Gyms Are 'Forgotten Child' Of COVID Recovery: Local Gym Owner

SHERMAN OAKS, CA — Before the coronavirus pandemic began, Jason Cohen saw anywhere from 80 to 120 people work out at his Sherman Oaks gym daily. Now, he said, he's lucky if he has 15 customers in a day.

Cohen has owned Alive Fitness Sherman Oaks since October 2004. Though he has been able to keep his business open – in part through a pivot to outdoor workouts – he said he believes gym owners have been left out of the push to support local businesses.

"There's been a lot of help for the restaurant industry and other businesses, but I feel as though the fitness industry has been really overlooked," Cohen said. "We've been the forgotten child, so to speak."

But that may soon change, as the U.S. Senate and House have introduced bills over the last few months that would allocate $30 billion to the gym industry.

The Gym Mitigation and Survival Act would award grants to gyms and fitness studios that provide instruction of physical exercise and offer space for the maintenance and development of physical fitness, The Hill reported.

The grants, administered by the Small Business Association, could be up to 45 percent of a gym's 2019 revenue, or $20 million.

"(A grant) would be used to pay utilities, it would be used to pay rent, it would be used to keep the facility open during this time," Cohen said. "And hopefully buy us more time to get through this."

The Global Health & Fitness Association found that U.S. fitness industry revenue dropped by 58 percent in 2020, and that 17 percent of the nation's fitness facilities permanently closed last year.

Cohen attributes the drop in gym attendance in part to the belief that it is unsafe to workout at a gym during the pandemic.

He said he has been trying to find ways to ensure that his gym is safe, and has begun requesting that its members fill out a questionnaire that asks their vaccination status and whether they have been exposed to the coronavirus.

"People don’t want to go back into a room with other people that are sweating and working out and breathing heavy. So I’m just trying to figure out a way to change the mindset of people," Cohen said. "Know that if you’re vaccinated, you’re good."