Brits waste £260m a year on rarely-used fitness equipment
Well-intentioned Britons up and down the country are forking out an impressive £260m a year on home fitness equipment... but most of those often pricey gadgets are simply gathering dust.
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According to a survey by Nuffield Health, three quarters of people have bought at least one piece of fitness, from treadmills to workout DVDs, with the average Brit owning four items at £235-a-pop.
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But some 60 per cent of those pricey gadgets are quickly consigned to an attic or spare room, because only 21 per cent of the 2,000 adults polled said they used the equipment on a regular basis, and 41 per cent tried their new purchase for only a short period before giving up.
Topping the list of reasons for buying equipment was weight loss, with 47 per cent hoping to shed a few pounds within the comfort of their own home.
A further 45 per cent wanted to get fitter and healthier, and 42 per cent were looking for an alternative to the gym. More than one in 10 confessed to simply being caught up in a fitness fad.
In total, just 31 per cent said they achieved their fitness goals with their at-home equipment. Failing to see the benefits was the most common reason for ditching the gadget, while 12 per cent preferred to use equipment at the gym.
One in ten claimed to have injured themselves while using their buy, forcing them to stop.
As a result of the survey, Nuffield Health is hoping to encourage people to "give up" their un-used equipment as part of an Equipment Amnesty, in exchange for a free two-day pass to their local Nuffield Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Centre.
Director of Fitness and Wellbeing at Nuffield Health, Natalie Mumford told the Daily Mail: "The good intention to be fit and healthy is important, but without sticking to it, results can be hard to achieve."
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She added: "Although trends change and the emergence of the Wii generation, who want instant results, is an example of this, the fact remains that it is through hard work and regularity that most people achieve their health and fitness goals.
"To help make this a reality we advise people to start by making small positive changes to their lifestyle."
Have you wasted money on fitness equipment that you never use, or have you seen the benefits of at-home workouts? Leave your comments below...
