Gym traffic was back in the ring before taking a punch from Omicron

Gyms, like multiplex cinemas, saw their traffic rise to match the healthy levels of 2019 in December. Then Omicron arrived and set their game plans back.

A new report from Placer.ai found that monthly gym visits dipped to 16% of 2019 numbers in January of this year, continuing to remain almost 10% off the pace in February.

Soul Cycle and 24 Hour Fitness fared the worst, with traffic off around 40% during each of the first eight weeks of 2022. Blink Fitness was the only major chain to outperform its 2019 numbers within this period, posting weekly gains in the 20% range.

Fitness chains had feared that their clientele might recede permanently during a pandemic that saw home fitness brands like Peloton and Mirror flourish. Last month, however, Peloton halted the production of its bikes and treadmills after demand had peaked.

 “The draw of the gym visit remains strong, with February visit rates proving the resilience of demand for the sector once again following an especially challenging, Omicron-affected January,” said Placer.ai VP of marketing Ethan Chernofsky.