People did what they could to stay healthy during the pandemic. Even with many cities around the wold going into strict lock downs and physical distancing rules, many saw the importance of finding ways to stay active. Yoga became one of the most popular at-home digital fitness activities of 2020 with more people getting on the mat for the first time.
Yoga was already one of the fastest rising in popularity green fitness activities in many countries. And when COVID-19 began to spread fast around the globe, online retailers noticed a spike in yoga mat sales and other exercise equipment for people who found themselves forced to isolate at home.
Due to lock downs, restaurants, bars, and other places of large social gatherings were forced to close. This included gyms and yoga shalas where, in addition to exercising, people found community.
People turned to home workouts to remain active and, as it turned out, for mental well-being too. As reported by the NZ Herald, participation in online yoga classes increased by 25 per cent in 2020. While yoga was the most popular activity, Pilates, stretching, and meditation also topped the list.
According to ClassPass, which conducted the survey, it was important for people to tune into activities like yoga which focus on mental health and well-being amid national lock downs. Research showed that depression and anxiety sky rocketed during this period so yoga was one way to help de-stress while stuck at home.
Online yoga teachers like Yoga With Adrienne on YouTube became household name stars for their easy to follow digital yoga classes that were viewed millions of times during the months of gym and yoga class closures.
One of the reasons why yoga may have hit a sweet spot is that is requires little to no equipment, unlike other studio workouts. Even yoga mats are not a requirement to practice yoga asana.
ClassPass predicts that the popularity of digital yoga will continue even when lock down measures are lifted around the world.
“The future of fitness could be a combination of both home workouts and studio classes,” the research said.