Popular Central Valley gym chain files for bankruptcy, blames pandemic restrictions
In-Shape Health Clubs, a well-known chain of fitness centers with locations up and down the Central Valley, filed for bankruptcy this week, leaving its future in the region uncertain.
Like gyms and fitness centers across the state, In-Shape has weathered closures, reopenings and other safety restrictions due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The company said the decision was due to stringent COVID-19 policies in California.
“We have been shut down as most of you know for the majority of the year, which is really almost 10 months now,” said In-Shape CEO Francesca Schular in a video posted on the company website.
In Stanislaus County, only one In-Shape location remains open and the others have all been closed either temporarily or permanently. The company’s sole in-county operating site, at 2700 McHenry Ave., has constructed an outdoor area for classes off its parking lot. Fitness centers are allowed to operate outdoors only while the county is under both the new stay-at-home order and the most strict purple tier for outbreaks.
The next closest open In-Shape facilities are on East Yosemite Avenue in Manteca and Yosemite Avenue in Merced.
The company announced that it has permanently closed its In-Shape location on Geer Road in Turlock, among 17 in the state that have shuttered for good. It’s other Stanislaus gyms (on Floyd Avenue and Prescott Road in Modesto, Monte Vista Avenue in Turlock and Mitchell Road in Ceres) are all listed as temporarily closed.
A spokesperson for the In-Shape company did not return a request for comment in time for publication. In October, when news of the chain’s financial woes first was reported, a company spokeswoman told The Bee that In-Shape has 22 of its gyms open in counties where it is allowed across the state. Currently, per the company website, 16 gyms are open in the state.
“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve had to close some of our clubs permanently due to the COVID-19 restrictions,” the company stated on its website.
“In-Shape expects to emerge from its restructuring with a smaller, more focused portfolio of about 45 clubs across California and will remain positioned to be the leading fitness and community destination in our markets.”
The company did not disclose which 45 clubs will remain open.
Merced-Sun Star reporter Shawn Jansen contributed to this report.
