.jpg)
Over the past few days, The Vibes Sports and Fitness section has been highlighting the plight of the Malaysia Fitness Coalition throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
From not being able to open their doors, to raking up debts and putting their livelihoods on the line, many of these gym owners are now at their wits end.
The Vibes reached out to five fitness coaches-cum-gym owners across Malaysia to understand their struggles on a personal level.
Saffian Othman, who has been involved with bodybuilding for the past 20 years and five times Mr Penang, is also owner of High Reps Gym & Fitness in Penang.
With the gym being his main source of income, being shut down during the various Movement Control Orders (MCO) - three times in total over the past 18 months - the gym has not had any income for the past six months, raking up an estimated RM35k-RM40k of losses.
Sadly, unlike other fitness services, Saffian shared how it is a little more challenging for the gym to move digitally as “the gym is more to equipment-based training and physical workout.”
He hopes that the gym industry will be able to resume business as early as phase two of the recovery plan because even after their doors are opened, it will take at least two to three months to become sustainable again; especially when they need to extend their members’ membership due to all the closures and revenue for the gym will be minimal for a few months.
“My biggest struggle now is paying rent (for the gym) with no income. I am also depending on my savings to feed my family.”
For Kenny Sia, executive director of Level Up Fitness in East Malaysia, his gymnasium is not only his main source of income, but it is the fruit of his labour of 12 years.
Walking away from his family’s supermarket business in Sarawak 12 years prior, Kenny started his fitness business “to make a real positive impact in the community.”
However, with the pandemic and all the MCOs, Level Up Fitness has had to resort to renting out equipment, selling off assets, doing online classes, and taking pay cuts; with Kenny himself taking zero pay and subsisting on savings.
Kenny expressed how even after 15 months of the pandemic, there has been no data or scientific proof to show that gymnasiums are a high risk, as believed by the authorities.
“Speaking personally, we have had 12 instances of a Covid-positive customer since the start of the pandemic, but not a single case of transmissions occurred within my space. So, if gyms are a high risk, why then have we successfully prevented clusters?
“What people must understand is that gyms in 2021 are different. Now there's better ventilation, social distancing, frequent sanitizing, new high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filters cleaning the air and even mandatory wearing if mask.”
The more lockdowns the gyms face, the more they will sink, and the more likely they will quit the business.
“We still have to pay rent, salaries, for utilities and licenses; and any changes that we have made during these times are not meant to be long-term.
“They bring in revenue and lower our operating costs, but it is only enough to keep us afloat a little bit longer.” said Kenny.
At the moment, his biggest struggle is keeping the hundred-over East Malaysian staff he has employed “motivated and optimistic.”
Kenny is more than aware that when he implements a pay cut, he is affecting his staffs’ families as well.
“As an employer, I feel absolutely ashamed and embarrassed that I cannot pay my team their promised salary.
“The reason I am fighting this hard is because, if Level Up Fitness were to close, the hundred over under my care suffer and I would not be able to live with that guilt.” Kenny said solemnly.
Ben Abbes Jihad, owner and self-defence instructor of Jeet Academy Kuala Lumpur, also shares his experience throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the sole owner and investor of Jeet Academy, a studio that specialises in self-defence and martial arts, the gym is Ben’s main source of income after leaving his former career seven years back.
The academy, being the first self-defence institute in Malaysia, has been a reference in the country when it comes to being more aware of physical violence and danger, and providing the tools to prevent and to react toward it when necessary.
Consisting a team of four people, three instructors and a cleaner, Ben put all his savings into “creating and building” the business for the past six years.
Sadly, among all the other fitness centres, Ben believes that martial arts studios have got the shortest end of the stick since their core business involves physical contact.
“The new norm of social distancing is just not compatible with the various self-defence classes that we teach, like Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
“It is very important for us to be ‘hands on’ so it goes without saying that in the context of social distancing, we are ousted from exercising our activities.” shared Ben.
Unfortunately, martial arts studios are always the first to be closed and the last to be allowed open due to the nature of business.
