet, but if the lockdown prolongs you never know what might happen.

However, while orders from gyms have dropped, fitness stores have seen a surge in demand for home exercise equipment. Sales of home exercise equipment like treadmills, cross trainers, dumbbells have doubled since the lockdown, but it is still very negligible compared to the bulk sale we do, says Silwal.

An uncertain future awaits for gyms even if the lockdown is lifted or eased. Globally, gyms have been the last of the businesses to reopen after lockdown. In many places in India where the lockdown has been eased and some businesses have been allowed to resume, fitness centres still remain shut. In the US too where gyms have been the last of businesses to resume.

In Nepal, even if the gyms are allowed to resume, many gym operators are aware that it wont be business as usual. Since gym members, even at the most high-end gyms in the country, have to share equipment, which increases the chances of indirect physical contact, it is likely to discourage people from going to gym at a time when social distancing has become the norm. Not everyone is going to be comfortable going back to gyms as soon as they open. New memberships are likely to drop, says Kishor.

How fitness centres fare when they resume will also depend on the kind of safety and hygiene measures they adopt.

Most gyms that charge low fees and rely on a high footfall will find it very difficult when they resume. Those gyms will find it impossible to maintain social distancing in the gym, adopt strict safety and cleanliness measures and still cover costs, says Silwal. Compared to them, high-end gyms, most of which have less members and take safety and cleanliness seriously, will find it relatively easier to gain their members confidence.

At Gymkhana, to ensure that the members feel safe and comfortable coming back once it reopens, Moktan says that they have created a new standard operating procedure. When we reopen, we will now be doubling down on our already stringent cleanliness and hygiene measures, says Moktan. Maintaining strict cleanliness and hygiene standards at the gym are the only way to convince people to start visiting again, otherwise the road ahead its going to be extremely challenging.

More here:
How fitness centres are responding to the Covid-19 crisis - The Kathmandu Post

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You already know this by now, but we'll say it again for the people in the back: you definitely don't need a gym or any kind of fitness equipment, TBH to work up a sweat and get moving. That's not to say we don't miss our fitness studios. (Have I been dreaming about weight racks and elliptical machines? No comment.) But when those just aren't available, at-home sweat sessions can be just as good. Case in point: our popular Instagram Live workout series on @popsugarfitness. We've been rolling out at least one fresh routine every day since March, and we're not stopping now!

Check below for all the details on our newest week of workouts, which includes everything from kickboxing to barre to dance fitness. (Add them to your Google Calendar to stay up to date!) And if you can't wait for Monday to get your sweat on, check out all of our previous Instagram Live workouts over on the free Active by POPSUGAR app.

Remember to tag us with #POPSUGARSweats in your Boomerangs, posts, and Instagram Stories!

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Work Up a Major Sweat With Our New Instagram Live Workouts, Streaming This Week! - POPSUGAR

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MANSFIELD (CBS) Housed inside a massive Mansfield warehouse is every piece of fitness equipment one could need except for dumbbells, because amidst a pandemic, even suppliers sell out. This week, youd be hard pressed to find free weights. Rows of racks sit empty.

I sold over 61,000 pounds of dumbbells, plates and kettle bells in the last eight weeks, said Stan Soboleski, operations manager at Fitness Brokers USA.

Based out of Foxboro, the distributor of used fitness equipment is one of the largest in the country. Sales for the supplier would typically be split even between international and domestic clients. But with the coronavirus crisis challenging the supply chain, business is shifting.

Weve actually run out of spin bikes. The company that manages our website called us because our website was flooded, said Darlene Soboleski, a managing partner.

Darlene said the overwhelming demand for equipment underscores the importance of gyms and the role they play in keeping people healthy. In Massachusetts, fitness centers have been ordered closed until at least mid-summer.

I think what the new norm is going to be is people waiting in line to get into gyms during peak hours, said Paul Moccia, of Walpole. Missing machines because theyll have to space them out. Home gyms are going to be the new norm.

