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Studies show: We sit too much – but sports are making a comeback. Why home rowing is now the game-changer.

6. August 2025

BY Flavio Holstein

Two recent studies are currently receiving a lot of attention – on Tagesschau.de, in Heute-Journal, and in numerous newspapers.

And for good reason: They cast an unsparing look at our leisure behavior – and simultaneously reveal a positive counter-trend.

One warns: Germans sit too much – with far-reaching consequences for health.
The other shows: Sports are making a comeback – especially at home.

What sounds contradictory at first glance, in reality describes a societal turning point. Because those who sit all day need exercise. And more and more people realize: The best way to do this is at home – flexible, spontaneous, and effective.

Germans are sitting themselves sick

Let’s start with the bad news.

The DKV Report 2023, published by Deutsche Krankenversicherung in cooperation with the German Sport University Cologne, shows: Germany sits too much.

On average, adults in this country spend more than 9 hours a day sitting. Especially young adults between 18 and 29 years old even reach over 10 hours daily.

Home office, streaming, social media, gaming – daily life takes place while sitting. And this has consequences.

Because prolonged sitting is more than just a lifestyle issue. It demonstrably increases the risk for:

Cardiovascular diseases
Back pain
Metabolic disorders
Obesity
and even depressive symptoms

But it gets worse: The report also shows that only 17% of Germans still meet the previous criteria for a healthy lifestyle (sufficient exercise, healthy diet, low stress, no nicotine, moderate alcohol consumption).

According to the newly revised criteria, this proportion even shrinks to just 2%. Two percent!

In short: We urgently need exercise. Learn more!

Sports are back – especially at home

Let’s move on to the good news and the second study:

The current Leisure Monitor 2025 by the Foundation for Future Studies shows: Yes, the internet remains unchallenged as the number 1 leisure activity – 98% of Germans use it regularly.

But: Sports are on the rise.

More and more people are reintegrating exercise into their daily lives. The classic “walking” is highly popular with many, but home fitness is also experiencing a real comeback.

Particularly striking: Exercising at home is increasingly becoming the norm. No gym, no club, no dumbbells in the basement, but targeted exercise with equipment, apps, or video workouts in the living room.

What was once considered a last resort is now part of a new lifestyle: flexible, individual, independent, and often surprisingly effective. Learn more now!

Two studies, one message

The DKV Report and the Leisure Monitor complement each other in a remarkable way:

1. We know that we sit too much and that it is unhealthy.

2. At the same time, more and more people are taking action and looking for ways to better integrate exercise into their daily lives.

And that’s where home fitness comes in – or more specifically: the rowing machine.

Why a rowing machine is the perfect answer

Home rowing is more than just a sport – it is a healthy counter-movement to a sedentary daily life. It doesn’t require much effort. Just 20 minutes of rowing, three times a week, is enough to achieve a measurable effect on fitness, posture, and well-being.

Activates 80% of your muscles

Legs, core, back, and arms are activated in a single movement sequence.

Strength & Endurance in perfect balance

In a flowing, rhythmic movement, you specifically build muscle and increase your endurance.

Gentle on your joints

Ideal for beginners and those returning to exercise – effective and safe at the same time.

Focused and relaxed at the same time

The steady rhythm has a meditative effect and clears your mind.

Ideal for your home

Thanks to its compact and quiet design, the AUGLETICS Eight Style, for example, can be perfectly integrated into any home.

Movement begins at home

The two studies make it clear:

We cannot afford to remain inactive, and we no longer even want to.

The trend is not going back to the gym or the 5k track. It begins exactly where we already are: in our own homes.

A rowing machine makes it possible to rethink exercise, not as a mandatory program, but as part of a flexible daily routine.

Whether right after waking up, during lunch break, or between two episodes of a series: Rowing is fast, effective, and motivating.

Conclusion: Between the internet and the ergometer – we are moving in the right direction

The DKV Report shows: We sit too much.
The Leisure Monitor shows: We want to move more again.
The home rowing machine connects both worlds and offers a solution that is suitable for everyday use, efficient, and healthy.

