If your clients and members map their workout sessions on a GPS, track the calories they burn and then share these results across social media, they’re following the number one predicted fitness trend for next year – wearable technology, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) which recently announced its annual fitness trend forecast for 2016.
Now in its tenth year, the survey was completed by more than 2,800 health and fitness personal trainer worldwide, many certified by ACSM, and was designed to reveal trends in various fitness environments.
Forty potential trends were given as choices, and the top 20 were ranked and published by ACSM, including a few new additions to last year’s list, one of which rose immediately to the number one spot.
‘The results are a little surprising’, said Rosemary Marchese, National Training Maestro for the Australian Institute of Fitness. ‘Whilst bodyweight training and high intensity interval training (HIIT) are still star performers, it seems that there has been a shift away from the ‘do-it-yourself’ and less expensive options of bodyweight training, to consumers being willing to spend the dollars to get their fitness into shape.
‘Another little surprise is that weight loss programs have dropped from spot number 6 last year to 9 for next year. That’s a little shock considering the well-known issue we are having with climbing obesity and chronic illness rates. Rather than the weight loss programs incorporating regular exercise and calorie restriction for better weight control, tech devices are being used more often to change the way workouts are being planned and managed.’
Celebrity PT Cameron Byrnes believes the predicted trends will empower everyone to become smarter, train more effectively and monitor progress easier.
‘Wearable technology makes an individual more aware of their activity and can help to achieve their fitness goals easier. It means more people will be able to train on their own and use tech devices to plan their own workouts. What it also means is that PT’s and fitness coaches will be held more accountable. Their clients are likely to be more health savvy and demand more from their workouts and then even more from their fitness education providers if they want to go that one step further and have a career in fitness themselves.’
‘It’s great to see that body weight, HIIT and strength training are high on the trend list again for this year. All of these types of training are a highly effective way of getting and staying in shape, can be done at home or in the gym, on your own or with a PT. Therefore, it suits most age groups and fitness levels.’
The top 10 fitness trends for 2016 are:
1. Wearable technology: includes fitness trackers, smart watches, heart rate monitors, and GPS tracking devices.
2. Bodyweight training: uses minimal equipment making it more affordable and allowing people to get back to the basics.
3. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): involves short bursts of activity followed by a short period of rest or recovery. These programs are usually performed in less than 30 minutes.
4. Strength training: remains a central emphasis for many health clubs. Incorporating strength training is an essential part of a complete exercise program for all physical activity levels and genders. (The other essential components are aerobic exercise and flexibility.)
5. Educated and experienced fitness professionals.
6. Personal training. More students are majoring in kinesiology, which indicates that they are preparing themselves for careers in allied health fields such as personal training. Education, training and proper credentialing for personal trainers have become increasingly important to the health and fitness facilities that employ them.
7. Functional fitness. This is a trend toward using strength training to improve balance and ease of daily living. Functional fitness and special fitness programs for older adults are closely related.
8. Fitness programs for older adults. As the baby boom generation ages into retirement, some of these people have more discretionary money than their younger counterparts. Therefore, many health and fitness professionals are taking the time to create age-appropriate fitness programs to keep older adults healthy and active.
9. Exercise and weight loss. In addition to nutrition, exercise is a key component of a proper weight loss program. Health and fitness professionals who provide weight loss programs are increasingly incorporating regular exercise and caloric restriction for better weight control in their clients.
10. Yoga: in its various forms, including Power Yoga, Yogalates, Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kripalu, Anurara, Kundalini, Sivananda and others.
Source: Little Bird PR