“Despite all our efforts, we are on the verge of bankruptcy; and this burden is shared by all other martial arts businesses as well.”
This far into the pandemic, Ben has had to shift his mindset from “making money as an entrepreneur” to “surviving the pandemic by all means necessary.”
Ben has adopted a three-prong strategy in order to survive this pandemic.
1. Organising online classes and private one-to-one classes to keep the community alive and active in their hearts until when the academy is allowed to re-open.
2. Cutting ends of both his business and personal life. Had it not been for taking a salary cut, renegotiating the academy’s rent, and even selling whatever he could, he would not have managed to stay afloat for the past 14 months.
3. Preparing to go digital in the long run. Apart from their regular online classes, Ben has transformed his studio to be able to accommodate shoots to launch the first version of their new self-defence training.
As a foreigner, this is the first time in eight years that Ben has actually considered leaving Malaysia.
“On top of all the financial burden, the lack of clear perspectives on the policies has put me and other owners in a total fog for the future.”
Ben explained how he has been embodying JK Kennedy’s outlook in a crisis.
“When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other opportunity. Be aware of the danger, but recognise the opportunity.”
While this pandemic has brought on lots of struggles, it has also forced Ben out of his comfort zone.
“What gives me hope is that as soon as we are allowed to operate, me and my three instructors are already fully booked.”
Varma, owner of V Fitness Iron Playground and a personal trainer, also relies on the gym as his main source of income.
After every lockdown, Varma spends a significant amount to market the business, but before it can reach its peak, another lockdown is put in place.
“It has reached a point where members are hesitant to sign up and only plan to register after the whole issue is sorted and situation is more stable,” shared Varma.
Being the owner of a 10,000 sq ft gym, the biggest challenge Varma faces is keeping up with the rental and his staffs' salary.
So, to stay afloat, Varma has moved his one-to-one clients online and implemented frequent visits to their places to ensure that they are on the ball with the programme.
“I have also extended my working hours (with his online clients) just to make enough cash to settle my rental and staff salary.”
For Varma, the most frustrating part is that fitness has been categorised under social gathering.
“I’m not sure why we are being compared to clubs and bars. People don’t go to the gym to socialise, and there's always a safe distance between members because no one wants to get too close during working out due to sweat and stuff,” expressed Varma.
As part of the leading Fitness Franchise from the USA, Curves is a 30-minute workout concept solely for women.
As CEO of Curves Malaysia, this is Alison Chin’s bread and butter and with the pandemic, gym memberships have been affected.
Targeting women between ages of 35-65, ladies who are now working from home find it almost impossible to enter the studio, and the older members are particularly worried to return to the studio.
“Studies have shown that women have taken on an extra burden during this pandemic with managing things at home, result in less time for themselves.”
The business model that has been very successful, went from nine clubs in Malaysia to six clubs in the Klang Valley and Perak.
Sharing similar frustrations of other gym owners in regards to the need to close their doors despite little to no transmission of the Covid-19 virus within their gyms and the constant reopening and closing, Allison also adds that compliance costs have gone up.
And similar to the other gym owners, Curve Malaysia has also ventured into online workouts to keep their members engaged and healthy.
“In April 2021, we officially launched Go Strong Virtual platform with live workouts averaging between 150-200 women a day attending.”
To keep the business afloat, they have also reviewed all their costs and gone on a cost reduction exercise, trimming budgets across all areas and even closing clubs that were no longer sustainable.
When asked to share their biggest struggle, Alison stated how the closure of the corporate/franchise clubs were very painful.
“Not only did we invest money into it, but we also invested all our efforts and dreams to build the community.
“At the end of February 2021, we decided to close our very first outlet, that was just shy of turning ten years old, due to various reasons,” shared Alison regretfully.
With all that the fitness industry is going through, and the plight of those whose livelihoods depend solely on this business, many are on the verge of throwing in the towel, and this would just prove deadly for the nation in the long run.
And in light of the severity of the losses that these gym owners face, the RM3,000 one-off financial aid that was recently given, in the words of a member of the Malaysia Fitness Coalition, is almost insulting. - The Vibes, 6 July, 2021