Because in the end, it’s not about being less online. It’s about consciously going offline – for a few minutes of exercise, for more energy, for a better body feeling. And nowhere is that easier than on the rowing machine.

Want to give it a try?

Then discover the AUGLETICS Eight Style – our smart, quiet, and compact rowing machine with an integrated virtual coach. Ideal for anyone who wants to take the first step at home.

About the author

Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein ist Gründer und CEO von AUGLETICS, einem Unternehmen, das den Rudersport durch innovative Rudergeräte direkt ins Wohnzimmer bringt. Seit über 20 Jahren ist er begeisterter Ruderer und trainierte zeitweise sogar dreimal täglich, um es in die Nationalmannschaft zu schaffen. Er wurde zweimal deutscher Vizemeister im Vierer und Achter. Mit einem Master in Technischer Informatik bringt Flavio das nötige Hintergrundwissen mit, um modernste Technik und sportliche Effizienz zu vereinen und das Rudern für alle zugänglich zu machen. Seine Vision: Rudern als festen Bestandteil des Alltags zu etablieren und damit das wohl größte Gesundheitsproblem unserer Zeit anzugehen – den Bewegungsmangel. Flavio Holstein is the founder and CEO of AUGLETICS, a company that brings the sport of rowing directly into people’s living rooms through innovative rowing machines. He has been a passionate rower for over 20 years and at times trained up to three times a day in order to qualify for the national team. He became German vice champion twice, competing in both the coxless four and the eight. Holding a master’s degree in technical computer science, Flavio combines cutting-edge technology with athletic efficiency to make rowing accessible to everyone. His vision: to establish rowing as a natural part of everyday life and tackle what is arguably the greatest health issue of our time – lack of physical activity. Flavio Holstein est le fondateur et CEO d’AUGLETICS, une entreprise qui fait entrer le sport de l’aviron directement dans le salon grâce à des rameurs innovants. Passionné d’aviron depuis plus de 20 ans, il s’est parfois entraîné jusqu’à trois fois par jour dans l’objectif d’intégrer l’équipe nationale. Il a été deux fois vice-champion d’Allemagne, en quatre et en huit. Titulaire d’un master en informatique technique, Flavio dispose des connaissances nécessaires pour allier technologies de pointe et efficacité sportive et rendre l’aviron accessible à tous. Sa vision : faire de l’aviron une composante naturelle du quotidien et s’attaquer ainsi à l’un des plus grands problèmes de santé de notre époque – le manque d’activité physique. Flavio Holstein è fondatore e CEO di AUGLETICS, un’azienda che porta lo sport del canottaggio direttamente nelle case grazie a vogatori innovativi. È un appassionato canottiere da oltre 20 anni e in alcuni periodi si è allenato persino tre volte al giorno per riuscire a entrare nella nazionale. È stato due volte vicecampione tedesco nel quattro e nell’otto. Con un master in informatica tecnica, Flavio unisce competenze tecnologiche avanzate ed efficienza sportiva per rendere il canottaggio accessibile a tutti. La sua visione: rendere il canottaggio una parte integrante della vita quotidiana e affrontare quello che è probabilmente il più grande problema di salute del nostro tempo – la mancanza di attività fisica.

Flavio Holstein

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9. January 2026

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BACK TO OVERVIEW

Studies show: We sit too much – but sports are making a comeback. Why home rowing is now the game-changer.

Germans are sitting themselves sick

Sports are back – especially at home

Two studies, one message

Why a rowing machine is the perfect answer

Movement begins at home

Conclusion: Between the internet and the ergometer – we are moving in the right direction

Want to give it a try?

About the author

Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein

BACK TO OVERVIEW

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© Augletics GmbH

Studies show: We sit too much – but sports are making a comeback. Why home rowing is now the game-changer.

Germans are sitting themselves sick

Sports are back – especially at home

Two studies, one message

Why a rowing machine is the perfect answer

Movement begins at home

Conclusion: Between the internet and the ergometer – we are moving in the right direction

Want to give it a try?

About the author

Flavio Holstein

Flavio Holstein

You might also be interested in

Is AUGLETICS right for me?

Is AUGLETICS right for me?

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