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[electronic beeping, buzzing]

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[indistinct chatter]

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Four, three, two, one, and relax.

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[narrator] It's March 2020,

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and not long after COVID-19
prompts lockdowns around the world,

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a British personal trainer enters
the Guinness World Records.

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High knees, fast feet.

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Everyone working out together.
We're doing this all over the world.

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The UK, Scandinavia, Spain,
Italy, Hong Kong, everywhere.

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[narrator] Nearly a million people
worldwide join Joe Wicks

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as he exercises in his living room,

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the most watched live stream
of a fitness workout ever.

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We're gonna warm the body up
before we go into our exercise.

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[narrator] What started as a way
to keep kids active during lockdown

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has become an essential part
of the daily routine

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for families everywhere.

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[child giggles]

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Throughout 2020,

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the pandemic forces many
of the world's 205,000 gyms to close,

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but luckily for exercise junkies,

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there's never been more ways to work out
within the privacy of your own four walls.

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As of 2021,

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{\an8}the global home fitness market
is worth more than $21 billion,

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{\an8}enough to buy everyone
in the US a pair of sneakers.

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Nearly a third of Americans
with smartphones

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{\an8}use at least one guided workout
or fitness app,

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{\an8}and more than half of people in the US
own their own exercise equipment.

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The most common?

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Weights.

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But are people actually using
all this gear?

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{\an8}A UK survey found 16% of the population

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{\an8}bought home gym equipment
during the pandemic,

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{\an8}but almost half of it
is already gathering dust.

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And 43% of Americans report

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they just aren't as motivated
to work out at home.

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A home fitness revolution,

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born just 50 years ago, has exploded
into a multibillion-dollar industry.

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But is it offering us a real workout

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or just selling us the idea
that there's an easy way to get fit?

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Can a home workout really replace
a trip to the gym?

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[cheerful '80s music plays]

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[music distorts]

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The very concept
of exercising for our health

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is relatively new,
let alone the idea of doing it at home.

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In the 1950s,
any weight lifters or athletes in training

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looking for a way to work out
go to gymnasiums,

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and they're almost entirely men.

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For most women, their eight hours
of daily household chores are,

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according to experts,
enough to keep them in shape.

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[man] The homemaker walks miles every day,

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from sink to icebox,

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from cupboard to stove.

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[narrator] But as more and more people
work at desk jobs

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and start using their cars
instead of their legs

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in the ever-growing suburbs,

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America gets pudgier.

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Heart disease is
the nation's biggest killer,

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but doctors have developed a new theory

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that regular exercise
helps keep the heart healthy.

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The trouble is most people don't know
the first thing about exercise.

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[man] Look! Listen!

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It's time for The Jack LaLanne Show.

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Believe me,
there's nothing else like it in this Earth

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to feel good and to look good.

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[narrator] In 1959,

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California gym owner Jack LaLanne

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brings America
its first national TV workout show,

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a mix of nutritional advice,

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dog tricks,
and rather gentle calisthenics.

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One, two…

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[applause]

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What we must do
is literally change the physical habits

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of millions of Americans.

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[narrator] But then, in 1961,

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President John F. Kennedy
launches a fitness program,

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hoping to improve the nation's health.

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[Kennedy] The adoption
of these recommendations by our schools

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will ensure the beginning
of a sound basic program

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of physical development,
exercise, and achievement.

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[narrator] Soon, a fitness craze
is sweeping America.

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People actually start running
in the streets

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with no one chasing them!

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They call it "jogging."

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More health clubs open up,
and people actually use them.

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Still, a huge segment of the population
is left out of this fitness revolution,

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those who don't have the time
or money to get to a gym

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or who simply don't want
to exercise in public.

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But the idea of the home workout
is about to take off,

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oddly enough, thanks to NASA.

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[man] This tiny microphone
is worn by the astronaut

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for taking his blood pressure.

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[narrator] In 1966, a doctor discovers

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that the most effective way
to maintain their astronauts' health

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is something called aerobic exercise.

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"Aerobic" means "with oxygen."

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Aerobic exercise, like running or cycling,

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{\an8}involves repeatedly moving large muscles
in your arms, legs, and hips.

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The harder you work,
the more oxygen your muscles need.

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So you breathe faster,
maximizing the oxygen in your blood,

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and your heart beats more quickly
to deliver it to your muscles.

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Among other benefits,

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regular aerobic exercise
lowers blood pressure,

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{\an8}helps prevent heart disease,

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{\an8}and reduces the risk of dementia.

