In this era of on-demand entertainment, where everything (our phones, our TVs and our laptops) is connected to the Internet to stream whatever we want to watch right when we want to watch it, what does it mean for the humble little fitness DVD?
 
The first exercise videos were introduced on VHS in the '80s, and they revolutionized fitness. Home workout videos made exercising in your living room a regular thing—cheap, accessible and private, compared to paying to take classes at a gym. I've never known a world without fitness videos (I'll be 30 this year). But could fitness DVDs soon be a thing of the past?
 
But the way in which we all consume media is changing drastically. People are cancelling their cable subscriptions in favor of Internet-connected TVs, smartphones and computers that let us watch our favorite television series and movies for just a few dollars a month. With a recessed economy, many people are forgoing the gym in favor of home workouts as well, but are they still buying fitness DVDs or are they simply using the many free and low-cost workouts available online or via phone apps?
 
I recently read two stories that shared somewhat opposing viewpoints on fitness DVDs. The first from Reuters shared some recent trends in the $264 million-dollar fitness DVD industry. While people are buying fewer move and television DVDs, fitness DVD revenue has climbed 11.2% in the past five years and is expected to grow another 9.8% in the next five.
 
The other story, from CNN, talks about the growth of online or "on-demand" workouts, which are available to paying subscribers for low monthly fees. These are touted as giving more variety than your standard workout DVD, but for a similar out-of-pocket cost. "Nearly 20% of all TVs worldwide will be connected to the Internet by 2016, according to Digital TV Research, which will make it even easier for online fitness videos to infiltrate America's living rooms," says the story.
 
Me? I don't have cable. I don't pay for any TV or online subscriptions. But I do love fitness DVDs. I still use them and I continue to buy them even though I don't buy other DVDs (like movies or TV shows) anymore. For me, I still see a lot of value in fitness DVDs as useful products that I actually do play again and again. I can't say the same for my library of movies, which hardy ever get watched anymore. I find online subscriptions for workout videos very intriguing and might try them at some point, but I still love having the tangible product that I can pick up and play in my living room—at least for now.
 
How about you: Do you still buy and use fitness DVDs? Did you ever? Do you think workout DVDs will be a thing of the past in the near future, or that they're here to stay for a while?

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