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The grand reopening of the home gym

January 28, 2022, 2:00 p.m. (EST)
Person kneeling down and tying their shoes in their home gym, with weights and a water bottle nearby.

New Year’s resolutions lead many towards a healthier lifestyle, meaning that traditionally, gyms see their busiest days in the month of January. Although Canadians are still keen to work out, COVID-19 has compelled them to shift the ways in which they enjoy both fitness and recreation.

With new restrictions put in place since the beginning of the fifth wave of the pandemic, most fitness and recreational sports centres have had to shut their doors once again. Businesses in this industry reported a combined decrease of 23.1% in their operating revenues to $3.5 billion in 2020, as government-mandated restrictions forced the closure of fitness centres to limit the spread of COVID-19.

But Canadians have not stopped working out; they simply found new ways to do so. Many are learning to embrace the transition to home workouts and online gyms—with sales of exercise equipment increasing 42.5% in 2020.

So, as you pull up that workout video on your laptop for the seventh time, surrounded by your collection of random home gym equipment that you’ve purchased during the pandemic—know that the rest of us are right there with you.

Contact information

For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136514-283-8300infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).