Fitness companies are seeing rising demand as Americans rush to lose Covid weight

The economy is reopening at a rapid pace. Restaurants, sports arenas and even offices are filling up again as pandemic restrictions are lifted. And that means that a lot of people who have been sitting in their homes for the past year are venturing out, even if they don’t look exactly the same.

The stressful and sedentary nature of life during the coronavirus pandemic caused many to drop out of their fitness routines and gain weight. In fact, according to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, 42% of American adults reported unwanted weight gain as a result of Covid. Average Gain: 29 pounds.

“It was fun making sourdough bread. It was fun making banana bread, but the result isn’t great,” said Jim Rowley, CEO of Crunch Worldwide.

On the other hand, 18% reported unwanted weight loss, possibly due in part to muscle loss from all that hanging out. It’s no wonder, profit or loss, that fitness companies are suddenly seeing a new wave of activity.

“We now get a lot of people who haven’t seen us last winter, who are ready and realize that this has been a long time coming,” said Lucy Ballentine, a studio manager at Orangetheory Fitness in Washington, DC. telling her, “It’s been over a year since I’ve done any kind of workout, and I’m really desperate to get back in shape.”

While the demand for home fitness has skyrocketed over the past year, benefiting big names like Peloton, Beachbody and the Mirror, the push to get back in shape is clearly underway as Americans come out of hiding.

That was the overwhelming feeling of an outdoor orange theory class in a Washington parking lot.

‘Are you saying I have to go back to the wardrobe that I no longer fit in? Yes, ”said Stacey Weinstock, who has been working from home since the start of the pandemic.

“We get just a little bit closer when everything opens up and we want to look and feel our best,” Rachel Robins said as she prepared for class.

Both gyms and streaming fitness companies are suddenly seeing a surge in new demand and general workouts. Orangetheory membership across the country was up 17% in the first quarter of this year, with the biggest jump of 9% in March, the company said.

Crunch reports that member visits were up 30% in March from February. It also saw the strongest new member sales in a year, despite its massive footprint in major cities that still have tough gym restrictions, such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

“We predict that the big boom will be in September, when we’re over the summer, the kids are going back to school, it’s normal for businesses to open offices again, especially in city 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. The new streaming workouts are also in the works.

Class turnout is on the rise thanks to relaxed restrictions and increased vaccinations.

“I feel more comfortable being closer to people and sharing air with people now that I’ve been vaccinated,” said Rachel Weiss, another customer at Orangetheory.

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

“I can tell you that during the shutdown we spent money to improve our lighting, improve our sound, improve our camera and improve our digital presence,” said Rowley, who states that those who focus on fitness always have several. options. “They were the first to buy the Thighmaster, the Ab Cruncher, so it’s not unique to say, ‘Oh, I have a gym membership and a Platoon.’ ”

Peloton, which has seen phenomenal growth in its streaming fitness platform and sales of bicycles and treadmills over the past year, now doesn’t seem to be losing steam. While the publicly traded company wouldn’t release the latest numbers on streamed workouts, CEO John Foley recently said he wasn’t worried about returning to the gym.

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