Lucy Cooper takes a look at hybrid workouts and how exercising from home has been made easier thanks to tech.
Since lockdowns began peoples’ exercise habits have changed, needs, and wants have changed. Hybrid workouts are the new fitness trend taking over. The combination of at home workouts and traditional gym training are joining together. I remember the run to Kmart to get dumbbells and weight training equipment to set up at home, took me a couple of trips waiting for new stock to be delivered until I had everything I needed. Yoga mats on the balcony, skipping ropes touching the ceiling, and trying not to break or bump into anything in the living room.
Research from Raise the Bar showed that in 2022, 5.5 million Australians (32%) prefer to work out from home as their main form of exercise, compared to outdoor exercise (20%) and traditional gyms (13%). It’s also most likely cheaper to buy a basic pair of dumbbells than a gym membership.
Hybrid Workouts are on the rise
Hybrid workouts are on the rise! Many Australians want the best of both worlds, the choice of a solid workout at home and still having access to your traditional gym. But that’s not to say that the home workout is without its flaws. The problem can come from knowing what to do and having the focus to keep going, even with your pre-workout and energy drink supply. There are more distractions at home. I’ll be doing squats looking out into my courtyard and thinking ‘oh I should water my plants’ or glancing towards the kitchen ‘the dishwasher needs emptying’, or ‘I could rearrange my whole bedroom’. And let’s not forget about our furry friends. When I have my dog with me, he loves to cuddle. I’m sure he thinks he’s being helpful by sitting on my back and asking for cuddles, but it’s not exactly conducive to a motivating workout.
The new strength training program designed by Peloton will allow anyone at home to turn their living room into a strength training studio. This AI-enabled device uses machine learning and members can see themselves on screen, track their exercises alongside a global roster of instructors, and choose from hundreds of classes to suit their fitness goals.
The new Peloton program comes with several new features designed to help you at home. The Peloton Guide camera tracks your movement, motivates you to keep going, and supports you for completing the movement. The Guide’s AI technology curates a balanced workout as it recognises which muscle groups have been worked already, monitoring your body activity. Self-mode allows you to see yourself on screen next to your instructor, checking your form. Movement details show your form before class, seeing the exercises before you start.
I am one of those people who like to follow a set program for my gym routine. I enjoy not having to think about what I need to do, just follow my program and I’m all good! But I am also a person with anxiety. And that anxiety can be made worse in a gym environment, where you are surrounded by people who appear so much more confident than yourself. By having the choice to work out at home, with a trainer right there on your television with a program to follow, sets a new path in the home workout world.
