Hi everyone. I am from Canada and planning on moving to the Riviera Maya within the next 2-3 years. My plans are to open up a gym and wondering if the personal trainers in Mexico are certified as I am wanting to help create jobs as well for the locals. If they are, could you please tell me their governing body. Also, in the Riviera Maya, how important is exercise to the locals? Do most people exercise outdoors or due to the heat, they take it indoors to a gym? Could you please tell me also what some of the names are for the local big boxed gyms. Thanks in advance for al your help, much appreciated!!!
This is interesting to hear, where exactly in Cancun would you like to open a Gym? Oddly they don't appear hugely popular - except perhaps the mega gyms. The smaller gyms I've checked out have been mostly empty - which is good as a client, partially. Don't get me wrong people use them, but they arn't as packed so some gyms in Canada I've been to. Ownership has also changed. (Like in Cancun there are no gym chains as in comparable cities in the US - they are all one off locations). One of the gym I recall in Playa Del Carmen closed down a few years ago and a Senor Frogs store opened up in its place. It appears that there have been a bunch of gym financial failures in Q. Roo. There was atleast one gym chain with multiple locations but I think as of two years ago it was back down to one gym location. California Gym changed ownership and location as far as I am aware. There have been smaller gyms, that have odd hours. Not sure exactly what you'd like to know in regard to names, they've changed and so have locations - however sometimes just new ownership and name. Some people exercise outside but much like in Kiev, when in Cancun, I felt out of place jogging outside (it is also a tini bit more dangerous (esepcially at night) than kiev due to the sidewalks in Cancun often being not as linear as in America and Canada) - police didn't pull me over though, however I felt compelled to stop jogging every time a police truck drove by - as they often did with their flashing lights on. People jog on the beaches in Mexico and boardwalks, where they also bike and rollerblade. Cancun has beter sidewalk conditions than Playa Del Carmen though, and the hotel road has grade A north american sidewalk. Lots of people do exercise in "the parks" probably as many people as the gyms. There are specific areas in Cancun that are "workout friendly" notably the "boardwalk" highway going into the hotel zone from the city proper and various city parks that have areas that pull ups, and the beaches somewhat. In Cancun there a couple mega gyms but they are all out a bit from the core. The smaller local gyms do have clients but its not like they are packed. I sort of consider the smaller gyms a bit like home businesses in terms of how much flow they see. They do have clients though, based on the size of the city I would say that it is perhaps 10% the client base of comparitive cities in the US and Canada. Certain sports are popular in Mexico - partlcularly soccer. You don't see a lot of people working out though, but they do. It seems to be more of a super gym country. there are about 6 gyms I know of in Cancun - somewhat saturated market. 1 or 2 mega gyms, a Crossfit/MMA gym, a couple older looking gyms with freeweights and some machines. The smaller ones don't have pools, pools are hard to come by in Mexico outside of hotels. Not sure if there are any gym/spas outside the hotels but I'd love somewhere I can go into the sauna (I know just go outside), steam shower, hot tub, and then swim laps in a pool (I know there is a whole ocean) as well as do other workouts like "goodlife fitness clubs" in Canada. I'm not a local but I would love to be one, if I can somehow assist with your project I would love the chance, as well I would be very willing to help you find locals. I would surmise there is no legal requirement for training, but it will improve your professional image to have certifications. Mexico is not much different than the US or Canada in terms of unregulated professions. I am definitely willing to help you out with your project. Note there are some other potential business issues on opening up a physical business location in Mexico you might want to consider. Definately find a lawyer to consult with.
