Like Ol Man River, the fitness equipment industry seems to just keep rolling along. Sales gains at the end of the 1990s were not in the same league with the robust figures posted earlier in the decade, but remained steadily in the mid-single digits. Those who are optimistic about the future always cite the demographics. Aging baby boomers, some 70 million strong, invented the fitness movement and show no signs of abandoning it as they age. Baby boomers are now aged 36 to 55 and increasingly have the disposable income, as well as the inclination, to join health clubs and to invest in home fitness equipment.
Exercise equipment is sold into three separate markets through four major channels.
The largest market is home equipment, which has grown strongly throughout the decade. The home equipment market has been mainly fueled by enormous gains in sales of treadmills and lesser but still significant growth in sales of home gyms and other weight-training equipment. Health clubs are the second market. Here, the number of facilities and memberships has grown steadily since the recession early in the 1990s. This market has been booming.