The Future of Fitness: Americans Embrace a Hybrid of Home Exercise and Gym Workouts

Even as gyms begin to welcome back guests, the at-home workout phenomenon appears here to stay according to a new survey just released from The Beachbody Company, the leading innovator in digital fitness, wellness and nutrition.

The Beachbody Company “Future of Fitness Survey” asked 1,000 U.S. adults who exercise regularly how they have embraced the ‘new normal’ of fitness since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they plan to stay fit in the future. Surprisingly, a staggering 87% of respondents who already or will feel comfortable working out in a gym said that they would continue pumping and burning from their living rooms.

“The only thing worse than this ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic is actually getting sick, and I think that’s why we’re seeing so many people being proactive about their health despite the circumstances,” said The Beachbody Company co-founder and CEO Carl Daikeler. “Millions of people are exercising at home, they’re learning how to be more conscious about their nutrition, and they’re finding ways to manage their stress with content. For instance, the fact that two-thirds of Americans have been working out at home at least three times a week is extremely promising, and hopefully a sign that healthier habits are here to stay. As gyms navigate a path to reopen around the country, we expect to see a hybrid model where the traditional gym membership is a complement to more frequent at-home digital fitness, nutrition planning, stress-reducing content and online community engagement like we offer - with a priority on health over vanity.”

As more Americans have opened up to the idea of working out at home, their perceptions of the experience have changed drastically. An overwhelming majority (90%) described their at-home fitness routines as effective, including a majority (54%) who said their routines have been very or extremely effective.

Additional key findings on the changing face of fitness include:

• 85% of Americans who exercise regularly said they plan to work out at home over the next three months
• Though 15% of Americans said they won’t ever feel comfortable working out in a gym, more than half (61%) said they will eventually feel comfortable heading back, while 23% are already comfortable to resume their gym workouts
• At the same time, 85% agreed that there are convenience and accessibility benefits to working out at home that they can’t get from working out at the gym
• More than 63% of Americans who exercise prefer a mix of working out in a gym and at home in the future
• Interestingly, men are proving to be huge proponents of at-home workouts, as they are significantly more likely to continue exercising at home all the time or frequently (59%) than women (45%)
• 86% of Americans said their workouts have been as good or better than they expected, including 46% who said their home workouts have exceeded their expectations
• City dwellers have embraced home workouts the most, with 77% working out three times a week or more and 66% having found their at-home workouts extremely or very effective
• The quality of at-home fitness particularly resonates with America’s most health conscious generations, with 53% of millennials and 54% of Gen Xers saying their workouts have exceeded expectations

The Beachbody Company “Future of Fitness” survey was conducted by Wakefield Research between July 24, 2020, and July 29, 2020, among 1,000 U.S. adults who exercise regularly. To view the full survey results, visit https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/home-workouts-future-of-fitness.

About The Beachbody Company

The Beachbody Company, a worldwide leader in health and fitness headquartered in Santa Monica, California, was founded in 1998 by Carl Daikeler and Jon Congdon with the mission to help people achieve their goals and enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives. The Beachbody Company's formula of world-class fitness, nutrition, motivation and support has proven again and again to deliver results for its customers. For more information please visit Beachbody.com or BeachbodyOnDemand.com.

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