Abstract:
This study aims to identify the different features of the gym that, despite changes in its
sociocultural milieu and the financial constraints brought by COVID-19, keep it a desirable
“space” for people to achieve their fitness goals there. Utilizing a phenomenological case study
approach and criteria-based purposive and snowball selection, 15 work-from-home (WFH)
fitness enthusiasts, classified as gym owners or managers, gym coaches or personal trainers, and
regular gym-goers eagerly shared their experience in the gym before and after the lockdown and
were recruited through the Pilipino Body Builders Group (PBBG) Facebook group. Analyzing
their narratives along with the observations on two commercial gyms using Scott (2011)’s notion
of a “reinventive institution” and the trifecta of area studies, the study shed light on the potential
and limitations of the gym as a social and exercise space and spotted the changes in the
perceived gym culture of the participants brought by the pandemic. Among the significant
improvements in the gym that have resulted from the pandemic scenario is realizing the value of
enough space, sanitation, and ventilation. By uncovering the characteristics of this gym, this
study gave an idea of its importance as an area not just in the lives of WFH fitness enthusiasts,
but also as an institution that plays a vital role in a health crisis.
