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Friday, March 29, 2024

Americans bulk up on home gym equipment to stay fit

Duration: 01:51s 0 shares 2 views

Americans bulk up on home gym equipment to stay fit
Americans bulk up on home gym equipment to stay fit

With millions of Americans staying home, demand has soared for fitness equipment to create home gyms - both as a way to stay fit and to relieve stress.

This report produced by Yahaira Jacquez.

When sweeping stay-at-home orders closed her favorite gym, Chiaki Osaka bought a stationary bike for her home in Cupertino California.

Chiaki Osaka: "I was afraid to, one, get out of shape and, two, I'm staying inside and working on my computer all day, and I needed a change, and I needed structure to my life." She isn't alone.

With millions of Americans cooped up at home and gyms shuttered, demand for fitness equipment is booming.

The most recent figures available from march showed the market experiencing a 130% jump in sales, according to research company NPD group, with sales of exercise bikes are up 170%.

Peloton - for example - has become a winner in the stay-at-home economy.

The company recently announced a 61% jump in sales for its quarter ending March 31 as stay-at-home orders led to a surge in sales of its $2200 bikes and subscriptions.

Rep Fitness co-founder Ryan Mcgrotty: "We've been hiring up as quickly as we can and scaling up our operations." Ryan Mcgrotty says his company Rep Fitness - a fitness equipment supplier in Denver - is working in overdrive to meet soaring demand.

"We've worked with our factory partners to let them know that, hey, we need way more equipment than what you guys were previously used to manufacturing for us.

And so we've doubled our capacity as far as how much we can produce." While he declined to give numbers, McGrotty said his company was seeing demand that "exceeds Black Friday levels, every day' since mid-March.

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