Gyms rebound in COVID-19 relaxation

Sales of gym memberships in Busselton and Dunsborough increased markedly in the past four months after the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.

Some fitness centres in the region have recorded membership growth of 25 per cent to 100 per cent compared with last year.

Anytime Fitness Busselton director Zac Martin said he believed the spike was due to a need for social interaction and routine.

“After opening back up in June, we only had three weeks of trade and we basically almost doubled our memberships compared to the same time last year — it was a big spike,” he said.

“One of the main things we’ve seen is big participation in group fitness, with most classes being booked out.

“Pre-COVID we really struggled to get people to consistently attend classes, and this commitment has definitely spiked in the last three or four months.

“I think people have been starved of the social side of things ... I think it’s like a lot of industries such as retail and hospitality — people just want to get back to normality.”

With interest surging in the South West property market, Busselton and Dunsborough have had an increase in population. Dunsborough Gym director Leigh Pritchard said he had noticed a 25 per cent increase compared with last year.

“The population down here has increased a lot,” he said. “I think that’s probably why gyms are seeing this increase. There’s also a lot more temporary residents coming down as well.”