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Going to the gym was always part of Kari Hamra鈥檚 routine until last year鈥檚 government-ordered shutdowns forced her to replace the workouts with daily rides on her Peloton stationary bike.

That鈥檚 when she discovered something surprising聽鈥� 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, she鈥檚 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 鈥淚 would still be a gym rat.鈥�

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 forced to close a year ago 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 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. It鈥檚 breaking ground Monday on its first United States 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 it鈥檚 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 鈥渁 broken model of yesteryear.鈥�

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, it acquired Precor, a company with manufacturing and product development sites in the U.S.

鈥淔itness is one of the few remaining categories that is going to be massively disrupted by a digital experience,鈥� Mr. 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.

鈥淣ow there鈥檚 an expectation for it,鈥� said Michael Stack, CEO of Applied Fitness Solutions, which has three fitness centers in southeast Michigan.

Small gyms can鈥檛 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.

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the way we even the playing field,鈥� Mr. Stack said.

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

鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the budget to do it at the same price and the same quality,鈥� said Jeff Sanders, CEO of Apex Athletic Health Club in Penfield, New York. 鈥淒igital is great, but we鈥檝e seen surveys that show people want to stay active, but miss the interaction and being around others.鈥�

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 鈥渆veryone鈥檚 making decisions just to survive,鈥� Mr. Sanders said.

Roughly 9,000 health clubs 鈥撀�22% of the total nationwide 鈥撀爃ave 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 won鈥檛 spell doom for the fitness centers, said Helen Durkin, the association鈥檚 executive vice president of public policy.

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

There鈥檚 no doubt digital fitness is here to stay, said Michelle Segar, director of the University of Michigan鈥檚 Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center.

鈥淧eople are integrating their lives with technology. This is where society is, and it鈥檚 just going to get more integrated,鈥� 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 can鈥檛 follow a rigid schedule.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why people don鈥檛 stick with it,鈥� she said.

Cindy Cicchinelli, who鈥檚 become a dedicated Peloton user after going to her gym in Pittsburgh for years, said the convenience is what has sold her.

鈥淚 can roll out of bed and not worry about running to the gym,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I don鈥檛 have to add an extra half-hour for my commute.鈥�

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.

鈥淭hey are going to be thinking about ventilation and air purifiers and how long ago was this equipment sanitized,鈥� he said.

He reconfigured MX3 Fitness鈥檚 two small studios and created personal workout spaces. It has become so popular he鈥檚 looking for a third location.

He鈥檚 not surprised that people are coming back even though safety remains a concern.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want to live this solitary existence anymore,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 all kinds of motivations. Let鈥檚 face facts, gyms are great ways to meet new people, especially if you鈥檙e single.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.