Ty Condick – Personal Trainer who coaches group and one to one sessions
The recent update of gyms and other exercise facilities possibly reopening on April 12th has left many fitness enthusiasts excited but also anxiously anticipating another change of plan or direction. None more so than the people whose livelihoods depend on the gyms and the fitness industry.
Personal training is one of the many industries which has been hit hard by the pandemic with many personal trainers forced to adapt their work and train people over Zoom calls and WhatsApp messages.
Ty Condick, a Crossfit Coach and personal trainer has had to change his style of work drastically and outlined some of the main difficulties he has encountered.
“One is the cold weather, in the first lockdown training was easier, it was such good weather. Now it is hard to motivate clients into training outside in the rain. The cold weather also presents the issue of the potential for more injuries.”
With so many gyms forced into administration or permanent closure, those that have managed to survive this long have had to innovate and adapt to increase customer satisfaction without actually opening their doors.
“A big thing my gym has done is introduce 30-minute personal training sessions and six-week trial memberships with three different packages as we have lots of outdoor space and they can be done on a cheaper rate. Despite all the efforts and hard work we have still had quite a few membership cancellations.”
While the pandemic has caused many industries to adapt in ways saving money, many corporate companies saving on office space as their employees are working from home Ty believes that personal training is one industry that has not benefitted. Working out from home presents all sorts of issues such as child/pet interruptions, lack of equipment and even the motivation to get off the sofa.
“A lot of my clients prefer face to face training because it gives them a reason to get out of the house to a different environment and have that social contact which we all need right now! Doing it online doesn’t have the same effect and I feel I can deliver a better service face to face.”