Moccia, whos in the market for a seated shoulder press for his home gym, stopped by Fitness Brokers warehouse Friday. After searching online, Moccia said they had the most affordable options.

According to market research watchdog IBISWorld, the gym and exercise equipment manufacturing industry generated $2 billion in revenue in 2019. But with most equipment made in China, the COVID-19 crisis disrupted the supply chain. As a result, major retailers are out of stock, and online sellers like Amazon have limited supplies.

Former NFL player Shawn Loiseau owns and runs a nutrition store in his hometown of Shrewsbury. Since gyms have closed, Loiseau is pivoting on the fly and becoming a middle man, buying free weights from wholesalers and selling it online to his customers.

Ill promote on social media like Hey everybody Im coming back to the store with dollar-a-pound kettle bells or dollar-a-pound dumbells, Loiseau said. Because on Facebook Marketplace or any other place you could buy fitness equipment, everyone is trying to sell it for three, four bucks a pound.

As Massachusetts begins its phased reopening, gyms will have to wait to welcome members. Experts predict the demand for equipment will continue and the supply will come in waves.

Regrettably, in the sense that some clubs are going to have a tough time weathering this storm, said Fitness Brokers USA co-owner Jim Sullivan. As a result, theres going to be an increased supply in the not so distant future.

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Home Fitness Equipment Is In High Demand As Gyms Remain Closed - CBS Boston

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Since closing Minnesotas 800 fitness clubs more than two months ago, executives have been coming up with ways to make them safe and appealing in a virus outbreak and most believed they had things ready.

But on Wednesday, Gov. Tim Walz showed he didnt think they did, keeping them off a list of businesses that can reopen on June 1 and giving no sign when they can.

We thought we were going to open June 1, with some modifications, said Chuck Runyon, chief executive of Anytime Fitness, a national chain of 2,700 clubs based in Woodbury.

Now were told itll be later with no real timeline. They didnt have any great reasoning for their decisions, Runyon said.

About half of Anytimes centers will be open next week in other states, some with much less-stringent requirements than what Minnesota gym owners had proposed.

On Thursday, some said Walz didnt appear to consider the diversity of the industry, which ranges from small studios tailored for individual workouts to superstore-sized centers with multiple gyms, weight rooms, pools and courts for racquet sports.

Why am I being put in the same category as a 50,000-square-foot corporate facility? asked Jason Burgoon, owner of Bodies by Burgoon, a two-level studio in northeast Minneapolis.

Safety is the most important thing, he said. If a facility cant have a plan to social distance or close off certain areas, they shouldnt be open.

Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm on Thursday said she knew decisions to keep fitness centers closed, and churches and restaurants constrained, come at a great cost and a great disappointment. But she noted that the virus case level hasnt peaked in the state.

Fitness facilities are considered problematic by health officials because workouts can forcefully expel viral droplets into the air and equipment is shared by multiple users.

The governor made it pretty clear that he sees obstacles to [fitness clubs] opening, said Doug Loon, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. They dont see all those obstacles, though. Theyre willing to make adjustments to keep workers as well as customers safe.

Loon said he met with Malcolm on Thursday and that the pipeline with the governors office remains open, despite the disappointments.

We want to find the correct balance between protecting public health and protecting the economy, he said. Businesses have opened safely and are not contributing to hot spots because they are applying best practices for a safe environment for their employees and their customers.

The states biggest fitness company by revenue, Chanhassen-based Life Time, has opened clubs in five other states. Its founder and chief executive, Bahram Akradi, is part of a group of executives working nationally with the Trump administration to reopen businesses, and he praised Walz in an interview last month.

Whether we felt blindsided, it is what it is, said spokeswoman Natalie Bushaw, who added the companys nearly two dozen clubs in Minnesota are ready to open.

Life Time enlisted a former state epidemiologist to help it and prepared a 450-page playbook for opening its clubs. It created a reservation system with limited class sizes and waits 30 minutes between classes.

