One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to start working out and getting in shape. That’s why it’s no surprise that home gym equipment is popular in the months around the turn of the year. Here we reveal the most popular pieces of exercise equipment right now.
We’ll likely never get back to the period around March-April 2020 when the search term “home gym” more than tripled because of the Pandemic. That was when the whole world shut down, including all the gyms. It meant that most of us had to rely on the gym equipment we had at home, which led to a boom in the sales of these items.
Here are some stats from Google Trends that show the volume of searches for the keyword “Home Gym” in the last five years:
From these stats, we can also see a recurring trend each year; at the beginning of each year, the search volume for “home gym” spikes, which of course, has to do with our New Year’s resolution to start exercising more frequently.
Most popular home gym equipment 2022
It is also interesting to take a look at which training equipment that is the most popular. Here’s a breakdown based on the average of monthly searches worldwide in 2022:
| Rank | Home Gym Equipment | Total Global Average Monthly Searches |
| 1 | Treadmill | 825,000 |
| 2 | Dumbbells | 550,000 |
| 3 | Kettlebell | 450,000 |
| 3 | Bench Press | 450,000 |
| 5 | Yoga Mat | 368,000 |
| 6 | Exercise Bike | 301,000 |
| 6 | Rowing Machine | 301,000 |
| 8 | Resistance Bands | 246,000 |
| 9 | Massager | 201,000 |
| 10 | Ankle Weights | 74,000 |
The treadmill is the most popular home gym equipment
Based on our study, the treadmill has the most searches, with an average of over 800,000 monthly searches worldwide. This search term doesn’t just include people looking for treadmills for home use, but it does give you an indication of its popularity compared to other types of training equipment.
Both December and January are particularly popular months to look for treadmills. In January 2022, the total number of searches for the word treadmill was over 1.2 million globally! There’s no doubt that treadmills are our favourite when looking for ways to improve fitness.
Dumbbells are the second most popular home exercise tool
In the second place, we find dumbbells, with a search volume of 550,000 per month. This is hardly a surprise, given their versatility for home exercise.
Two popular related search terms are “dumbbells sets” and “dumbbell workouts”, with just over 300,000 searches per month each. Also, “dumbbells adjustable” has over 160,000 global searches per month. This data tells us a lot about what types of weights are the most popular right now and what we need them for.
Other popular home training tools
The kettlebell is also a versatile training tool for home use. In the last ten years, the use of kettlebells for home exercise has become increasingly common.
A big reason for this is the popularity of fitness videos on Youtube, which got a boost during the Pandemic. Weights and kettlebells are prominent in these videos. Both kettlebell and bench press have around 450,000 searches globally per month, with bench press historically having a more consistent search volume.
Guide: How you get started with your treadmill training
As we noted in a previous article, there’s a reason why the treadmill is the most popular of all exercise equipment. Running is the fastest way to get your heart rate up, and a treadmill will get you started quickly without even having to think about what you’re wearing. Just pull on a pair of shoes, and you’re off. Here are some tips for how to train on a treadmill:
Start slowly
Most treadmills are motorised, meaning running on a treadmill can feel a little unfamiliar initially. That’s why it’s a good idea for beginners to start slowly and get used to the new movement pattern.
If you are using a treadmill for the first time, it is best to start at a low speed, walk and then move on to jogging. You should also be careful not to run too long distances straight away. It will help you avoid typical running injuries that can cause involuntary breaks in your training routine.
Do a proper warmup
Whether you are a beginner or not, you should always warm up properly. Start with a few kilometres at a slow pace. If you plan to do faster tempo runs or intervals, add a few hundred metres of more challenging speed to the final part of your warmup to prepare your muscles and lungs for what’s to come. It also reduces the risk of injury during the workout. After the warmup, get off the treadmill and do some dynamic stretching before you start.
Do intervals and tempo runs
If you want efficient workouts on a treadmill, intervals or tempo runs are both fun and challenging. You can do intervals, for example, 5-10 times 3 minutes at a higher speed, with either a slower pace jog or a walk with 2 minutes between. As your fitness improves, you can increase the speed and length of the intervals and reduce the rest. It may be a good idea to vary the incline and speed for long runs to avoid wear and tear injuries.
Increase the incline
A common question is how much difference there is between running outdoors and indoors on a treadmill. Especially if you are training for a race, this can be interesting to know.
The truth is that treadmill training eliminates wind resistance and surface unevenness. As you get used to the treadmill, the rolling belt also makes running easier. By running with a slight incline on the treadmill, treadmill training becomes more like running outdoors – start with a 0.5% incline and then increase it to 1% as you become more comfortable.
Methodology:
- We created a list of the most common equipment for home gyms by analyzing the following study: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/at-home-fitness-equipment-market-A11430
- We then reviewed search volume globally using Ubersuggest, Ahrefs and Google Keyword Planner. Of these tools, Ubersuggest provided us with the most detailed results.
- We gathered the ten home exercise equipment with the most searches globally.
- All data was collected on 2/12/2022 and is subject to change.
