India's Fitness Industry Amid COVID-19

Abstract

Since ancient times, fitness has been a part of the Indian culture. However, with increased western influence and changing lifestyle, the quest for fitness has also become modern and new trends are gaining importance. The entry of Giant techs like Google, Apple, etc has given a great impetus to fitness industry. According to Redseer Consulting, the market value of fitness industry in India was US $12 billion in 2018. According to Fitternity, there are around 24,000 gyms and studios in the country. To sustain themselves amid COVID-19, they are providing online training sessions over WhatsApp, Instagram and other channels of social media. The employees working in fitness industry have been laid off because of bankruptcy within gyms. During corona virus to enhance their immunity, many people took cycling to keep themselves fit. Under Unlock-3.0, Government decided to re-open gyms by following some generic and specific preventive measures. In the post COVID-19 world, the fitness industry worldover is set to witness a major change with prime focus on social distancing and hygiene measures. The gyms will have to accept new normal. When gyms do finally re-open, capacity is likely to be reduced by half to maintain the 6 feet distancing, while personal trainers will have to give advice from a distance, digital apps will be developed, social media will be utilized, etc. At-home workouts and online fitness training sessions will become more prominent. Hence, the gym industry will be moving more towards Digitalization of fitness products and services in near future.