That may be the quintessential question of 2020, at least for retailers of home fitness equipment like us. There is not a day goes by that one of our stores isn’t asked that question.

And we understand why. Living in the midst of a global pandemic, health is at the top of everyone’s mind. And fitness isn’t far behind for many. Now more than ever, at-home fitness solutions are front and centre.

If you’re been searching for dumbbells, plate weights, spin bikes, workout benches or cages, or even a trampoline, you’ve probably been met with the same response from everywhere: “We don’t have that in stock, but can I put you on a waitlist?”

That’s not the answer you wanted to hear. And we understand your frustrations. People just want to take care of their health and fitness from the safety of their home, and we haven’t been able to help with that. And for that, we’re very sorry. We recognize we haven’t been able to give our customers the level of service we strive to deliver: whether that’s answering phone calls in a timely manner or having the items you need. We sincerely appreciate the patience of our customers and how they’ve continued to support us during this unusual time.

What is causing this lack of equipment?

Simply put, there’s been a huge increase in demand for fitness equipment, with gyms closed and people needing to work out at home. But what does this actually mean? Here are a few examples to put into perspective what “a huge increase in demand” looks like:

• Before the pandemic, we’d typically get about 200-300 calls per day across all our stores. In one single day near the start of the pandemic we received over 2300 calls. In one day.
• In some product categories, we would keep about 2-3 usual months worth of stock in our warehouse, and we sold through that in 2-3 weeks.

We do want to explain that you’re not alone in your frustrations. The fitness industry everywhere is facing similar issues. Chances are, if you’ve turned to other retailers for fitness equipment, you’ve heard the same disappointing news we had to give you.

This lack of equipment is a trend seen globally. Online orders for sporting equipment increased by 169% in May over last year, and 122% in June, according to research from BazaarVoice, a company that works with online retailers. There were massive supply chain disruptions from overseas and China in particular, not just for the products themselves but often affecting the raw materials needed to make them (i.e. factories could not get access to steel and rubber to make dumbbells).

Dumbbells – worth their weight in gold

Let’s look at dumbbells, one of the most sought-after fitness items, as a perfect example of how one factor after another contributed to such shortages worldwide. On the surface, it seemed like a simple issue of supply and demand, where the demand vastly outpaced the supply. But it really wasn’t that simple.

About 95% percent of the world’s dumbbells are made in China, and when the pandemic started, the country ordered strict lockdowns from January to April. Highways and public transportation shut down. Factories weren’t open, workers were at home, and no one could make the dumbbells. That disruption trickled all the way down to retailers.

In March, COVID-19 hit the rest of the world: gyms closed down and stay-at-home orders were issued. That meant people needed to stock up on home-use fitness equipment, causing a surge in demand. But fitness equipment companies were ill-prepared for such a surge, especially at a time of year when many start to see a slowdown in sales. New Years resolutions aren’t front-of-mind anymore, and with the weather getting warmer, people traditionally start to go back outside or back to gyms. So it’s usually a safe bet for retailers to order less inventory.

But in this year’s unexpected case, retailers were caught short for the unanticipated demand. That problem was exacerbated by the unusually drastic effects the pandemic caused suppliers. Dumbbells sold out everywhere in record time, but they could not be replenished quickly and there was nothing coming soon to fill the gap.

Even with restrictions now lifted, it can take months to fill up the supply chain again. As an example, one of our manufacturer partners, Bowflex, is tripling its production capacity for the second half of 2020. But it isn't as simple as just making more product right away - finding new factories to work with and ramp up production can take them up to 8 months. We used to operate within 90-120 day buying cycles, meaning we could order product and expect new stock in that amount of time. Now we’re looking at 6-12 months to get new inventory in some cases.

So, what does the future hold?

We are hopeful the inventory situation will get better in the next few months. Factories have reopened and production has re-started. We anticipate some new product coming in for the holidays. This will help the situation for sure, but it’s not going back to normal levels for some time.

There are many factors that suggest demand for home fitness equipment will continue. Traditionally, our busy season starts up with Black Friday and holiday shopping, so we expect an increase in demand at this time. A consumer survey about holiday shopping found that while overall spending will be in line with previous years, 19% of people will increase their spend. As well, holiday shopping will start earlier than past years for about 25% of people, beginning in November.

