How gyms are staging their tech-friendly comeback after COVID

When treadmills were invented in 1818, they weren’t the high-tech, calorie-counting machines they are today. A British engineer created the “treadwheel” as a form of punishment for prisoners, forcing them to walk on machinery that was used to ground corn.

Today, those who hate working out might still think the treadmill isn’t fun. But with screens that take runners along walking trails in mountains, built-in workouts, customizable speeds and features tracking heart rate, step count and gait, technology in fitness has become a multibillion-dollar industry. Gyms have invested in “athletech” – the intersection of the fitness and wellness industry with technology – and have adopted keycards, created their own apps and centered a member’s experience around their workouts, which can be tracked and monitored by an assortment of wearable technological devices.

Those in the business of working out in Springfield have said they’ve seen an increase in demand. But it’s not just athletech that’s caught on – generally, gyms are making a post-pandemic comeback.

“With COVID, you saw a big transition from a commercial market, and it slipped to residential,” Jonathan Cook, chief operations officer at Gym Depot, an exercise equipment store in Springfield, said of the popularity of home gyms and equipment. “Here in the last two years, it’s kind of gone back the other way.”

Athletech can look like many different things. Brands such as Peloton Interactive, Inc., known for indoor bike machinery, allow users to compete in races with each
other. Tonal Systems, Inc., which creates mirror-like fitness machines, packs an assortment of equipment, such as a pulley system, into one screen.

But with new tech comes new challenges. Cook said there are many aspects of athletech that people are just beginning to think about, such as cybersecurity and the cost of fixing equipment with many technical components.

“There’s data stored in everything,” he said. “If there’s a way for someone to get into it, they will.”

Reliance on technology has also led to unforeseen issues, Cook said. He said creating systems that have good battery backups are vital for gyms, especially during power outages or times when technology is compromised.

“I was at a gym the other day, and their exit button had broken,” Cook said. “So, the only way to open the door was through the app. I think there are some concerns there.”

To stay competitive, some Springfield gyms have invested in athletech. Others have decided to stick with the basics.

New technology
When the COVID-19 pandemic began and businesses shuttered, the fitness industry felt the impact. One group, Health & Fitness Association, estimated that revenues across the U.S. health club industry dropped 58% during 2020.

While people were temporarily restricted from working out in gyms, the pandemic brought on the adoption of digital fitness solutions, and the home fitness industry took off. According to a July report from Fortune Business Insights, the home fitness equipment market is projected to grow to $8.5 billion by 2030.

When Cook first got into the fitness industry in 2013, he said it looked much different than it does now. Growing up, his mom owned a gym in Bolivar, so fitness was always a part of his life. At Gym Depot, he now sells new and used equipment to gyms in the Springfield area.

The equipment, he said, has changed quite a bit due to technology. Cook said he mostly sees demand for built-in equipment that has consoles on treadmills and ellipticals and tracking technology through various apps.

“It’s taken off, and you’re really starting to see it everywhere,” he said.

Springfield didn’t jump right on the trend, though.

David Poland, owner of XFit LLC personal training company, said the city tends to run five to 10 years behind the coasts when it comes to trends. Poland, being drawn to the newest and latest equipment, said he looked at bigger national markets for his gyms and brought in new pieces for XFit’s Nixa facility, which was registered with the state of Missouri in 2020.

“We brought in a lot of equipment that honestly not many people had in the Midwest,” he said. “Now all the gyms are slowly getting these pieces because they see how beneficial they are.”

But despite the popularity of home fitness, Poland said personal trainers are still helpful, and working out in a gym with a mentor can provide help someone might not get at home.

“You can figure it out on your own, you can get everything you need online,” he said. “But there’s going to be a lot of short-term hurdles that are going to give you friction and slow down your process. A coach has already been through that multiple times.”

Spencer Graham, owner and CEO of GP Athletics, said home gyms simply cannot compete with the gym industry. While home gyms are convenient, he said COVID made people realize how many benefits come from going to a gym.

“It’s really hard to get motivated to go work out in your own garage,” Graham said. “COVID did make the home gym explode a bit, but that’s because it had to. As soon as COVID was over, everyone was ready to get out of their house.”

During the pandemic, Graham said he allowed his members to rent the equipment at GP Athletics, which specializes in powerlifting, strongman and Olympic lifting. This allowed his members to still use their memberships without working out at the gym. Although he said he lost a few members during the pandemic, most of them came back once COVID restrictions were lifted. 

“As soon as we reopened, memberships boomed,” Graham said. “When we opened back up, we got 40 new members.”

Reliance on tech
With a focus on traditional weightlifting in his barbell gym, Graham said that he isn’t a fan of the new technological advancements that have taken the fitness industry by storm.

“I think it’s kind of getting out of hand,” he said. “We’ve always been more of an old-school barbell gym. We really try to just hone in on what has worked for so long, and that’s your basic timers and your sets and your rests.”

Graham said he tries to keep it simple at GP Athletics, particularly because some members don’t appreciate new trends.

“There’s still a huge population who just don’t want all the fancy stuff,” he said. “Everybody gravitates toward that, and somebody needs to not.”

The cost of equipment also plays a role in some gym owners’ hesitancy. Cook said fixing equipment has become much more difficult with an electronic component – and this wasn’t something he ever had to think about when he first got into the industry.

“Before, I could have a tech and send them out,” he said. “Now, it’s a lot more than just mechanical. You need to have some IT understanding, a lot more training, a lot better understanding of electricity. The cost increase has definitely been shocking.”

Technology in gyms has not only changed the industry – Poland said he’s seen a change in his clients’ mindsets. When clients expect to see their muscle gains as fast as they can tap on a phone screen to order DoorDash, he said it can create unrealistic expectations.

“Gyms – it’s delayed with results,” Poland said. “It’s a process of a lot of small decisions that add up over a period of time. But as far as the world that we’re in every day, everything is instant, and gyms have to have the happy medium.”

Emily Laurie, an entrepreneur and health coach in Springfield, also had to find the happy medium.

She said she had to stop using athletech, such as wearable technology, due to it negatively impacting her mental health.

“Stepping away from the constant tracking completely shifted my relationship with my body,” she said. “It helped me let go of perfectionism and trust myself more, which has been even healthier.”

For her clients, she said she’s seen both experiences benefit people differently.

“In Springfield, I see a mix,” she said. “Some people are leaning into high-tech tools to stay motivated and measure their progress, while others are stepping back and choosing a more intuitive, less-data driven approach. I support both paths.”