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{\an8}Inspired by the theory,

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{\an8}Californian dancer Jacki Sorensen
creates a new kind of fitness class,

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high-energy, dance-based movements
set to music.

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It soon gets a catchy nickname, aerobics.

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Nice deep breath. Right, now, take it in…

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[narrator] It's hugely popular,
with women especially.

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Still, to do it, you have
to physically get yourself to a class…

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until 1980,

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when those gentle TV workouts of the '60s
get a manic makeover

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from an enthusiastic convert to aerobics.

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This lady's lost 70 pounds!

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[cheering and applause]

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[narrator] Gym owner Richard Simmons

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inspires millions
of aspirational exercisers

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to turn their homes into dance clubs.

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Many discover that working out
at home is more convenient

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and less intimidating
than exercising with strangers.

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Stretch. Stretch. Exhale.

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Little higher, dear.
I know you have a skirt on.

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[narrator] Still, it's on
in the early mornings.

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Miss the show, and you miss the workout.

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If only someone could make one
you could watch over and over

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whenever you liked.

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Perhaps an Oscar-winning actress?

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In the early 1980s,

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Jane Fonda has
a successful aerobics studio

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in Beverly Hills,

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but she wants to spread the word further.

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I've benefited so much from it
that I wanted to pass it along.

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[narrator] Fortunately,
a new technology has recently arrived

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that will allow her to do just that,

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the videocassette recorder or VCR.

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In 1982, only 2% of US homes have one,

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so most producers are reluctant
to put out original content for them.

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Still, Fonda produces a videotape
of her workout

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so people can follow along at home.

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Ready? And one, two…

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Jane Fonda's Workout
is filmed over three days

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on a budget of just $50,000.

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…eight, again.
And one, two, stretch it out.

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[narrator] The video
hits stores in April 1982,

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but at 59.95,
the equivalent of $177 today,

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it's not exactly an impulse buy.

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It sells just 3,000 copies
in its first month,

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but then something remarkable happens.

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{\an8}-[woman] You did it?
-Mm-hmm.

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{\an8}-[woman] Was it good?
-It's very good.

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{\an8}-[woman] Is it hard?
-She's very good at it.

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[narrator] Word of mouth spreads.

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The video hits number one on the charts,
where it stays for 41 weeks.

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At the time,
the biggest-selling tape had sold 25,000.

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And I remember thinking,
"Oh God, wouldn't it be great

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if I could sell 25,000?"

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And three million tapes later,
uh, you know, we created an industry.

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[narrator] The Jane Fonda Workout
remains a top-ten-selling videotape

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for over four years.

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Its popularity drives VCR sales.

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The number of houses with one
doubles year on year.

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Fonda will end up releasing 22 videos,

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selling 17 million cassettes,

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enough to fill
a freight train almost a mile long.

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Following all 22 of her tapes
in one session

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would burn 10,500 calories,

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more than three marathons' worth.

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Fonda-mania even impacts fashion.

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Thirty million leotards
fly off the shelves in 1983 alone.

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Laid out, they'd stretch
from Malibu to Bondi Beach.

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{\an8}In the years that follow,

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{\an8}other famous faces race to grab
their own slice of exercise-video pie,

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{\an8}with the first celebrity
pregnancy workout.

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{\an8}[woman] Like you, I'm gonna have a baby,

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{\an8}and that's what
this exercise program's all about,

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{\an8}to get you in harmony with your body.

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[narrator] Or the secret
to a supermodel physique.

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{\an8}This tape was
to kind of bring the experience

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{\an8}of working out with a trainer
into your home.

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{\an8}Brenda and I developed a routine
with ways for you to shape your butt.

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{\an8}-You better believe it.
-I'm ready. Are you ready to work out?

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[narrator] But as more people turn
their living rooms into workout spaces,

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the industry soon expands
beyond just videotapes.

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-I think this looks like a lot of fun.
-[chuckles] It is fun.

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[narrator] Stationary bikes
and treadmills are the biggest sellers,

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but soon the market is saturated
with new home fitness products,

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each promising
fast and easy ways to get in shape.

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Do all ten minutes together

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so you really see those results quickly.

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[narrator] As the industry grows,
insomniacs and couch potatoes

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{\an8}are barraged by infomercials

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{\an8}offering an array of must-have gadgets
and fitness equipment.

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00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,840
{\an8}Six to eight minutes a day is all it takes
to get into the best shape of your life.

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[narrator] The ads work,

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especially when paired
with a compelling celebrity endorsement.