With winter approaching, cardio sales have started to pick up. Cold weather means people aren’t exercising outside but going back indoors. And research suggests many people will not be heading back to their gyms, even if they’re open. A survey conducted in the US found that 59% of Americans say they don’t plan on renewing their gym memberships once the pandemic is over. Similarly, another poll in August found only 14 percent of respondents said they would feel comfortable going to the gym in the next month.

More locally, large outbreaks like the one at a Hamilton spin studio are causing people to rethink their fitness options, and if they haven’t yet, they will be looking for more in-home solutions.

What does this mean for you, the customer?

Pay attention to current trends: this may help you get a jump on buying equipment now that’s going to gain popularity and sell out quickly in the near future. Treadmills are trending highest, so consider buying one sooner than later. And with the move to virtual fitness classes, products like the Schwinn IC4 spin bike or Progression Club 40 bike are going to be popular.

If you know you want something specific in the next few months, don’t delay. Start looking now and buy it if you can. And if no one has it in stock, get on a waitlist. Call your local Flaman Fitness store to inquire today!

We are starting to put some products on pre-sale, where you can buy in advance. Or else, sign up for our stock alerts, and get notified when product arrives at your local store. You can find the link for stock alerts on the product page.

Finally, check for used equipment on sites like Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. Take care to not pay too much and always inspect the equipment to make sure it’s in working order before you buy. You should check with the seller to see if the equipment is still under warranty. Sometimes warranties only last months, not years. And some brands do not allow the warranty to be transferrable. Used equipment can be economical, but that cost savings is negated if you have to spend money to repair something like an electronic console out of the warranty period.

We’re all in this together

It is truly an unprecedented time right now, but we’re all trying to navigate this together. Reach out to your local Flaman Fitness store to talk about your fitness needs and we’ll do the best we can to support you. Our ultimate goal is to help people get fit and healthy to live a better life. Even if we don’t have the product you’re looking for, there may be another option to meet your goal. Or ask about waitlists and anticipated arrival times. We are truly thankful for all the customer support we’ve received, and we hope we can continue to serve you in the near future.

Have no fear! We’ve compiled a list of some fun resources and physical activities you can do with your children, or let them navigate on their own if they’re old enough. Or if you need a break – hey, no judgement here!

YouTube Workouts for Kids

• Cosmic Kids is a great yoga channel on Youtube – they even have themed yoga videos like “Frozen” yoga or “The Wizard of Oz”.
• GoNoodle will get you moving with lots of fun dance videos and music.
• Joe Wicks is another great channel for adults and kids. He has themed physical education videos geared toward little ones, but also some great HIIT workouts for grown ups.

Education and Reading

• Scholastic has some free learn at home resources
• 40 science websites for kids
• Science experiments from Telus World of Science in Alberta
• Art Classes with Mo Willems
• Or you can have stories read to you by famous celebrities:
  • Dolly Parton (bedtime stories)
  • Josh Gad on Twitter (voice of Olaf in Frozen)
  • And many more (just Google it)

Virtual Museums, Zoos and Aquariums

A lot of museums (both in Canada and internationally) are offering free tours or videos that your kids can enjoy (and you can feel good that their screen time is educational!)

• The Royal Ontario Museum has free educational big-screen features (dinosaurs, oceans and mummies!) you can watch in your living room, along with a downloadable education guide
• Check out exhibitions at the Louvre in Paris, France
• Ripley’s Aquarium has different at home videos all the time: meet Aquarium staff educators, watch live feedings, educational encounters, storytime, and much more!
• Visit the San Diego Zoo or the Toronto Zoo

Active Parents is a local website in Ontario that has many great resources for kids all the time, check out their calendar for virtual field trips you can take (to the Great Wall of China, to Mars or to a farm!) and many more activities.

And if you’re looking for some resources on how to talk to your kids about COVID-19, here are some helpful links:

• The Prime Minister and Canada’s chief medical officer Dr Theresa Tam speaking on CBC Kids
• Another simple and effective message from the Prime Minister for kids, told through LEGO (only 1:22 min long)
• Some help from Daniel Tiger and PBS

Stay safe and healthy!

Sprint 8® is an efficient, fat-burning HIIT workout that you can do in only 20 minutes, including warm-up and cool down. Since high-intensity cardio exercises are among the best exercise for weight loss, a lot of people see results in just 8 weeks or less. Sprint 8 is an efficient and effective way to maximize your workout and get healthy. This 20-minute HIIT workout is a user friendly program with simple steps that are easy to understand whether you’re using a treadmill, exercise bike or elliptical.

