Phygital. Omnichannel. Hybrid. Curated. Boutique. Custom-made, with a bigger focus on nutrition. You wouldn’t usually associate these marketing buzzwords with gyms — traditionally the domain of musclemen and treadmill junkies — but these are some of the models gyms are working towards.

These changes have been in the pipeline for some time, but Covid-19 regulations have accelerated them, says Virgin Active group CEO Dean Kowarski. In these unpredictable times, the fitness industry, like everyone else, has had to tailor itself to meets the needs of savvy and time-pushed clients...