Two in three Americans said the pandemic has made them realize a gym isn’t actually necessary for them to stay fit.
A new survey of 2,000 Americans who regularly exercise analyzed how the pandemic has impacted their relationship with fitness and found their new at-home workouts are also improving things in the bedroom.
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Nearly one in five respondents said keeping up with a workout routine at home has led to better sex during lockdown.
Another perk of at-home workouts is finding some peace and quiet – 85% said their new routines have allowed them to find time for themselves away from the family.
Three-quarters of respondents shared the past year stuck indoors has allowed them to reconnect with their bodies and improve their self-confidence – an additional 81% said working out at home has also positively affected this.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of AI fitness app Freeletics, the survey also found that more Americans have found it easier to maintain an at-home fitness routine compared to last year – at 82% compared to 72% in 2020.
Although gyms have been closed, 78% of those polled said fitness has actually become more accessible to them over the course of the past year.
The results also found more Americans believe gyms will actually become a thing of the past due to the pandemic, up to 72% compared to 60% in last year’s survey.
The top benefits of working out at home included feeling more confident to try new fitness activities (48%), flexibility to work out whenever (48%), and flexibility on the activities they can do (46%).
Nearly four in 10 respondents also said they have more motivation to work out since they started exercising at home.
Over half of those surveyed said their top motivating factors to work out at while at home included improving their overall health, closely followed by boosting their energy levels and improving their mental health, both at 50%.
Nearly 8 in 10 (78%) respondents also agreed that their mental health has become more of a priority since the start of the pandemic and 86% plan to keep prioritizing this once the pandemic ends.
“It is imperative that we continue to use exercise as a tool to boost mental and physical health — not only until the pandemic ends, but also well into the future,” said Vicky Hallbauer, CMO at Freeletics
Thirty-five percent of respondents also shared that a key reason for working out at home during this time was being able to keep up with their kids.
Seventy-eight percent of respondents with children (just over 1,500) shared they started taking their fitness and overall health more seriously once they had their children.
Four in five respondents with little ones also said it’s important for them to show their kids how to live a healthy lifestyle.
Of those surveyed who want to have more children (approximately 900 respondents), a whopping 93% said they want to take time to get in better shape and improve their overall health so they’re healthy enough to take care of their future children.
For the women surveyed who want to have children in the future (approximately 400 respondents), 91% believe having a healthy future pregnancy is the top benefit of exercise.
“It’s a very positive sign that many women already recognize the benefits of regular exercise when it comes to future pregnancy, as some may shy away from physical activity as a precaution,” said Dr. Kian Missaghi, Senior Training Experience Manager at Freeletics.
“However, if women exercise before conception in alignment with medical advice, many will find that they can safely continue with physical activity throughout their pregnancy for even more benefits — a perfect setup for long-term healthy lifestyles for both mother and child.”
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TOP BENEFITS OF WORKING OUT AT HOME
Feeling more confident in trying new fitness activities I normally wouldn’t do – 48%
Flexibility on the hours I can work out – 48%
Flexibility on the variety of fitness activities I can do – 46%
Improved mental health – 44%
Not feeling judged by others as I would feel in a gym setting – 43%
More motivation – 39%
No more commuting to the gym – 36%
TOP REASONS AMERICANS EXERCISE
To improve my health overall – 54%
To have more energy – 50%
To improve my mental health and de-stress – 50%
To gain muscle/strength – 46%
To lose weight – 44%
To stay busy during the pandemic – 40%
To keep up with my kids – 35%