Here's how it works:

• 3 minute warm up
• 30 second sprints where you go a hard as you can for those 30 seconds
• In between the sprints you have 90 second active recovery intervals
• 2.5 minute cool down

SPRINTS

• Each sprint is 30 seconds long and must be performed at an all-out intensity. If you could go longer than 30 seconds, you are not working hard enough. But remember, this will be different for everyone - your "all-out intensity” may be a fast walking pace.
• Signs that you are performing at the appropriate intensity include being out of breath, sweating and feeling muscle burn. (Of course!)

ACTIVE RECOVERY

• Following each sprint is a 90-second period of active recovery.
• In this phase, keep moving, allowing your intensity and heart rate level to come down.
• If you feel you've recovered in less than 90 seconds, work harder in the next sprint to realize the full impact of the Sprint 8 program

I tried the Sprint 8 at a training event we host every year for our sales team. And let me tell you, it was a great workout. I won't lie, it was challenging at first, but when you make it through that first sprint you really feel accomplished and you know your body is working hard.

Don't worry if you can't do 8 sprints at the start. I couldn't at first! Work your way up to 8 - try 2 and keep increasing the numbers of sprints you do the more you workout. Hey it's called a workout after all - not an easy out.

Sprint 8 is based on science

We all know there are a lot of fitness "fads" out there - and how do you know what really works? What's great about Sprint 8 is that it's based on science. Check out the Sprint 8 website that has lots of interesting articles on the benefits of Sprint 8 and why it works so well.

In an independent study by King’s Daughters Medical Center (KDMC) of 22 females aged 30-57, the Sprint 8 program showed a collective body fat reduction of 27% and a BMI decrease of 4%, all within 8 hours of exercise during an 8-week trial. Learn more here.

Sprint 8 is great for your chromosomes too — specifically, the ends of your chromosomes, which are called telomeres. Telomeres deter the degradation of your genes, protecting your cells from aging too quickly. Read more from Phil Campbell, the creator of Sprint 8 on his blog.

Get Sprint 8 from Matrix

What's awesome is that the Sprint 8 program comes on all Matrix cardio consoles. It can be pre-programmed for beginner, intermediate, advanced or elite athletes. You enter your age, weight and desired level of intensity, and the equipment will automatically change speed and elevation or resistance during the workout as it moves through your sprint and recovery intervals.

Please note: Sprint 8 is designed for healthy adults at all levels of fitness. We highly recommended that individuals get an examination by a physician before attempting any fitness training program, including Sprint 8.

1. Pick a time of day when you know you'll be able to work out. If you're always tired when you come home from work, don't plan your workout then. It won't happen. Get up early in the morning.
2. If you get bored after a few minutes on your machine, put it in a room with a TV or grab your iPad or a magazine to help pass the time.
3. Make a plan and schedule your workout in your calendar like you would any activity you do (or your kids do). Stick to the schedule.
4. If you haven't already, set a goal you can work towards. Then keep track of your progress every day or week as you work to hit that goal. Keeping a journal shows you how far you've come and motivates you to keep going.
5. Switch it up - doing the same workout over and over might get boring. Try changing your workout or adding in elements. Add in intervals when you jog, grab some free weights or change the resistance.
6. Tell a friend or your spouse about your workout plan. Get them to ask you about it. It will be a constant reminder, plus, you won't want to disappoint them by saying you didn't work out that day. Bonus points if they're working out too - you can keep each other accountable.

1. Don't buy more candy then you will need to hand out – then you won't have it around to snack on.
2. Don't buy candy at all – hand out little toys as an option (you can get mini tubs of Playdough)
3. Buy candy you don't love. If the candy in your pantry is stuff kids like but you don't enjoy, it will be easier to resist opening those bags and diving in.
4. Savor one piece of your favourite candy a day. Decide what time of day you most relish the sweet stuff, and save your special treat for that time. Then sit back and slowly savor the taste.
5. Chew gum. Sugarless gum gives your mouth a burst of sweet sensation for very few calories. Studies have shown that gum chewing can also help relieve stress, mentally focus on tasks, satisfy a sweet tooth, overcome the urge to eat candy, and help manage hunger pangs to hold you over until your next meal.
6. Move the candy jar or bowl. Studies have shown how frequently people eat candy when it is within reach, out of sight, or requires them to get up to reach the jar. Moving it farther away makes it less likely you'll get up to snack.