When it reopened its first club in Oklahoma City on May 8, 40 people were waiting in line at 5 a.m.

This pandemic is shining a spotlight on the impact of poor health. Our countrys not in good shape, Anytimes Runyon said. Through this entire pandemic, liquor stores, fast food restaurants and CBD businesses have been opened, but gyms were closed.

Original post:
Minnesota fitness execs angered by Walz call on widely varying gym facilities - Minneapolis Star Tribune

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Jill Kyzer removes acupuncture pins from the ear of Laura Mick of Manchester. Mick volunteers at Hope for New Hampshire Recovery and said ear acupuncture can help relieve anxiety and sleep disturbances.

After 10 weeks of being closed, Ashley Oberg will be able to bring back a few clients for classes starting June 1 at Barre Life, her small fitness studio on Elm Street in Manchester.

She said the space can only fit six to seven socially distanced people for barre classes, maybe eight for yoga.

Its a very small amount, but its better than nothing! Oberg said. She has already marked spaces on the floor with tape, and stocked up on cleaning supplies.

Yoga studios and other small fitness centers like Obergs can start classes again on June 1, as long as people stay 8 to 10 feet apart, and in groups of fewer than 10 people. Gyms will be allowed to bring in clients for one-on-one training and small group classes on June 1 under the same restrictions.

Oberg put out a poll on Instagram to gauge how her clients felt about coming back and said most reported feeling comfortable with a group fitness class. Oberg said instructors who dont yet feel comfortable in groups can keep teaching classes online.

I think were just going to take it day by day and see how people are feeling with coming out in public, Oberg said.

The states guidelines require a 30-minute space between classes for cleaning, so Oberg said she plans to alternate in-person classes with virtual classes which she said really took off during the pandemic. The virtual classes kept the studios numbers steady through the pandemic, Oberg said, with locals and people from all over the country tuning in to classes.

Personal care businesses, including nail salons, massage therapists, acupuncturists and tattoo artists also will be allowed to open June 1, as long as they follow guidelines issued Friday by the state.

In a press briefing Friday, Gov. Chris Sununu said these businesses will be allowed to reopen in part because social distancing and stringent sanitizing is more easily enforced in these settings.

These are just first steps, Sununu said. He acknowledged that not everyone will be happy with the restrictions, but said they were not arbitrary. The guidance is mandatory, Sununu said Friday. We have to keep customers and employees safe.

Im cautiously optimistic, said Ryan Ouellette, a piercer who owns Precision Body Art in Nashua. He said tattoo artists and piercers have always sanitized surfaces and equipment, but measures to deal with an airborne illness like wearing masks will be new for the industry.

Ouellette said he plans to start working through a list of about 100 clients whose appointments were cancelled after the governors first stay-home order was issued in March before he starts taking new appointments.

Sununu has not yet set a date for gyms to re-open for customers to use equipment on their own. He said instructors and trainers can make sure equipment is clean if there are small groups than if customers are milling around from machine to machine.

Kathy Twombly is excited to reopen her Laconia acupuncture studio on June 1 and get back to the patients who need her help with ailments from chronic pain to post-traumatic stress. Twombly said the guidelines will make her halve the number of patients she sees at Gate of Life Acupuncture. She does not know if she can sustain the business that way.

But at least theyll be able to get in, she said.

See the article here:
Acupuncture, body art and group fitness among businesses to resume June 1 - The Union Leader

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OLYMPIA Some small-group indoor fitness activities like weight training, yoga and martial arts can resume under the second phase of Gov. Jay Inslees four-part coronavirus reopening plan.

Inslees office issued guidance Tuesday night allowing groups of five or fewer people at gym facilities, or one-on-one fitness sessions by appointment to proceed under the second phase, with safety guidelines. And just as the state was granting some business more leeway under phase two, the states AGs office was again going after businesses that are defying Inslees Stay Home, Stay Healthy proclamation.

