Going to the gym was always part of Kari Hamra91裸聊视频檚 routine until last year91裸聊视频檚 government-ordered shutdowns forced her to replace the workouts with daily rides on her Peloton stationary bike.

That91裸聊视频檚 when she discovered something surprising 91裸聊视频� she did not miss the gym. At least not the driving back and forth, filling water bottles, changing clothes and most of all, taking time away from her husband and two boys.

Now that her gym in Springfield, Missouri, is open again, she91裸聊视频檚 slowly returning. But finding a more convenient exercise schedule at home and seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases in her hometown this summer have her questioning how much she needs the gym. She figures that if there never had been a coronavirus outbreak 91裸聊视频淚 would still be a gym rat.91裸聊视频�

The pandemic has reshaped how Americans exercise and upended the fitness industry, accelerating the growth of a new era of high-tech home workout equipment and virtual classes.

Thousands of small fitness centers and studios that were now are gone for good. Others are struggling to stay afloat and have redesigned their spaces, turned toward more personal workouts and added online training.

The question is can the they survive the onslaught from the apps and pricey bikes and treadmills or will they go the way of arcades, video rental shops and bookstores.

Interactive fitness equipment maker Peloton is betting the workout-from-home trend is here to stay. It91裸聊视频檚 breaking ground Monday on its first U.S. factory just outside Toledo, Ohio, where it plans to begin production in 2023 and employ 2,000 workers.

Demand surged so much during the pandemic that some Peloton customers had to wait months for their bikes. While the company said the backlog has waned, it reported that sales have continued to soar, up 141% in the first three months of this year.

Company founder and CEO John Foley thinks it91裸聊视频檚 inevitable that technology-driven home fitness will become dominant much like how streaming services have changed movie watching, calling the idea of going to a gym 91裸聊视频渁 broken model of yesteryear.91裸聊视频�

Its next steps include bringing more of its equipment into gyms at hotels, apartment complexes, and college campuses and launching new workouts through its app. Late last year, , a company with manufacturing and product development sites in the U.S.

91裸聊视频淔itness is one of the few remaining categories that is going to be massively disrupted by a digital experience,91裸聊视频� Foley told The Associated Press.

During the early months of the pandemic, most small and independent gyms and studios turned to Zoom and other video platforms for yoga and Pilates classes and training sessions because it was the only way they could connect with their members.

91裸聊视频淣ow there91裸聊视频檚 an expectation for it,91裸聊视频� said Michael Stack, CEO of Applied Fitness Solutions, which has three fitness centers in southeast Michigan.

Small gyms can91裸聊视频檛 match the production quality and visual appeal of the high-tech companies, but they can counter with online offerings that feature personal attention and closer relationships between their members and staff, he said.

91裸聊视频淚 think that91裸聊视频檚 the way we even the playing field,91裸聊视频� Stack said.

Not all gym operators are convinced virtual training will play a significant role in what they offer.

91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 have the budget to do it at the same price and the same quality,91裸聊视频� said Jeff Sanders, CEO of Apex Athletic Health Club in Penfield, New York. 91裸聊视频淒igital is great, but we91裸聊视频檝e seen surveys that show people want to stay active, but miss the interaction and being around others.91裸聊视频�

His company is planning to open a third, smaller location near Orlando, Florida, that offers a more intimate experience. Those type of boutique studios could be the wave of the future, he said.

The pandemic has changed how the fitness industry evaluates itself and right now 91裸聊视频渆veryone91裸聊视频檚 making decisions just to survive,91裸聊视频� Sanders said.

Roughly 9,000 health clubs 91裸聊视频� 22% of the total nationwide 91裸聊视频� have closed since the beginning of the virus outbreak and 1.5 million workers lost their jobs, according to the International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association.

The industry group is lobbying Congress to approve a $30 billion relief fund for the fitness industry because many clubs are struggling to recover from months of lost revenue and membership declines and still owe back rent.

While more closings are likely this year and could number in the thousands without government help, the emergence of the workout-from-home trend won91裸聊视频檛 spell doom for the fitness centers, said Helen Durkin, the association91裸聊视频檚 executive vice president of public policy.

Plenty of exercise fanatics, she said, will still do both 91裸聊视频� 40% of Peloton users have gym memberships, according to the company.

There91裸聊视频檚 no doubt digital fitness is here to stay, said Michelle Segar, director of the University of Michigan91裸聊视频檚 Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center.

91裸聊视频淧eople are integrating their lives with technology. This is where society is, and it91裸聊视频檚 just going to get more integrated,91裸聊视频� she said.

The biggest positives with the virtual training sessions are that they offer more flexibility when it comes to staying with workout routines and can draw more people into fitness, including those who can91裸聊视频檛 follow a rigid schedule.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 why people don91裸聊视频檛 stick with it,91裸聊视频� she said.

Cindy Cicchinelli, who91裸聊视频檚 become a dedicated Peloton user after going to her gym in Pittsburgh for years, said the convenience is what has sold her.

91裸聊视频淚 can roll out of bed and not worry about running to the gym,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淎nd I don91裸聊视频檛 have to add an extra half-hour for my commute.91裸聊视频�

Fitness industry leaders say research has shown that health clubs pose no more risk of spreading the virus than other public spaces. But San Francisco gym owner Dave Karraker thinks it will be a long time before many people are comfortable going into a big, tightly packed fitness center.

91裸聊视频淭hey are going to be thinking about ventilation and air purifiers and how long ago was this equipment sanitized,91裸聊视频� he said.

He reconfigured MX3 Fitness91裸聊视频檚 two small studios and created personal workout spaces. It has become so popular he91裸聊视频檚 looking for a third location.

He91裸聊视频檚 not surprised that people are coming back even though safety remains a concern.

91裸聊视频淭hey don91裸聊视频檛 want to live this solitary existence anymore,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 all kinds of motivations. Let91裸聊视频檚 face facts, gyms are great ways to meet new people, especially if you91裸聊视频檙e single.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频擩ohn Seewer, The Associated Press