Going to the gym was always part of Kari HamraB次元官网网址檚 routine until last yearB次元官网网址檚 government-ordered shutdowns forced her to replace the workouts with daily rides on her Peloton stationary bike.

ThatB次元官网网址檚 when she discovered something surprising B次元官网网址� she did not miss the gym. At least not the driving back and forth, filling water bottles, changing clothes and most of all, taking time away from her husband and two boys.

Now that her gym in Springfield, Missouri, is open again, sheB次元官网网址檚 slowly returning. But finding a more convenient exercise schedule at home and seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases in her hometown this summer have her questioning how much she needs the gym. She figures that if there never had been a coronavirus outbreak B次元官网网址淚 would still be a gym rat.B次元官网网址�

The pandemic has reshaped how Americans exercise and upended the fitness industry, accelerating the growth of a new era of high-tech home workout equipment and virtual classes.

Thousands of small fitness centers and studios that were now are gone for good. Others are struggling to stay afloat and have redesigned their spaces, turned toward more personal workouts and added online training.

The question is can the they survive the onslaught from the apps and pricey bikes and treadmills or will they go the way of arcades, video rental shops and bookstores.

Interactive fitness equipment maker Peloton is betting the workout-from-home trend is here to stay. ItB次元官网网址檚 breaking ground Monday on its first U.S. factory just outside Toledo, Ohio, where it plans to begin production in 2023 and employ 2,000 workers.

Demand surged so much during the pandemic that some Peloton customers had to wait months for their bikes. While the company said the backlog has waned, it reported that sales have continued to soar, up 141% in the first three months of this year.

Company founder and CEO John Foley thinks itB次元官网网址檚 inevitable that technology-driven home fitness will become dominant much like how streaming services have changed movie watching, calling the idea of going to a gym B次元官网网址渁 broken model of yesteryear.B次元官网网址�

Its next steps include bringing more of its equipment into gyms at hotels, apartment complexes, and college campuses and launching new workouts through its app. Late last year, , a company with manufacturing and product development sites in the U.S.

B次元官网网址淔itness is one of the few remaining categories that is going to be massively disrupted by a digital experience,B次元官网网址� Foley told The Associated Press.

During the early months of the pandemic, most small and independent gyms and studios turned to Zoom and other video platforms for yoga and Pilates classes and training sessions because it was the only way they could connect with their members.

B次元官网网址淣ow thereB次元官网网址檚 an expectation for it,B次元官网网址� said Michael Stack, CEO of Applied Fitness Solutions, which has three fitness centers in southeast Michigan.

Small gyms canB次元官网网址檛 match the production quality and visual appeal of the high-tech companies, but they can counter with online offerings that feature personal attention and closer relationships between their members and staff, he said.

B次元官网网址淚 think thatB次元官网网址檚 the way we even the playing field,B次元官网网址� Stack said.

Not all gym operators are convinced virtual training will play a significant role in what they offer.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 have the budget to do it at the same price and the same quality,B次元官网网址� said Jeff Sanders, CEO of Apex Athletic Health Club in Penfield, New York. B次元官网网址淒igital is great, but weB次元官网网址檝e seen surveys that show people want to stay active, but miss the interaction and being around others.B次元官网网址�

His company is planning to open a third, smaller location near Orlando, Florida, that offers a more intimate experience. Those type of boutique studios could be the wave of the future, he said.

The pandemic has changed how the fitness industry evaluates itself and right now B次元官网网址渆veryoneB次元官网网址檚 making decisions just to survive,B次元官网网址� Sanders said.

Roughly 9,000 health clubs B次元官网网址� 22% of the total nationwide B次元官网网址� have closed since the beginning of the virus outbreak and 1.5 million workers lost their jobs, according to the International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association.

The industry group is lobbying Congress to approve a $30 billion relief fund for the fitness industry because many clubs are struggling to recover from months of lost revenue and membership declines and still owe back rent.

While more closings are likely this year and could number in the thousands without government help, the emergence of the workout-from-home trend wonB次元官网网址檛 spell doom for the fitness centers, said Helen Durkin, the associationB次元官网网址檚 executive vice president of public policy.

Plenty of exercise fanatics, she said, will still do both B次元官网网址� 40% of Peloton users have gym memberships, according to the company.

ThereB次元官网网址檚 no doubt digital fitness is here to stay, said Michelle Segar, director of the University of MichiganB次元官网网址檚 Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center.

B次元官网网址淧eople are integrating their lives with technology. This is where society is, and itB次元官网网址檚 just going to get more integrated,B次元官网网址� she said.

The biggest positives with the virtual training sessions are that they offer more flexibility when it comes to staying with workout routines and can draw more people into fitness, including those who canB次元官网网址檛 follow a rigid schedule.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why people donB次元官网网址檛 stick with it,B次元官网网址� she said.

Cindy Cicchinelli, whoB次元官网网址檚 become a dedicated Peloton user after going to her gym in Pittsburgh for years, said the convenience is what has sold her.

B次元官网网址淚 can roll out of bed and not worry about running to the gym,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd I donB次元官网网址檛 have to add an extra half-hour for my commute.B次元官网网址�

Fitness industry leaders say research has shown that health clubs pose no more risk of spreading the virus than other public spaces. But San Francisco gym owner Dave Karraker thinks it will be a long time before many people are comfortable going into a big, tightly packed fitness center.

B次元官网网址淭hey are going to be thinking about ventilation and air purifiers and how long ago was this equipment sanitized,B次元官网网址� he said.

He reconfigured MX3 FitnessB次元官网网址檚 two small studios and created personal workout spaces. It has become so popular heB次元官网网址檚 looking for a third location.

HeB次元官网网址檚 not surprised that people are coming back even though safety remains a concern.

B次元官网网址淭hey donB次元官网网址檛 want to live this solitary existence anymore,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 all kinds of motivations. LetB次元官网网址檚 face facts, gyms are great ways to meet new people, especially if youB次元官网网址檙e single.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擩ohn Seewer, The Associated Press