Fitness studios move classes outdoors to make up for revenue lost to the pandemic

Fitness studios move classes outdoors to make up for revenue lost to the pandemic

A BronCore Fitness bootcamp in the Boston Commons.

Bron Volney

Jacob Gise opened a Body Fit Training franchise in Santa Monica, California, in November. By March, the flagship U.S. studio of the global chain had just become profitable.

Gise had traveled to Australia, where Body Fit Training began, to learn the ropes, so he was ecstatic to see the investment of time and resources beginning to pay off. Operating costs for the location totaled about $42,000 a month for rent, instructors and equipment.

Then, the coronavirus hit and most workout facilities in the U.S. were forced to shutter. Gise pivoted to online courses, but it wasn't enough “” he was bringing only in $8,000 a month, less than a sixth of what he was getting in March.

"I climbed this huge mountain, traveling to different countries and doing all this stuff to get it here," Gise said. "Right as it started to be profitable and a lot of franchisees were interested, everything is shut down."

The fitness industry has taken a huge hit as states, trying to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, forced brick-and-mortar facilities to close. There were approximately 62.4 million members of Health Clubs in the U.S. in 2019, according to the International Health, Racquet &