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Home workouts are gaining in popularity
By Christina | May 6, 2009
Sales of treadmills, elliptical machines, and other traditional home fitness equipment dropped 10.3% in 2008 from the year before. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association says this decline was caused by the lack of attention towards big-ticket items and a halt in home construction. Gym memberships, especially high end memberships have dropped because people are looking fro anywhere they can save a dollar from their budget.New York Sports Clubs and other gyms in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington reported that the percentage of members who quit rose to 40.2% in 2008 from 38.2% in 2007. That doesn’t sound like much but typically memberships to gyms stay pretty flat with some people leaving and others coming.
In contrast, fitness equipment manufacturers of lower priced items, like mats and workout DVDs, have seen their numbers on the increase. In just the first quarter of this year the sales of fitness DVDs have grown 16% - that’s a huge jump considering most industries are struggling just to stay flat. Another product that’s flying off shelves are yoga-mats. One manufacturer has seen a 45% increase in sales from this time last year!
Fitness experts say home workouts, if done regularly and correctly, are effective. “You can still get in unbelievable shape without spending money,” says Valerie Waters, a personal trainer in Los Angeles who is seeing even her high-end clientele scale back. “I think this side of fitness, where people leave the gyms and work out at home, will continue to grow.”
Topics: Exercise, Fitness Fads |
