You only have to look at the rise of cult exercise bike Peloton for proof of the soaring business in home fitness technology.
Peloton boasts 4.4 million members across the globe and celebrity fans including David Beckham and Miley Cyrus.
And the number of ‘tech’ home gym options has exploded in recent months.
A range of connected devices – from mirrors to digitised weights – link users with top fitness trainers and communities, and offer tailored training goals.
Aiming to take the boredom out of repetitive rowing workouts, Hydrow has a 22-inch HD touchscreen that displays live and on-demand classes out on the water.
The Nile in your living room!
It brings some of the world’s most famous stretches of water right to your living room, like the London Thames and Cairo’s historic River Nile.
It’s fitted with an electromagnetic and computer-controlled drag mechanism that mimics the feeling of stroking your oars through a real waterway.
Hydrow’s sessions are tailored for your fitness level and coached by some of the world’s top rowers. There’s a lively community with competitive races and team virtual events.
It’s not cheap though – £2,295 for the rower and £38 per month class subscription.
If you want to work on your strength, outside of the weights room, the latest buzz is about Tonal.
‘An entire gym on a digital screen’
The technology is currently only available in the US but it’s storming the American market so it’s probably only a matter of time until this starts flooding the UK, too.
Tonal is a smart home gym system offering a full-body workout that’s designed to replace using dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands and bench presses.
It’s mounted onto the wall with a digital screen that streams personal trainers and workouts direct to your space.
The system uses a combination of electricity and magnets to digitise weights, allowing you to lift up to 200lbs. It measures reps, sets, range of motion, time under tension, power and volume to track gains over time.
It costs £2173 for the machine plus extra for the weight accessories.
NordicTrack are one of the original pioneers of smart home workout equipment.
And they’ve gone all-in when it comes to upgrading the treadmill.
No slacking off
The Commercial X32i has a 32-inch smart HD touchscreen, so you can stream on-demand studio workouts around your own schedule.
There’s no slacking off in secret either. The interactive tech allows elite trainers to adjust your machine’s speed, incline and decline, as you sweat along with their classes.
This costs a hefty £3,499 but includes an iFit Family Membership with access to all classes.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
At first glance, Vaha looks like an average wall mirror. But switch it on and it doubles as a digital personal trainer.
The smart mirror comes pre-loaded with 100 on-demand classes and a rolling timetable of live classes (cardio, weights, yoga and Pilates) bookable through an app.
The 43-inch full HD touchscreen is like watching an instructor at the front of a class, while the mirror shows your reflection back to you, so you can check your posture.
Vaha costs either a one-off £1,950, or monthly instalments of £50 over 39 months. Plus membership of £39 monthly to access all classes and a free personal training session each month.
Rock climbing whatever the weather
Versaclimbers have become a huge gym trend. And the same calorie-torching workout is also available at home.
The upright CLMBR machines utilise the same natural cardio movement as rock climbing, without the risk of having to navigate a windy cliff face.
CLMBRs’ designers say the tech logs intuitive real-time metric visualisations; including elevation power, tempo and reach so you can track your achievements over time.
They claim its workouts will help you burn 60% more calories than you would running or cycling.
It’s currently available in the US and costs £1812.
But with the home fitness boom going nowhere, get ready to see lots more of these devices on your Instagram feed.