A great way to stop you from reaching for the sweets is to keep in mind what snacking on those "little" chocolate bars actually means.

Consider this:

Mini Kit Kat bars are 60 calorie each (12 g each) – OK, not so bad.

A regular size bar is 45 grams and 230 calories each, so eating 4 little bars is the about same as eating a full size bar.

Mini Arrow bars are 40 calories each (7.3 g each), with a regular size bar clocking in at 42 grams and 220 calories. So eating 6 little bars is about the same as eating a full size bar.

But, once you eat those calories, it's not so easy to burn them off.

To burn 40 calories or 1 mini Kit Kat, you'd need to walk about 20 minutes on a treadmill at 3 mph.

And to burn off that full size bar (or 4 mini bars) you'd need to run about 30 minutes (that burns approx. 2380 calories).

Here are some tips on how to keep from overindulging and still enjoy your Thanksgiving meal.

1. Stick to healthy portions – Fill up half your plate with vegetables, a quarter of it with mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, and a quarter of it with turkey or ham. The more colours, the better: eat lots of leafy greens, carrots, bell peppers and beets.
2. Stick to single servings of the more unhealthy foods.
3. Eat before you indulge. Don't starve yourself during the early part of Thanksgiving Day as this could lead to overeating when you sit down at the table. Make sure to have a healthy breakfast and lunch before supper.
4. Substitute healthy ingredients for unhealthy ones. As an example, for mashed potatoes, try mixing in chicken broth, herbs or roasted garlic to add flavour instead of butter. Instead of sugary cranberry sauce, make a cranberry salad. If you're baking homemade pie, opt for whole wheat pie crusts and substitute low-fat or skim milk for evaporated milk.
5. Drink lots of water - Sometimes when people think they are hungry, they are actually just thirsty. By drinking lots of water throughout the day, you'll lower the risk of overeating.
6. Take a walk after eating to get your metabolism going.
7. Avoid snacking throughout the day, as you can lose track of how much you have actually eaten.
8. Go easy on alcohol – those are empty calories that add up fast.
9. Savour your food slowly – Eating slowly, putting your fork down between bites, and tasting each mouthful is one of the easiest ways to enjoy your meal and feel satisfied with one plate.
10. Everything in moderation – you're allowed to have a piece of apple or pumpkin pie. Just don't have 3 pieces. And keep the piece small – you don't need a huge portion to enjoy the flavour.

An important thing to remember is that you need to make your workout part of your routine so you will keep to it. We all struggle with motivation and getting on that machine sometimes. Here are some tips to help you stick to your workout routine:

1. Pick a time of day when you know you'll be able to work out. If you're always tired when you come home from work, don't plan your workout then. It won't happen. Get up early in the morning.
2. If you get bored after a few minutes on your machine, put it in a room with a TV or grab your iPad or a magazine to help pass the time.
3. Make a plan and schedule your workout in your calendar like you would any activity you do (or your kids do). Stick to the schedule.
4. If you haven't already, set a goal you can work towards. Then keep track of your progress every day or week as you work to hit that goal. Keeping a journal shows you how far you've come and motivates you to keep going.
5. Switch it up - doing the same workout over and over might get boring. Try changing your workout or adding in elements. Add in intervals when you jog, grab some free weights or change the resistance.
6. Tell a friend or your spouse about your workout plan. Get them to ask you about it. It will be a constant reminder, plus, you won't want to disappoint them by saying you didn't work out that day. Bonus points if they're working out too - you can keep each other accountable.

Best of luck with your workout plan!

We can help.

Do you have 5 or 10 minutes in your day? (Come on, you do!) Try these different ways to get in short bursts of exercise – everything adds up over time!

