Introduction
It’s hard to think of a better group of people that can benefit more from a home gym than parents.
When you become a parent, much of your “free time” or “time for yourself” is taken away, and you finally figure out how precious time truly is. This is not complaining. It’s just facts.
For some people, that means that they cut out going to the gym. Others who prioritize fitness find a way to make it work, which can mean starting a home gym.
In this survey survey deep dive, I’ll review the numbers and then discuss five reasons parents should start a home gym.
Data: Parents Owning a Home Gym on the Rise
Before diving into why parents should consider starting a home gym, let’s look at some data.
Over the past five years, we’ve asked the community how many of them are parents. This time around, 64% of those surveyed are parents. That number is up 16% from last year and has steadily climbed since 2020 after dropping during the COVID period.
*Get all survey data and other analysis from the Home Gym Insights Report.
Benefits For Parents
A parent can benefit from owning a home gym in so many ways. Here are five of my favorites.
More Time
Going to the gym is time spent away from home. You are spending time driving to the gym, warming up, working out, and traveling home. That is time spent away from your family; if you have kids, you know that time with them is precious, and there is never enough of it.
Parents with home gyms can work out with their kids or easily fit it into their family’s busy schedule; work out early mornings, during nap times, or late night after the kids go to bed.
A home gym is a life hack that opens up much more time in your day. When you can work out and not miss out on family time or simply cut some of that time away, you understand that having a home gym is almost essential to being a parent.
*In another survey, it was discovered that 86% save at least 15 minutes a day by owning a home gym.
Be a Role Model
Monkey see. Monkey do. We all know the importance of fitness in our everyday life. As we watch the majority of people around us continue to struggle with physical and mental health issues, the gym is best for battling both of these problems.
Showing our kids how to take care of their physical and mental health is setting them up to take care of themselves when they get older as well.
Some of us have memories of watching our parents lift or train, and we want to be that for our kids. Whatever the reason, showing your kids the importance of caring for themselves is priceless. Doing hard things is a part of life, and teaching your kids this lesson through the gym and physical fitness is extremely valuable.
Childcare
Having a gym with childcare is a necessity for a lot of people. The problem is that it sometimes costs extra, childcare fills up, or the right gym doesn’t have childcare.
Childcare is not an issue for parents with a home gym. By working out around your busy schedules or involving your kids in your workout, you don’t have the need for childcare.
Training Partners
Eventually (if not already), your young kids will grow up and potentially start using the home gym with you. The bond that can be created in the gym is tough to match.
If you’re a parent who loves your kids and at the same time is a gym junkie, having your teenage or adult children be your gym buddy is a dream.
In Case of Emergency
A home gym may not be the number one gym option for many. We get that. However, it doesn’t hurt to have options, especially when you are a parent.
When you’re a parent, things are constantly popping up on the schedule and/or times when you simply cannot leave the kids for the gym.
If you have a home gym, you have the ability to get a workout even in some truly hectic situations.
Pass it on
Maybe you’ve thought about your kids having a home gym of their own one day and being able to pass on some of your beloved equipment. Imagine one day your kids as adults in their own home gyms using their ‘vintage’ weights passed down from their parents. It makes buying and taking care of your equipment that much more special.
Conclusion
It is not a surprise that the number of parents owning a home gym are on the rise.
For a lot of people, the main reason they started a home gym is that they became parents. We predict that the 64% of followers who have a home gym and are parents will continue to trend upward. For all the main reasons we laid out above and more, having a home gym as a parent is a life hack.