Ten small counties have been approved by the state to move to the second phase, with two more small counties eligible to apply. Inslee on Tuesday morning announced that another 10 counties including Clark, Kitsap, Spokane and Thurston are eligible to request the permission of state health officials to move to the second phase.

Other counties are expected to move to the second phase on June 1, if public-health data on the virus continues to move in a favorable direction, officials have said.

The guidance comes as at least two fitness centers became a flashpoint of frustration over the governors emergency stay-at-home order, which is intended to slow the spread of the virus. Those gyms in Puyallup and Arlington reopened in defiance of the order. They agreed to close Tuesday night after being sued by the state Attorney Generals Office. And in Snohomish County, the stateAttorney Generals Office on Wednesday delivered a cease-and-desist order to the owner of a barbershop who had refused to close his doors after being warned by the state and the Snohomish Health District.

Robert Daniel Martin, of Stag Barber & Styling, was notified twice in writing by the state Department of Licensing that he was violating Inslees order, but he continued to see customers. He did not return calls Wednesday seeking comment about the cease-and-desist order.

Meanwhile,the safety guidelinesfor fitness training will allow a host of small-group activities such as weight training, yoga, martial arts, gymnastics, and similar instructor-led classes to resume in counties approved for the second phase of reopening.

That guidance requires training facilities to develop plans at each location for controlling and minimizing exposure to COVID-19. People will have to stand six feet or more away from each other and wear cloth face coverings.

Such plans must have policies spelling out the use of facial coverings and other protective gear and how physical distancing will be accomplished at each location. It requires protocols for sanitation and disinfection procedures, hygiene, the monitoring of coronavirus-like symptoms and incident reporting.

A copy of that plan will have to be available at locations for state and local authorities to inspect. Failing to meet those requirements could mean sanctions for businesses, including being shut down.

Inslee on Tuesday evening also released safety guidelines to allow real estate firms to open more broadly in the second phase.

Those guidelines allow residential and commercial brokers to resume work in offices under Phase 2, provided people maintain six feet of separation and minimize interactions.

In late March, shortly after his stay-at-home order took effect, Inslee issued clarifications that allowed some real estate transactions to continue.

A full list of reopening guidelines for various businesses can be found at: https://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/covid-19-resources/covid-19-reopening-guidance-businesses-and-workers.

Business owners and operators with questions about the guidelines or financial assistance can ask the governors office here:https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/2562f1caf5814c46a6bf163762263aa5.

Staff writer Nicole Brodeur contributed to this report.

See the rest here:
Small-group fitness classes can resume, with caveats, in second phase of Inslees coronavirus reopening - Seattle Times

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With gyms shut for over two months amid the lockdown, and coronavirus cases going up, people have turned to virtual training be it Jane Fonda offering lessons on Instagram or a gym trainer sharing tips. With more people turning to at-home fitness now, the demand for gym equipment and virtual trainers has gone up.More demand for virtual trainersUnder lockdown, online streaming by gyms, health clubs and fitness studios has gone up. Some e-commerce portals, too, have added a 'digital personal trainer' section on their app. A Snapdeal spokesperson says, "Customers are buying fitness coach and nutrition expert consultations that we've recently added on our website. It lets them see how theyre doing compared to virtual classmates." Fitness enthusiasts say that using apps and virtual classes keeps them motivated. Kavita Duggal, who works in the hospitality sector, says, "I like training through fitness apps. It is not expensive, and if you follow diligently, it is as good as a gym session."Fitness equipment sales rising with people unsure of going back to gyms The demand for fitness equipment is booming in lockdown, with people setting up gyms at home. A staff member at an e-commerce website says, "Even with social distancing norms, it isn't safe to use gyms for at least a few months. So, we expect more people to order treadmills and cycles." Nitin Kumar, who works for a transport company, says, "I spent half of the lockdown watching fitness videos lying on my couch. I didn't exercise much as I didn't have weights. But now I've ordered them. Most of my friends and colleagues are also buying gym equipment as in a month or two, well have to go back to office."'Fitness equipment demand up by 60%'A Snapdeal spokesperson says, "The demand for fitness equipment in the last two months was nearly 60% more than the same time last year. The hot-selling equipment is priced under Rs 500. Exercise bands are popular due to their versatility and price, and sales of gym bags and bottles has significantly reduced as compared to pre-lockdown." Most of these orders come from NCR, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai and Mumbai. A Flipkart spokesperson says, "With social distancing being the new norm, consumers have turned home spaces into gyms. Fitness products such as yoga mats and dumbbells are seeing a rise in searches."

