MANSFIELD — According to a recent survey, only 30.98% of gym members across the U.S. have returned to their gym since re-openings began back in June. The global impact of COVID-19 continues to keep people away from public, mass-meeting places.
In Ohio, 48.86% of gym members have returned, making the state the second highest in terms of return rates, following just behind Tennessee with 52.11%. Ohio also ranks first as the state with the lowest percent of gym membership cancellations.
“One thing that we’re seeing is that places that have lower rates of COVID or where there are more counties, cities and towns that are more rural and more spread out and with lower population densities (people) seem to feel a little bit more comfortable with what’s going on now,” said Nick Rizzo, fitness research director at RunRepeat.
In Richland County, gyms such as the Mansfield Y and Ohio Health Ontario Health and Fitness Center have seen a return rate between 40-65%. Since reopening in July, Ohio Health Ontario Health and Fitness Center saw 45% of members have return to the facility.
“Right now, with the mild weather, exercising outdoors is a very safe and convenient option. But autumn is just around the corner and so is colder weather,” wrote Emily Freeman, supervisor for Ontario Health and Fitness Center, in a statement. “When a member is ready to return, they will find that the OhioHealth Ontario Health and Fitness Center has taken extraordinary measures to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Rizzo said that in order for gyms that have seen high membership cancellation rates to succeed that they will need to strategize and come up with a plan to start living with COVID-19.
“I think if any gym is kind of just playing the wait-and-see game and not doing anything to be a part of the solution for their membership, (they’re) going to be severely hurting (themselves),” Rizzo said.
From conversations he’s had with many gyms all over the country, Rizzo’s seen the ones that have successfully managed high return rates come up with an array of ideas such as organizing small groups to come in at a time, offering personal training at a higher price tag to make up for the lack of revenue and offering outdoor classes.
“It’s not exactly what people were originally signing up for, but right now nothing is anything anyone signed up for,” Rizzo said. “I think … what (gyms) can do to help be a part of that solution is going to help gyms maintain their members and have them coming back when they do eventually feel comfortable coming back.”
