The pandemic has obviously affected every possible aspect of our lives on a global scale. The economy has been compromised with businesses being shut for months. Esteemed brands and gym franchises could be having a difficult time to keep up with high costs, such as rent, property maintenance, electricity, possible loan pay-off, staff salaries and so on. Keeping these in mind, entrepreneurs would benefit to invest in boutique/studio gyms that are usually small. These could be the brainchild of health professionals or entrepreneurs can invest in studio gyms while being co-owned by a health expert.

Training with specialists

Boutique gyms are mutually beneficial to clients as well as owners. Such set-ups are typically small in scale and are usually owned by health professionals. Having studied the many aspects of health, they invest in small places of their own and turn them into fitness studios. These are individuals who would much rather invest in an education programme that allows them deeper knowledge in health and fitness than work towards large profit margins.

Being specialists, they are able to provide quality service to clients. For example, a commercial gym would typically endorse all clients to run on the treadmill. A boutique gym, however, would use one’s body as the best machine. The expert will have the knowledge to deduce an appropriate cardio-intensive programme for clients, which is the primary motive of treadmill. Thereby, studio gyms do not necessarily warrant high investment or a big capital. With equipment such as kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, overhead suspension rope, resistance band, sand bag, battling ropes, boutique clubs are not only cost-efficient but provide a workout that is optimal for the physiology of the body.
An expert needs to ascertain if the treadmill would be optimal for a person, he would advise against linear treadmill workout for those with joint ailments. He has the knowledge to incline the treadmill and lower the speed, providing resistance via the incline at the same time protecting the joint.
When conducting a group class, a boutique gym usually groups like-minded clients together. The groups are not large, which allows the coach to train people effectively, unlike at commercial gyms. A group of young adults would have an intense session whereas a group of elderly clients would have a programme focussed on joint mobility which will not be intense.

Since studio gyms are usually owned by health professionals, they are more concerned about their brand. They employ people after conducting a thorough check on the certification and qualifications needed. They will not employ many trainers who have simply picked up cues by watching random videos with no experience in the field. Employing specialists allows them to cater to every need of a client in a scientific and efficient manner. A specialist will guide a client to progress to a perfect linear push-up by introducing him or her to an inclined or raised push-up and gradually progressing to a ground-level linear push-up. A physiotherapist and chiropractor, who are commonly associated with studio gyms, have in-depth knowledge of the human anatomy.

Customised training

It is not just clients who have everything to gain from a boutique gym, such a set-up can be rewarding to the owner as well. These gyms are made small, which does not entail a high cost commitment. They are made to operate in one’s already existing garage or basement. Should one intend to rent a place, the rent would be cost-effective because of the small place, it allows a good margin of profit for the owner. Acquiring high stake loans can be avoided as capital investment is small.
Being a private business of an individual, management of the business affairs is solely the responsibility of the owner. There is no interference from external agencies. Instead of investing on a fancy spa, which would surely be imposed on by certain franchises, they’d much rather invest resources on enhancing their knowledge and educating themselves to be able to train diverse clients.

Such businesses have been affected by the pandemic. They surely have not flourished, however they did survive. The owners have been able to mobilise training by moving a few equipment, such as dumbbells and kettlebells, to assist clients via video training. In some cases, the owners have made videos of the day’s workout, explaining the programme and enunciating the techniques of each exercise in a way that the class was being conducted face-to-face. The videos are then sent to clients on request.
The pandemic has compelled many commercial gyms to temporarily, if not permanently, close business. This has resulted in many small-time unethical trainers to lure clients into private training. Clients get misguided and the brand image of a gym is often tainted due to such trainers.

Sanitisation is a matter of utmost importance in our present scenario, and this could cause a dent in one’s wallet. However, given the small scale of business in boutique and studio gyms, the cost of sanitisation is less compared to a commercial gym. Studios predominantly cater to private sessions as they wish to provide quality service. It is thereby possible to maintain social distancing by keeping a radius of six-feet distance.

There has been a significant paradigm shift in the dynamics of conducting business. Boutique and studio gyms have a unique set of advantages. Though commercial franchises will eventually resume business, studies are predicting that boutique and studio gyms will gather momentum owing to their nature.

Anwar Wahhab is a metabolic analytic practitioner and strength and conditioning coach.