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[man] Great legs.

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00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:16,480
[woman] Thank you.

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{\an8}I used to do aerobics till I dropped.
Then I found ThighMaster.

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[narrator] In 1991,

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TV star Suzanne Somers prompts
six million people to master their thighs.

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Supermodel Christie Brinkley
and action star Chuck Norris

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help inspire
five million sales of Total Gym,

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and home workouts become more
than just a convenient way to stay fit.

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They become part of our everyday lives.

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In the 1960s, less than a quarter
of Americans claim to exercise regularly.

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By the late '80s,

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it's more than two-thirds.

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In the US, home workouts become
one of the fastest-growing areas

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00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:02,440
in the sports and fitness sector.

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00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:05,120
{\an8}In less than a decade,

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00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,240
{\an8}the amount spent yearly
on home equipment triples

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00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,880
{\an8}to $1.73 billion,

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00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,920
{\an8}enough to buy a ThighMaster
for everyone in Mexico.

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00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,360
Even Barbie has an extension
to her Dreamhouse

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00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:19,600
for a home gym.

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00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:22,280
Throughout the '90s,

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00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,000
the home workout industry gets fat
on our desire to get in shape,

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00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,440
{\an8}but do these gadgets
promising quick results or your money back

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00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:31,520
{\an8}actually work?

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00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,840
-People ask me, "Does it work?"
-[woman] Yeah, does it?

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00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:35,000
I'll show you.

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[woman] Whoo, baby!

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00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:39,640
[narrator] In the mid '90s,

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00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,000
the term "six-pack" becomes
more than just a way to package beer.

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00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,360
Now, it's the goal
of exercise junkies everywhere,

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00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:52,400
and an avalanche of products promising
to help sculpt those dream abs

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00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:54,280
{\an8}hits the home workout market.

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00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:56,840
{\an8}With PerfectAbs
and my three-level workout,

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00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,120
you too can have rock-hard abs.

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00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:02,920
[narrator] Only in the fine print
do some manufacturers admit

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00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,960
that their miracle-working devices
are only effective

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00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,360
alongside aerobic exercise
and a low-fat diet.

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00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:12,600
In 1996,

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00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:16,040
an investigation reveals
several such ab machines

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00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,200
are barely an improvement
on a straightforward crunch,

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00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,560
and to be effective,
you actually have to use them.

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00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,920
But experts note
that most new fitness gadgets

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00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,200
are abandoned after just six weeks.

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00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,240
And it's hard to have an effective workout
when you're injured,

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always a risk when exercising
without supervision.

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[woman] I broke my ankle running.

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It was pretty bad.
I was in a cast for about eight weeks,

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and then two months…
two months of physical therapy after that.

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And it still bothers me to this day.

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[narrator] In the year 2000,

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emergency rooms in America
report more than 13,000 injuries

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caused by home fitness equipment,

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triple the number from 1980.

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Almost 40% are from treadmills.

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As the initial shine
of the home fitness revolution

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00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:08,320
starts to fade,

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more and more people join the gym.

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Even if it's not as convenient,

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people find they exercise harder
alongside others,

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00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,000
and they may be onto something.

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Scientists call it the Köhler effect.

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In the 1920s,

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00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,520
psychologist Otto Köhler
has people lift weights,

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00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:31,720
both individually and as a team.

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00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,800
And he discovers
that when working with others,

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weaker people continue working for longer.

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00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,960
Similar studies find that if people
believe their exercise buddy is more fit,

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they push themselves
up to three times harder,

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00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:51,480
and cyclists who ride with a partner
pedal almost twice as long.

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Not only do gyms provide more motivation
than working out at home,

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they offer a wider variety
of exercise options.

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The problem is
these workouts still feel like work.

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Until the 2000s,

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when new exergaming technology
like Nintendo's Wii Fit

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{\an8}becomes an international craze.

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[screams]

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It's exhilarating.
It gets your pulse rate up. Yeah.

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[narrator] Now exercise can be so much fun

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you won't even notice the workout.

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Or so the hype suggests.

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{\an8}Except a study later finds

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00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,320
{\an8}that the games burn
one-third of the calories

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compared to practicing
the sports in real life.

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In the new millennium,

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it's another technological innovation
that really revolutionizes home fitness,

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{\an8}YouTube.

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Suddenly, anyone
with a high-speed Internet connection

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can get access
to a vast library of workout videos…

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[woman] Start out in push-up position.

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[narrator] …covering everything
from toning up to yoga

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to bodybuilding.

