Dr. Fauci recommends avoiding gyms, bars, and restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Marty Makary, Fox News Medical Associate, with more.
At the-Home training have been since the beginning of Coronavirus pandemic and with new cases and winter approaching, the trend may well be far from over.
Companies first saw an influx of new members amid widespread lockdown orders when crowds of Americans hid inside and gyms closed. Businesses prepare for continued demand as more fitness junkies are likely to stay indoors in cold weather.
Fitness at home has always been a part of people’s lives. However, with advances in technology and social media, home exercise has come a long way since the early 1980s when American actress Jane Fonda and others took over the scene with VHS exercise tapes. The videos sold tens of millions of copies and sparked a number of television training programs, according to the BBC. However, the outdated tapes are a far cry from the virtual coaches and live streaming classes many are familiar with today.
This new technology is a key tool for many companies in keeping consumers both motivated and inspired in the current climate.
CORONAVIRUS ACCELERATES STREAMING FITNESS CLASS INDUSTRY
In a recent call for earnings, Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau noted that the company’s United We Move initiative, which offers free home workouts through its social media pages, “continues to produce strong results.” The program has reached 45 million viewers in 36 countries since the pandemic began, Rondeau said.
Planet Fitness is not alone.
The total number of connected fitness subscriptions for Peloton increased to over 1.33 million as of the end of the quarter and the total number of digital subscriptions rose 382% to over 510,000.
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All fitness members completed more than 90 million workouts in over 17,000 classes, an increase of 332% over the previous year. As a result, the company plans to continue increasing content production in the final quarter alone, producing over 2,400 new classes.
| ticker | security | Latest | change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTON | PELOTON INTERACTIVE | 146.13 | +0.30 | + 0.21% |
| PLNT | PLANET FITNESS INC | 72.00 | -3.59 | -4.75% |
| FROM | NIKE INC. | 133.59 | -1.13 | -0.84% |
For the future, the company expects, according to a results report, “a higher level of engagement, a higher distribution of digital subscriptions and further investments in fitness and wellness programs”.
For Nike, it’s about “dialing” the digital ecosystem and “using” the entire digital portfolio, Heidi O’Neill, Nike President for Consumers and Markets, told FOX Business.
These include Nike.com, the Nike app, the Nike Run Club app, the Nike Training Club app and Nike’s social channels. The Nike Run Club alone welcomed more than 1 million new runners in March and recorded a 42% increase in logged runs, the company said to FOX Business.
Home fitness company Mirror sells full-length mirrors that allow consumers to access on-demand workouts. During the peak COVID months, the workout business per household grew 70%, a company spokesperson told FOX Business.
Mirror saw a noticeable increase in users under the age of 20, which quintupled during the peak months of the coronavirus pandemic. The company attributes this growth to an increase in adults moving home or teenagers starting distance learning.
As winter approaches, Tuck Barre & Yoga is based in Philadelphia Yoga studio With four locations across town, the company has even restarted its free barre classes, which are streamed live on Facebook, to give consumers the boost they need, the company told FOX Business.
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About six months ago, Tuck Barre & Yoga launched a full on-demand platform offering 200 barre and yoga classes for about $ 10 per month. The company also offers a Zoom schedule for those in need of a “routine” and accountability.
According to market research company NPD, sales of fitness equipment in August 2020 increased by a total of 72% compared to the same period last year.