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With gyms unlikely to open soon, sale of fitness equipment rises - Times of India

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India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma says he has fully recovered from the calf injury that forced him to leave the tour of New Zealand midway earlier this year but the fitness test has been continuously delayed because of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Mumbaikar had to return home after sustaining the injury during the T20 series against the Black Caps on February 2. He missed the three-match home ODI series against South Africa, which was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as he was undergoing rehabilitation at that time.

Read:Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

"Before the lockdown happened, I was almost ready to play. That whole week was going to be my fitness test but that's when the lockdown happened and I had to push back everything now," Rohit told LaLiga's Facebook live session on Saturday night.

"Once everything opens up, I have to first go to the centre (NCA) and give my fitness test and once I pass the fitness test, I will be allowed to go and resume my duties with the team."

Pacer Shardul Thakur on Saturday became the first India cricketer to resume outdoor training after a two-month coronavirus-forced break.

The Maharashtra government has allowed opening of stadiums for individual training in green and orange zones without spectators.

For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here

This was after the home ministry offered relaxation in restrictions for the fourth phase of the lockdown till May 31.

Rohit said he is missing hanging out with his team-mates and is looking forward to training with them when things get back to normal.

"Yes, I miss my teammates, hanging around with them and having a banter with them. Although as friends we are trying to stay in touch through the video calls to see what's one been up to, things like that and we manage that pretty well," he said.

"When you are playing together, almost from 365 days, we are together for 300 days, we are playing, travelling together, so it's like a family. So the first thing I want to do is to catch up with all these guys and try hit some balls as soon as I can."

Mumbai is one of the worst affected by the contagious disease and Rohit said it might take more time for him to resume training.

"I am assuming that those (other) places might open up lot earlier than Mumbai, the city where I stay and which is the most infected. I feel the other guys will send me videos of catching up with each other a lot earlier than I do," he said.

The 33-year-old opener, who resides in Mumbai, said during this coronavirus-forced lockdown, he focussed on his diet and also managed to do some running.

"I have been very good with my diet, because it is so easy to put on weight when you are not doing anything. Although, we have got a little gym over here, little running area, where you can do some running, its about 50-100 meters, you can go (and run).

"I have managed to get some running done, although it's not like what you generally do on the field, but it is at least something," he said.

More:
Have to clear fitness test before I can resume training: Rohit Sharma - Deccan Herald

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Fitness

After Governor Baker's plans to reopen Massachusetts were announced Monday morning, gyms were included in phase 3. Will we even want to go back?

Photo via Getty/Illustration credit Amanda Lucidi

After a lot of anticipation, the details of Governor Bakers plan to reopen the Massachusetts economy were revealed on Monday, with gyms and fitness studios getting included under Phase Three.

Phase One, which includes places like hair salons and car washes, plus some business offices outside of Boston, starts on May 25. Phase Two, which includes restaurants, retail, and nail salons, tentatively starts on June 8. Right now, theres no announced start date for when Phase Three could begin, and Baker has made clear that the state could still shift back to earlier stages of the plan if cases start going back up again. But regardless of when Phase Three happens, we already know theres a long road ahead before anything approaching business as usual returns.

