Virtual workouts spiked during the pandemic — and the trend is sticking around

At the height of the pandemic, when going to the gym wasn’t an option, millions of people began exploring virtual workouts from home for the first time. And many of them now say they won’t go back.

While this is clearly a boon for the companies developing these systems, it has also helped people who don’t feel comfortable in a gym or don’t have time to get there.

Linda Munson, 56, who lives in Berlin, Conn., has worked a desk job from home since the initial COVID shutdown in 2020. “I was packing on the pounds,” she admits.