At-home fitness brands have had a wild ride over the past few years. Peloton rose to prominence during the darkest days of the covid pandemic as people opted to workout in their homes while gyms were closed or severely limited.

That felt like a new trend, but the reality is that at-home workouts have been passing fads since the 1970s. People bought exercise bikes and other home gym equipment with the promise of losing weight and getting into better shape without having to go to the gym because it seemed like an easy answer to a difficult problem.