After Covid Closures, Americans Are Starting to Break Out of Their Home Gyms

October 14, 2021 by Inc.

For gyms and fitness studios, the New Year boom skipped a year, but it's barreling back.

In its fall 2021 report, the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association finds that check-ins at boutique fitness studios in March 2021 were just 13 percent lower than the number recorded in March 2019, and new joins at health clubs outpaced those in 2019. That's a heartening stat, as 22 percent of gyms and fitness studios had to permanently close their doors during the Covid pandemic. The IHRSA notes that these numbers will likely increase as 49 percent of people who canceled their gym or fitness passes also say they plan to rejoin in the next six to 12 months, as restrictions continue to loosen and vaccinations tick up.

Another sign of the times: Mindbody announced on Wednesday that it plans to acquire the subscription service ClassPass. The San Luis Obispo, California-based wellness platform also announced that it secured a $500 million investment alongside the deal.