Why Gym Franchises Are Surprisingly Resilient to COVID-19

As an industry that has relied heavily on an in-person, brick and mortar model and environment, at first glance exercise gym franchises seemed highly vulnerable to the market disruption of the COVID 19 pandemic. But instead of focusing on foot traffic, these businesses are changing their models and finding success. 

Across the U.S., people have been searching for live-stream fitness workouts to help them exercise at home in quarantine and still maintain the structure, encouragement, and accountability of a gym trainer. According to Allied Market Research, the global online/virtual fitness market size was valued at $6.1 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $59.2 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 33.1 percent  accounting for the impact of COVID-19. 

There are signs that the quarantine-fueled growth will continue. A study by MindBodyOnline found that online streaming workouts have grown 80 percent during the pandemic, while 33 percent of consumers in communities with continued COVID-19 restrictions report working out more due to having more free time. The study also found that of those looking for online streams are quite loyal to their gyms. 75 percent of those who viewed streams were from their primary fitness center and 62 percent of consumers participated in virtual offerings exclusively from businesses they had physically visited before.  

Think you’re up for a challenge? Check out these gym franchises with growth potential in 2021. 

Workout Anytime 

Workout Anytime’s app now comes with hundreds of virtual exercises and workouts and was named to Franchise Times’ Top 200+ list for 2019 as well as Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500 list for 2020. To become a franchisee of gym franchise Workout Anytime, click here. 

World Gym International LLC 

World Gym International LLC released World Gym Anywhere™, a new on-demand fitness training platform that features over 100 hours of workouts and training sessions from top World Gym coaches, trainers and instructors from all over the globe. Franchisees can offer World Gym Anywhere as a stand- alone membership, or as a pair to an in-gym membership. For more information on this gym franchise click here. 

Orange Theory Fitness 

Orange Theory Fitness launched Orange Theory at Home, which provides home video workouts on its website and app offering both free and paid versions. Orange Theory is primarily known for its intense training classes and created Orangetheory Live classes to recreate the experience. The classes can be booked through the Orangetheory app and are similar to a Zoom meeting for working out. Orange Theory has nearly one million members and 1,800+ franchises operating in 27 countries. To learn about this gym franchise click here. 

Anytime Fitness 

Anytime Fitness is providing access to virtual content like workouts and health and wellness tips through its Instagram and Facebook profiles, giving members access to workouts anytime, anywhere on the AF App. Some clubs continue to serve members through virtual training as well. Anytime Fitness has been recognized as a top franchise across Inc. 5000, Club Business International, Forbes, Franchise Times, and Entrepeneur. For more information on purchasing a franchise with Anytime Fitness, click here. 

Retro Fitness 

Retro Fitness offers members virtual on-demand fitness classes with 150 gym locations across the U.S. To learn more about gym franchising with Retro Fitness, click here. 

UFC GYM 

UFC GYM offers a live stream called UFC Fit Live where members can work out with top coaches; pre-recorded online workouts inspired by UFC GYM's most popular classes; and one-on-one training for more personal regimens and nutrition guides. For more information on gym franchising with UFC GYM, click here.