Gyms that survived pandemic steadily get back in shape
After surviving the worst of the pandemic, the nation's gyms and fitness centers have made a comeback, often using tricks learned during the downturn to lure back customers
NEW YORK (AP) — One day in January, a once-regular customer at Fuel Training Studio in Newburyport, Massachusetts, stopped in to take a “shred” class. She hadn’t stepped foot in the gym since before the pandemic.
The customer told owners Julie Bokat and Jeanne Carter that she had been working out at home alone in her basement but had slowly become less motivated and sometimes exercised in pajamas without breaking a sweat.
“I was getting bored of what I was doing, so here I am ,” Bokat quoted her as saying. She’s heard similar comments from customers who’ve returned after more than two years of working out in a basement or a converted home office.
During the “dark days” of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Bokat and Carter moved equipment outdoors to hold classes in parking lots and a greenhouse they built for the winter. They also held classes online, but attendance still plummeted by 70%. They weren’t certain the business would survive.
