From speakeasy gyms to exercise bubbles, here are 12 ways the pandemic has drastically altered fitness and exercise as we know it

People participate in an outdoor yoga class at Hotel X in Toronto, Canada.Cole Burston/Getty Images

• The fitness industry has changed dramatically during the pandemic, as the coronavirus outbreak has temporarily shuttered gyms and prompted Americans to find creative ways to stay fit.
• While some Americans are taking advantage of the great outdoors to get their blood pumping, others are shelling out on at-home fitness equipment, prompting shortages of everything from dumbbells to Peloton bikes.
• We took a closer look at 12 of the biggest trends impacting the fitness industry during the pandemic.

In an effort to stay fit and sane in these trying times, Americans have become especially innovative when it comes to finding ways to exercise during the pandemic.

With quarantines and stay-at-home mandates prompting temporally closures at many gym chains and fitness boutiques around the country, Americans have turned to new ways to get their blood pumping. Some are equipping their own at-home studios with Peloton bikes and NordicTrack treadmills, leading to massive sales booms and weeks-long back orders, while others are unfurling their yoga mats and queuing up virtual streaming classes from their favorite instructors.

In areas where gyms have started to slowly reopen to the public, companies are enforcing new policies including mandating masks, reducing capacity, and enhancing sanitizing, while others are ignoring protocols altogether and defying state mandates at "speakeasy gyms."

We took a closer look at some of the biggest trends in fitness as the pandemic continues on.