As daily new COVID- 19 case counts remain high due to the omicron variant, some gym and fitness studio owners on Oahu say there’s a rise in attendance in their virtual classes as members opt to exercise at home.

January is traditionally the busiest time for gyms and fitness centers as exercise and getting healthier are among the top New Year’s resolutions people make.

Body Balance, a boutique fitness studio in Kakaako with approximately 80 members, didn’t experience an increase of in-­person attendance as it normally does because of the omicron variant, said co-owner and lead cycle instructor Kashmira Gandhi. “With omicron we’ve seen a big drop because people are a lot more nervous.”

Some longtime members, especially those with kupuna family members, have either frozen their membership for now or switched to virtual classes that the studio began offering in April 2020. All of its classes, except for the Pilates reformer class, are offered via Zoom.

The virtual classes provide a way for members to stay connected with their instructors and fellow workout buddies. It’s not just about exercising, Gandhi said. “It’s about connections and for support and friendships that build.”

Marcia Inoue, who owns and operates Egan’s Bootcamp with her husband, mixed martial artist and jiujitsu world champion Egan Inoue, said their “virtual gym” that they launched in the spring of 2020 is growing.

Attendance in their virtual classes that are available via Zoom, Facebook and YouTube is about three times more than their in-person attendance as a lot of people aren’t comfortable attending classes inside gyms at this time. A number of members also prefer the virtual classes because they’re more convenient.

Egan’s Bootcamp has three gyms in Honolulu, Aiea and Kailua.

With the comfort of working out at home with the availability of virtual classes, Egan’s Bootcamp has gained members throughout the mainland and Europe. “It really opened our business to people everywhere,” Marcia Inoue said. “We found a new business avenue for us that we will be continuing because people have been requesting (it). It’s been so in demand.”

In addition to virtual classes, Egan’s Bootcamp also began offering nutrition coaching. “That’s been a nice growth area to help the community get back in shape. Staying in shape and eating right is the best way to keep your immune system up,” Inoue said. “We just want to makes sure our community stays healthy.”

Egan’s Bootcamp offers programs for all ages with beginner and advanced levels. It also offers a low-­impact workout program specifically geared for people 55 and older.

Under the Safe Access O‘ahu program, gym patrons must continue to show proof of full COVID- 19 vaccination or a negative test result to enter the facilities. Mask mandates at indoor gyms and fitness centers also remain in place.

“Safe Access O‘ahu has proven to be an effective program providing confidence for both businesses and customers and will continue in its current form, with no adjustments at this time,” city spokesman Tim Sakahara said Friday.

“We are monitoring current conditions and consulting with medical professionals regarding potential next steps. In the meantime we strongly encourage people to get boosted as it is the most effective way to help prevent severe impacts of the omicron variant.”

At the YMCA of Honolulu, Lisa Ontai, vice president of marketing and mission advancement, said while the membership rate has yet to return to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, the YMCA has seen an increase of at least 50% so far this month in new members compared with what it’s seen throughout the past year.

Just after Christmas the nonprofit organization began its promotion, which runs through Jan. 31, that includes waiving a new member’s $99 joiner fee and offering a $25 credit to use toward program fees or membership.

Despite the current surge in the COVID-19 infection rate, Ontai said, the YMCA has not experienced a dramatic spike in membership cancellations.

Though most of the group exercise classes at the YMCA are livestreamed through Zoom, Ontai said it has not necessarily seen an increase in members shifting to livestream classes. “We are still seeing folks still coming out to the group exercise classes in person. Some of them like to do a combination. They might do a couple of their classes livestream and then come in once in a while.”

The YMCA, which has six health and fitness facilities on the island, began livestreaming its group exercise classes in March 2020.