They won’t work. It doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. They just won’t work.
We humans secretly crave connection to other humans. No matter how outgoing or introverted you might be, to some extent we all desire and thrive when we connect with others.
It’s a well-known fact that that most people do not exercise regularly. And again, it is something all our bodies crave, is essential, and we need to thrive.
The Peloton bike and “tread,” the Mirror, and the Hydrow are in a class of high-end products rapidly gaining in popularity.
And they won’t work. Let me explain.
There is nothing wrong with the workouts these items provide. And all these items can play a valuable role in providing a quality fitness experience. But they won’t move the needle on obesity and the widespread lack of physical activity. Why?
Because, like most of the fitness world, they will actually be used most often and most effectively by people who are already exercising.
The old joke about in-home exercise equipment is that it ends up as an expensive clothing rack. Well, now that clothing rack has live streaming or recorded workouts and wifi.
For people who don’t currently exercise, the reasons they don’t have nothing to do with the absence of expensive equipment in the home and the absence of a virtual fitness class experience.
They don’t because it is perceived as too hard, not a good fit for their personalities, and not fun.
These hot new devices will do nothing to change that perception of exercise for someone not into what fitness currently looks and feels like.
Sure, there will be a lot of sales from the herd mentality present whenever there is a hot trend to follow. And as always with fitness, there are a good number of people who still believe in “throwing enough money at a problem to make it go away.”
These devices give you the same physical experience you already get at a gym, studio, or out in the world exercising and bring into your home. If that fitness experience does not and has never appealed to you in the real world, brining it into your home in a virtual form certainly will not.
Deep down, everyone wants to feel good, healthy, and vital. We also want to have social connections that enrich and enhance our lives. For anyone not exercising at this point, it is clear that they need something other than the traditional approach to fitness.
We need fun, reactive fitness that connects with others and this one of the foundational ideas behind the Funtensity approach to exercise and life. The old saying “time flies when you’re having fun” is why most workouts feel so long to most people.
If you want a truly different in-home fitness experience, here’s a do anywhere Funtensity workout created for you for a fraction of the cost of the monthly service of the connected equipment. $3000 for the same thing you have seen before or $5.99 for something different.
If I had one a Peloton, Hyrdrow, or Mirror, I would use them. But I’m already into fitness. If you’re not into fitness already, these products won’t help you. They are great, but just like a great pair of shoes that isn’t in your size, it’s not a good fit for you.
We can’t force ourselves to fitness. That approach will never work – whatever form it takes.
Great post – Thanks for sharing! This is my battle with not having students take PE every year in high school. We are setting young people up for failure at 14 years old by not giving them an opportunity in their day to connect with others and move. How many of them are going to workout at home, alone? The ones that love fitness and movement are already involved in sports/activities, but the vast majority of our students are sedentary.