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By 2009,

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a search for "fitness video"

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produces 160,000 results, all for free.

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Hi, everyone. Welcome to POP Pilates.

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My name is Cassey,
and today we're gonna work on your core.

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[narrator] As home fitness becomes
increasingly high-tech and high-end,

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it becomes a more legitimate alternative
to the gym.

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[man] Counting steps is no longer enough.

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{\an8}New wearables can actually detect
what kind of exercise you're doing

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00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:35,120
{\an8}and offer advice.

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[narrator] New smart fitness equipment
can provide the motivation

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00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,000
and improved performance
of joining a class,

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00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,400
all in the comfort of your living room.

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The trend really takes off in 2014,

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when the humble exercise bike
gets a cyber reboot.

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Peloton lets people join
an interactive spin class,

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competing for a spot
on an international leaderboard.

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That is, as long as they can afford
almost $2,000 on the bike

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plus the subscription fees.

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00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:11,680
And that's just the start.
Not a fan of cycling?

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00:17:12,360 --> 00:17:15,000
How about a two-way fitness mirror

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that offers classes and personal training?

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00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,920
This live, interactive technology,
integrated into everything from running

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to elliptical machines,
creates a sense of accountability

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missing from older home workouts.

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You actually have to turn up to class.

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But you still get to enjoy
the privacy of your own home.

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Or do you?

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The problem
with some smart fitness equipment

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{\an8}is it's not just your workout
that's being tracked.

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{\an8}They can also record
your identity and location

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along with health data
like your weight and heart rate.

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{\an8}And if there's a camera and microphone,
they can store your biometrics,

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00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,600
like your voice and facial features.

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And these Internet-enabled windows
into your home

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may not be as secure as you think.

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A 2021 investigation reveals that anyone
with physical access to a Peloton bike

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could hack the microphone and camera

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00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,760
and effectively spy on users,

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forcing the company to release
a precautionary software update.

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[alarm blares]

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Of course, not everyone wants
a full-size smart machine in their home.

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Not a problem if you have a smartphone.

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By 2019,

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00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:43,640
more than 63,000 health and fitness apps
are being released each year.

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I could pull up a class,
even in the time span of ten minutes,

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and get my workout on
and get my blood pumping.

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00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,720
[narrator] And for home exercisers
looking for a change of scenery,

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virtual reality headsets offer
the illusion of exotic locations,

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00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,320
which actually makes
the workouts more effective.

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00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,680
Studies show that the more
players immerse themselves,

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the longer they're able to work out
and the less discomfort they report.

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00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:12,680
Home workouts may be evolving

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00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:17,280
but drawn by the variety,
motivation, and sense of community,

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00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:21,000
more people than ever
are signing up for fitness clubs…

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00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,600
until early 2020,

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00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,600
when COVID-19 removes
that option for many countries.

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00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,360
Gyms move quickly
to offer their services online

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00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,720
as all workouts become home workouts.

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00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:39,320
And with not much else to do,

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00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,600
people around the world
double down on exercise.

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00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,240
That year, 58 million people in India

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00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,400
download a health and fitness app
for the first time.

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00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:54,360
In the UK,

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00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:57,880
Internet searches
for free online exercise classes

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00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,880
shoot up by 8,000%.

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00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:02,600
And not only is there a surge

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00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,880
in people using
the latest smart home fitness devices,

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00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:11,080
even sales of the lowly dumbbell
soar by almost 2,000%.

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00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:16,200
Yet, despite spending all that cash,
more than half of respondents to a poll

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00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:20,600
say their home fitness routine
is less challenging, less consistent,

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00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,360
and simply worse than their old gym habit.

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00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,240
The pandemic proved
the greatest disruption

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00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,560
in the history of the fitness industry.

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00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:35,960
By 2021, one in five gyms
in America has closed for good.

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00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,440
In-person class attendance has plummeted.

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00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:42,200
For better or worse,

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00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,640
home workouts are the new normal.

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For a fitness industry
that barely existed 50 years ago,

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00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:53,400
today, there are more ways than ever
to get in shape at home.

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00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,040
Even if some are
more effective than others.

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00:20:58,560 --> 00:20:59,840
Trends may come and go,

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00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:04,080
but in the end, studies show
that a successful home workout routine

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00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,800
doesn't depend on which apps or videos

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00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:08,920
or expensive gear you use.

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00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,240
It's all about having
the right frame of mind

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00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,840
and the motivation to actually do it,

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00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:19,280
because any home workout
is only as effective as you are.

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[upbeat electronic music plays]