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Almost Half Of Brits Now Prefer To Exercise At Home With One In Five Never Returning To The Gym

Dr Hazel Wallace

Home has become the new fitness haven for Brits with an average saving of £100 a month compared to going to the gym, a new study revealed.

Nearly half (44 per cent) are now preferring to exercise at home for convenience (65 per cent), value for money (50 per cent) and ease (48 per cent), with over a third (38 per cent) feeling it’s easy to access different apps, workouts and motivation at home.

The research commissioned by the award winning Sky Q platform and Fiit, showed that following the on and off closure of gyms and leisure centres since March, the alternative set-up of exercising at home was relaxing (31 per cent), quieter (30 per cent), and more enjoyable (24 per cent), with almost a third (32 per cent) preferring the option to choose to exercise when it suits their calendar. Sky Q is the only UK TV platform to offer an integrated fitness app, helping you train smarter and harder – all from your TV, easy.

Fiit ambassador, Dr Hazel Wallace, who’s partnered with Sky Q said“Working out at home can be very difficult without any guided support or motivation to get you through. Fiit on Sky Q solves that problem by offering you a range of quick, effective, instructor-led classes in the comfort of your own home. Staying active is not only important for our physical health – but our mental health too. 

With all the upheaval over the last year, it is more important than ever that we take time out in our day to look after our health and wellbeing.”

Two thirds (64 per cent) of adults used exercise to improve their mental and physical wellbeing during both lockdowns, with many preferring the benefits of not feeling pressured (30 per cent), judged (26 per cent) or embarrassed (21 per cent) and instead feeling more confident (21 per cent).

Almost seven in ten of us have continued to exercise at home since the first lockdown and are keen to keep up this habit – with 39 per cent admitting they want to keep going for at least a year.

As a result of this new trend, the average exercise fan plans to spend two days less in the gym – even when restrictions are fully lifted. With a fifth not planning to return to the gym at all.

And as some feel more comfortable working out at home, 33 per cent of Brits are trying new forms of exercise including core, weights, cardio, yoga and cycling, since the start of the pandemic.

Fraser Stirling, Group Chief Product Officer at Sky said: “It’s great that people are feeling more confident to try new forms of exercise at home. Having Fiit on Sky Q makes it so easy to work out that you can’t use the usual excuses!

Even if it’s a quick 15-minute session, everyone can join in with classes and training programmes, straight from the heart of your home and all on the big screen.”

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