Even as I sit down to write this article, Im toggling between Twitter and a beautiful new barbell on RogueFitness.com. And, more unusually for me, Im weighing strangers opinions on the internet against my own internal conflict over whether I should even start up my gym membership again when social distancing measures are lifted, or forget traditional gyms entirely and start building out my own home gym. For this #gymlife gal, I never could have imagined a life withoutthe gym. But after being forced into a gym-free lifestyle for going on three months now, Im actually starting to enjoy it. And I found other Bostonians are experiencing the same thing, after I asked people about it on Twitter.

Some people have even found it easier to stick to a fitness routine during quarantine, like Jessica Chahanovich, who writes, Ive had a gym membership and never went. Ive been working out more during quarantine. Some people said they werent planning on going back to a gym membership because they dont want to pay for the amenities they wouldnt be receiving at upscale places like Soul Cycle and Equinox. Others have committed to at-home workouts, like Shawn Johnson, who simply writes, No, Im sticking with the Peloton at home. New converts to the convenience and accessibility of online classes or virtual training systems like Peloton and Boston-based rowing company Hydrow were common among the responses. Bruce Smith, founder of Hydrow, says the company has seen a five time increase in sales since Januarytheyre even hiring in their Cambridge office.

How fitness studios handled the shutdown may also play into peoples decision-making around restarting their memberships, as in the case of Boston Sports Clubs, which laid off all staff and refused, initially, to let members cancel memberships. Based on how BSC handled everything in March,Im a lot more likely to cancel and just work out outside, Melanie Prior says.

Other respondents admitted they were just downright scared of enclosing themselves in tiny studios or big rooms of people sweating, grunting, and touching everything in sight. Even people who were trying to help their favorite local studios during the shutdown were experiencing some second thoughts about going back. As Samantha Washburn put it, My gym is locally-owned, so Im keeping my membership for as long as I can do so, but I dont love the idea of working out in an enclosed space. And unfortunately, the Phase Three information does not provide any kind of restrictions and guidelines that gyms will have to follow to ensure the safety of their clients.

That hasnt stopped gym and fitness studio owners from taking matters into their own hands. Jess Fracalossi, owner of the Handle Bar spin studio, has started a manual for all boutique fitness owners to consult on cleaning and social distancing protocols. Other places, like AMP in Downtown Boston, say theyre ready to go as soon as they get the go-ahead. I ultimately think it will depend on how strict the restrictions are to see if it even makes sense to open that early, Steve Bergeron, co-owner of AMP says. After surveying their own members about returning to the gym in the near future, though, he says a majority of them werent interested in coming back soon, and some likely wont come back until there is a vaccine.

Local writer Miles Howard (who is a Boston contributor) is in this camp. Theres no way in hell Im going back to the gym until theres a vaccine, he writes to me in a private message on Twitter. I used to be in the gym 4-5 days a week, but Ive since transitioned to walking and hiking locally, yoga, and resistance band workouts at home. Thats my M.O. for the foreseeable future.

But there are always going to be people who want the in-person gym experience. As Hydrows Smith sees it, theres a subset of people who are die-hard fitness goers and theyre going to run (not walk) back to their favorite places as soon as the time comes. That certainly rang true with many of the responses from my informal Twitter poll, with people saying things like, Hell, Im going back to the gym ASAP or I cant wait to go back to my beloved Equinox. Ill be the first one there. Virtual fitness? God no! Or as Twitter user Justin Thayer wrote in response to one of the other fitness fanatics, Right!!! Ill be waiting in line outside the door just to hug the rowing machine. Lol.

On the other end of the spectrum, Smith says a bigger subset of people are realizing the current situation is a good set-up. Theyre having this experience where work and working out at home are going really well for them, he says. In the same way theyre saving by not going out or commuting, theyre doing the same by not going to a gym.

Many Twitter respondents are taking a more cautious approach. Jorge Andrs Trevio says hell continue to work out outdoors until it starts getting cold again. After that, Ill reevaluate depending on how things are going, he says. I have been working out twice as much during quarantine. Nikki Torday writes that she plans to wait until things are extra safe. Im everyones immune-compromised friend, she explains. But even she is missing the atmosphere and community traditional gym set-ups embody. Once it is safe, I will be going back. I miss my work out friends and working out in the studio, she says.

