As smog thickens the air in northern India, fitness enthusiasts are shunning the outdoors and increasingly turning to indoor gyms. Gyms are packed too, and many enterprising gyms also offer purified air. At the same time, exercise equipment manufacturers are laughing their way to the bank as choked runners order treadmills and exercise cycles to train at home.
“Festival binge drinking and party season gives people a reason to take up fitness habits more aggressively. But as air quality worsens, especially in the north, membership numbers are on the rise,” the gym chain said. said Richa Mishra, vice president of operations at Anytime Fitness. “Last November, we sold out new members and the number reached about 8,000. This year, by mid-November, we had surpassed last year’s numbers.” 90% of Anytime Fitness’ gyms, including 117 stores in India and 70 stores in Delhi-NCR, have clean air ducts to maintain optimal indoor air quality. A system is in place, Mishra shares.
Rohit Mallya, CEO of Ozone Gym chain, which has seven stores in northern India, said gym memberships and walk-ins increased by an average of 20-25% in November this year. “Pollution is one of the big concerns for many fitness enthusiasts. From November to January, we see a lot of new members show up,” he said.
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“They are mainly middle-aged people who are unable to exercise outdoors. When their activities are restricted, they switch to a safe and hygienic gym environment,” Mallya said. Every day, Ozone sees 100-150 walk-ins in Delhi and 70-80 walk-ins in tier-2 cities like Ludhiana. Group activities such as dance, Zumba and yoga are particularly popular. “This is another reason why people switch to gyms because they enjoy training in a group and healthy environment,” added Mallya, whose gym membership fees range from Rs 70,000 to Rs 2.5 million annually. .
Similarly, health and fitness app FITPASS, which gives members access to workouts like yoga, Pilates, Zumba, kickboxing, CrossFit, spinning, aerobics, and more at 8,100 locations across 75+ cities in India, has revenue of 11 In March, it increased 1.75 times compared to the previous year. last year.
“November will see demand for aerobic activities such as resistance training, yoga, Zumba, Pilates, and low-intensity cardio, while high-intensity training will decline,” said Akshay, co-founder of FITPASS.・Mr. Verma said. , further adds, “Most of our affiliated gyms are equipped with HEPA filters and advanced air purification systems to ensure air that is cleaner and healthier than outside or at home. We offer a controlled environment with disinfection protocols, making it a safer and more hygienic training option.”
E-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart have seen a steady increase in demand for home workout equipment, reflecting a significant shift towards home fitness solutions due to air pollution. KN Srikanth, director of home, kitchen and outdoor at Amazon India, said, “While the equipment needed for yoga has increased by more than 25% year-on-year, demand for weights and dumbbells has surged by more than 30% year-on-year. observed,” he said.
Srikanth said the premium product range in the home training category has increased by more than 10% this year, with products such as adjustable dumbbells and 8-10mm TPE yoga mats emerging as bestsellers. “Additionally, the walking pad and under-desk treadmill categories grew by more than 50% year over year,” he added.
Flipkart has seen impressive growth in categories like home gym equipment and stationary bikes in recent months. Demand for home gym combos has more than tripled, and demand for treadmills has doubled. “This trend highlights the evolving consumer behavior towards home fitness,” a Flipkart spokesperson said.
Fintech startup SaveIN deals in built-in finance and deferred payment options for healthcare treatments such as alternative medicine, gyms, and physical therapists, allowing people to opt for gym memberships and personal training sessions.
“Smog in northern India has made outdoor activities dangerous and forced people to indoor fitness,” says Jitin, CEO and founder of SaveIN, a startup offering no-cost EMI payment plans across 1,000 gyms in India.・Mr. Bhasin said.
Live and virtual fitness sessions in the form of yoga and dance classes are also trending. Wellness platform Habuild has designed an online yoga community where over 200,000 people participate in free yoga challenges in one month. “Exercising indoors is a great option because it protects your respiratory health, and low-intensity activities like yoga, easy stretching, and mobility exercises are less taxing on your lungs. Use air purifiers to improve quality or practice in a room with plants such as snake plants or peace lilies. Mindfulness practices such as meditation and pranayama can help the body cope with the stress caused by pollution.” And Habuild says Saurabh Bothra, CEO and certified yoga instructor.
