Fitness centres resort to online classes, renting out gym equipment to survive

GEORGE TOWN - Fitness centres continue to bear the brunt from the series of lockdowns which have caused long-running businesses to call it a day.
 
Others which continue to operate are resorting to conducting online fitness classes besides renting out their gym equipment.
 
Priority Fitness, which has been operating for 20 years, said in their statement of closure that the fitness centre was forced to close down following a combined lockdown of eight months whereby the business failed to generate any income.
 
“The pandemic has brought many businesses to their knees and our country’s repeated mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic and misguidance only made things worse for small businesses like our gym,” it read.
 
Alex Hong, the operator of Amazonian Fitness, who will be taking on board all active members of Priority Fitness after its closure, told The Vibes that a strong coalition is needed to fight for the reopening of fitness centres.
 
“Before this, there was no such coalition, just individual businesses taking care of its own business. However, we have united to pitch to the government.
 
“Although there is no response as to when we can reopen, the Ministry of Youth and Sports did offer a one-time RM3,000 financial assistance under Geran Prihatin Industri Sukan in July.
 
“However, we have not received it but are still fighting for the aid. In reality our expenses are much more than the RM3,000 and is accumulating.”
 
Hong said that if appropriate SOPs are put in place and applied, fitness centres will be safe. 
 
“To survive, gyms have to diversify their services and products from offline to online such as personal training and group classes, while ensuring that expenses are kept to a minimum.
 
“We started operating on August 31, 2019, when everything was fine and picking up. However, the first Movement Control Order in March 2020, resulted in large accumulated debts.”
 
He said his centre is renting equipment such as indoor cycling bikes, dumbbells, kettlebells and Body Pump Sets to generate cash which is better than having no income at all.
 
The centre prides itself on having a small hands-on team, allowing for smaller overhead costs. 
 
However, some staff have gone to do e-hailing or seek new employment elsewhere to survive. - The Vibes, September 6, 2021