COVID has been behind so many changes to the way we live these days and a lingering downturn in gym memberships – especially for older people – seems to be one of them.
The rising cost of living is another reason people are thinking about other ways to exercise. For me, it’s the idea of preferring to keep the work-in-progress of reshaping my jiggly body on a treadmill in the privacy of my own home.
In my memory, the concept of home exercise started with Jane Fonda and her aerobic videos from the 1980s. My mum was a fan (how could you resist those leg warmers?) – and Jane’s now recognised as the world’s first fitness influencer.
Home exercise is not without its dangers, though.
At least at a gym, if you take a tumble, someone might come to your rescue (hopefully!). In your living room, though, one wrong move could cause the sting of an over-stretched resistance band, or see a weighted slam ball take out your wall-mounted TV.
But with the findings from an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Health Survey (NHS) study showing that 82% of older people (aged 65 and over) didn’t meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity, it’s clear that getting moving is something we all need to do more.
In the gym vs home workout choice, where do you prefer to sweat it out?
(And has anyone still got a VCR replaying old Jane Fonda workouts?)
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