Why Tim Robards is looking fitter than ever
As gyms plan to reopen their doors – prompting members to decide whether they want to return or not – Tim Robards reveals why the lockdown has actually been good for his training regime.
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To go, or not to go? That’s the question the estimated 40 per cent of adult Australians who frequent gyms will be asking themselves as fitness centres prepare to reopen their doors.
Although the Berejiklian government has not set a date for gyms to re-open in NSW, many operators are anticipating a July start date.
But it will be a changed industry. Vigilance about wiping down equipment will be paramount, and permitted numbers will be low at first. Some gyms will introduce booking systems and others will not offer shower facilities.
Research by Bastion Insights shows around 40 per cent of Australians have been exercising less during the lockdown period, while one in four are exercising more. And many of them may now simply prefer working out in their own home or at a local park.
Fitness enthusiasts who spoke to News Corp this week said they had paid as much as $5000 to set up their own home gyms.
A spokesman for fitness retailer rebel said that in April, weights were being sold at four times the rate they did in April 2019, and demand for pilates and yoga equipment was more than twice the usual weekly average.
“More Australians are turning to home workouts. We noticed the trend as soon as authorities started talking about social distancing,” a rebel spokesman said.
Meanwhile, online fitness has boomed. Subscriptions to Chris Hemsworth’s Centr app reportedly jumped by 300 per cent, and this week former Bachelor star Sam Woods revealed sign-ups to his app 28 increased by 258 per cent leading up to May.
Another former Bachelor, Tim Robards, has been putting his fitness expertise online as part of Medibank’s Live Better at Home initiative, a free online hub encouraging Aussies to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The 37-year-old former chiropractor told News Corp the lockdown period had forced him to adapt his workouts, shaking up his body in the process.
“It’s funny, the other day I posted a photo [online] and everyone was like, ‘You’re looking massive’,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know whether that’s just by changing it up a little bit, doing weighted chin ups and weighted dips, things I probably wouldn’t have bothered with before.”
Robards said although he was conscious of the transmissibility of COVID-19, he didn’t wish to “live in a world of fear” and he would be keen to return to gyms once they re-open.
“I want to support the gyms, especially the small studios,” he said. “I’ve missed the community that you get at those gyms. I used to do a Sunday morning boxing class and I miss that camaraderie and community that we had.”
But he predicted online fitness classes and apps were here to stay.
“What I hope is that overall people will do more, because they’ve got so many more options that they’re comfortable with now,” he said. “They’ve gotten used to doing a session in front of their TV and maybe turning on their heater if they want a hot yoga class.”
The boom in online classes had also hopefully prompted many Aussies who would not otherwise have the confidence to go to a gym to start prioritising their fitness, he said.
“For a lot of people the thing that would hold them back in the past is not knowing what they’re doing. So hopefully they’ve jumped on to some of these online classes and they’re building up confidence, whether it’s yoga or pilates of a HIIT workout … and when they come out of this they can go, ‘Yeah you know what, I’m comfortable to do this around other people’.”
Snap Fitness CEO Ty Menzies told News Corp that online fitness classes would continue to be popular even after gyms re-open.
“There will be a number of people who will still feel anxious about coming back to the gym,” he said. “Or they may only want to do a couple of days a week and potentially work out at home to limit any sort of risk, so those virtual workouts will give really handy tips for them to supplement their workouts.”
Snap would be arranging for increased cleaning, sanitation stations and barriers between equipment when its 207 Australian centres re-open, Mr Menzies said. Users will be reminded to bring their own towels and told to wipe down all machines after use, while shower facilities would not be accessible at first, he said.
Social distancing requirements might force some franchisees to implement booking systems for users, Mr Menzies said, but Snap’s 24-hour operating model would actually work to their advantage, with a more even spread of gym-goers throughout the day.
Mr Menzies said he was encouraged by the opening of Snap Fitness centres in New Zealand, where outlets were reporting patronage at 90 per cent of pre-COVID levels.
“There’s significant consumer sentiment in New Zealand to get back to the gym, and I have no doubt that getting out of the house and back to the gym will be something that Australians will be very eager to do,” he said.
A spokesman for Fitness First said their procedures for reopening were still being finalised, but they would include social distancing, increased cleaning, staff training and the provision of hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes for all gym users.
Originally published as Why Tim Robards is looking fitter than ever
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