Cari Gundee on her Peloton bike at her Marin County, Calif., home. Sales of home exercise equipment have boomed during the pandemic.
Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Five questions with Jillian Michaels, fitness expert, author and television personality.
Q:How would you say home exercise and fitness changed in 2020?
A: We saw people getting outdoors a lot more because it was the only place to go. It opened a lot of people to their environment more than they had ever experienced it, and they took up jogging, hiking, biking, surfing, skateboarding—all of those things.
And then I saw a lot of people exploring different at-home fitness options, which run the gamut from things like Peloton [bikes, treadmills] to at-home streaming apps. It has given people more options and more variety for the future so that they know no matter what happens there are a million options and alternatives available to make fitness accessible and affordable.
Q:Doesn’t history suggest that those Peloton bikes, surfboards, skateboards are going to be in the back of a closet by Valentine’s Day?
A: I really hope not. I think with activities like that, you can develop a passion for it. I can only speak for myself, but when I engage in an activity that I enjoy, it becomes a hobby, an active hobby, as opposed to working out.
Q: What will the ripple effects of these change be?
A: Public gyms or workouts that have done a great job at creating a sense of community, I think they’re going to continue to thrive. But I do think that really expensive group classes and really expensive big-box gyms are going to take a hit because people are realizing they can get community and great workouts at home.
I think it’s going to permanently shift people to more of a hybrid. I’ve missed the gym. When the gym opens, I’m going to be back at the gym because I miss it, but probably twice a week.
Q:Did you allow yourself any extra time on the couch bingeing TV and eating Cheetos like the rest of us this year?
A: No, that just isn’t who I am. I would love to tell you that it is, so it seems relatable, but it isn’t.
Q:For the person who has been doomscrolling on the couch for the past nine months and put on the Covid 19 pounds, is there one basic activity that you recommend they start with to get active again?
A: If you want something super simple, you are stuck in your house and you’re an absolute beginner, give me 50 squats a day, 50 lunges a day, 50 crunches a day and 50 jumping jacks a day. And you can do them throughout your day: every 90 minutes do 10 of each.
Mr. Kornelis is a writer in Seattle. He can be reached at [email protected].
Share Your Thoughts
What kind of home gym equipment did you buy over the past nine months, and do you think you’ll keep using it? Join the conversation below.
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