The question of what a COVID-safe gym looks like remains an open one, but it does seem people are reconsidering what their fitness routine will look like. As for myself? I ended up purchasing the barbell. I should expect it within 7-10 business days. Which is a hard and fast deadline I wish someone could give me on gyms reopening. And maybe thats really my main hang upthe lack of control and fluctuating uncertainty I have regarding when gyms will open and if Ill be ready to walk through the door when that time comes. I hope to return one day, but with so much unknown about pretty much every aspect of my future, I would like one thing to be clear in the meantime: when, where, and what time I can get my hands on some iron.

More:
Go Hard and Stay Home? As Gyms Prepare to Reopen, Fitness Fanatics Are Unsure about Returning - Boston magazine

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Gyms and fitness studios have been closed for upwards of two months and people who are trying to stave off the quarantine 15 but cant afford at-home equipment like the Peloton bike or the digital training Mirror have been turning to digital publishers free online workout class alternatives.

In the past two months, PopSugars fitness vertical has seen its YouTube channel add nearly 1 million subscribers, bringing its total to 4.6 million. Additionally, time spent on its videos is up 90% month-over-month from March to April, making April the channels top-performing month ever, according to the companys YouTube analytics.

YouTube is not exempt from the fact that right now increased audiences do not equate to more advertising revenue. Like any other digital platform, advertising is down, with two publishers reporting last month that CPMs had fallen more than 20% from record earlier this year. PopSugar has seen a decrease in CPMs on the platform, but a source familiar with the brand said that it is lower than that 20% figure.

But PopSugar general manager Angelica Marden said that there has been an increased interest from fitness brands who see this time as an opportunity to sell their products to fitness enthusiasts who are stuck at home.

The conversations in the fitness space are completely unusual, said Marden. Its greater than your usual new year, new you burst of conversations that we normally have in January with partners. Its a moment for fitness.

And with canceled in-studio production, Angelica Marden, general manager of PopSugar, said that it has been difficult to produce new videos for the platform, which in turn makes it harder to apply brought to you by and product integration ad spots.

One Fathers Day campaign for Fitbit was able to be produced from a trainers home, but otherwise, where there isnt the ability to have new production, she said her team is just focused on trying to grow distributed revenue.

The fitness vertical has started turning to other platforms, like Instagram Live, where production of new content is easier and brand partners have started testing what their role could look like.

On IG Live, fitness instructors, like those from Barrys Bootcamp, have been streaming 30 minute workouts from their homes. Marden said that her team has begun selling brought to you by or product integrations within those live streams.

So far, several of these IG Live spots have sold, she said. She wouldnt disclose the price but said that they are priced very similarly to other sponsored Instagram Stories.

Traditionally, brands in the fitness and weight loss category operate seasonally with their ad spend, with the New Years and the start of summer being two keystone areas for running more extensive campaigns, said Jon McGraw, director of strategy and planning, owned and operated at advertising agency Blue Wheel Media.

March through May would typically see significant decreases in terms of advertising, but without access to gyms and the increase in habitual snacking, he said fitness and weight loss brands see an opportunity to step in. Weve certainly seen aggressive ad spend increases when we wouldnt have seen it, said McGraw.

One area for PopSugar that is still free of both advertising and reader revenue that was built with the intention of having a paid subscription model is its Active platform, which was rolled out two months ago. It now has more than 80,000 active users, according to Marden, and is currently being used to fill the funnel with potential subscribers for once the pandemic is over and the product becomes paid.

Overall, Marden said the conversations that PopSugar is having with its advertisers are on track to getting the number advertising deals which still accounts for the bulk of the brands revenue back to what they were before the pandemic.

How PopSugar is benefitting from the at-home fitness boom

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How PopSugar is benefitting from the at-home fitness boom - Digiday

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