1. When you go outside to pick up your morning newspaper, take a brisk 5-minute power walk up the street in one direction and back in the other.
2. Try 5 to 10 minutes of jumping jacks. (A 150-pound woman can burn 90 calories in one 10-minute session.)
3. Cooking dinner? Do standing push-ups while you wait for a pot to boil. Stand about an arm's length from the kitchen counter, and push your arms against the counter. Push in and out to get toned arms and shoulders.
4. Just before bed or while you're giving yourself a facial at night, do a few repetitions of some dumbbell exercises.
5. Walk around the block several times while you wait for your child to take a music lesson. As your fitness level improves, add 1-minute bursts of jogging to your walks.
6. Turn a trip to a park with your child into a mini-workout for you. Throw a ball back and forth and run for fly balls.
7. If you have a work meeting in another building, leave 5 or 10 minutes early (or take some time afterward), and do some extra walking.
8. On breaks at work, spend 5 to 10 minutes climbing stairs.
9. If you're pressed for time and must wait for an elevator, strengthen your core with ab exercises. Stand with your feet parallel and your knees relaxed. Contract the muscles around your belly button. Then elevate your upper torso, and release. Finally, contract your buttocks for a few seconds.
10. During TV commercials, jog in place. A 150-pound woman can burn up to 45 calories in 5 minutes.

Change Up Your Workouts
If you follow the same workout schedule, your body has probably grown accustomed to the routine. Mix things up a little and kick up the intensity of your workouts to further challenge your muscles. Work out longer or harder, increase the size weights you're lifting, or do more reps of strength-training moves and vary the order.

Go For Fiber
Since your metabolism is already working pretty efficiently, eat fibrous foods that take longer to digest so your body has to expend more energy to break them down. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, and legumes are good example, but focus on these foods with the highest amounts of fiber.

Get Your Sleep
Not getting enough sleep can also decrease leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full, while it increases ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Research shows that feeling sluggish the following day causes you to eat an average of 549 extra calories without even realizing it. Lack of sleep also slows down your metabolism, making you burn 20 percent fewer calories a day.

Cut Out the Cocktails
Alcoholic beverages are empty calories, and, since your body is working so hard to get rid of toxins, they also inhibit the production of glucose, which is needed for maintaining normal blood sugar levels and in turn slows down your metabolism.

Lose the "Low-Fat" Labels
Many dieters fill their kitchens with foods branded as "low fat" – but that label doesn't necessarily mean healthy. To improve their flavor, manufacturers tend to add more sugar, flour and thickeners to fat-free products, which can boost calorie content. The fats in these foods are replaced with low-performing white carbs that digest quickly and are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This causes the classic sugar high and crash followed by a hunger rebound.

Rev Your Metabolism
Add Protein and Greens – Digesting high-fiber green vegetables is an easy way to make your metabolism work harder, and it can kill cravings for unhealthy foods. Likewise, your body burns twice as many calories by digesting proteins than it does when digesting carbs. Add more protein to your diet with two fish-based meals per week. Packed with protein, fish, such as halibut or salmon, also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which increase fat-burning enzymes in the body.

Vary Your Caloric Intake
Once your body gets used to consuming the same amount of calories every day, your weight loss naturally levels off to match what you burn. For example, your body simply adapts to 1800 calories and stops slimming down. To keep your body working hard at shedding pounds, vary your caloric intake. Consume 1800 calories one day; then reduce to 1600 calories the next day; and 1700 the following day. Keep this pattern going, and your body will have to exert more energy to make adjustments, which can trigger bigger weight loss.

Here's how to do a single-leg kettlebell deadlift:

• Hold a kettlebell (between 10 and 20 pounds) in your right hand, and lift your left foot slightly off the ground.
• Keeping your back neutral, lean your entire torso forward while raising your left leg, which should stay in line with your body. The kettlebell will lower toward the ground. Keep your left shoulder blade pulled down your back.
• With your back straight, return upright, coming to your starting position.
• This completes one rep. Do 12 reps on each leg, for three sets.

Here's how to do a kettlebell squat:

• Stand with feet wide, toes pointing forward, and hold a heavy kettlebell in front of you with palms facing toward you.
• Keeping your chest lifted, squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Pause, and then rise up to standing and repeat. Do 20-25 reps.

Here's how to do the kettlebell squat and swing below:

• Stand with your feet wider than hips-width apart, toes slightly pointing out. Squat down, and hold a kettlebell with both hands between your legs. Make sure your back is flat and your abs are engaged.
• As you inhale, press into your feet and explode up, straightening your legs and swinging the kettlebell in front so your hands are in line with your shoulders.
• Exhale, and with control, come back to the starting position, allowing the kettlebell to swing back between your legs.
• This counts as one rep. Complete three sets of 12 to 15 reps.