People track fitness trends by taking surveys. Several large surveys involving over a hundred thousand people found that the number one trend was wearable fitness technology. That can include smart watches, heart rate monitors, fitness trackers, and trackers that check the calories you’re burning, the amount of sleep you get, and your blood pressure.
Free weights are popular again.
At one time, machines became more popular for strength training than using free weights, but that’s no longer true. Dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells are back in the picture for strength training. Strength training has also gained popularity in the last four years with more focus on it. In fact, strength training with weights was the second most popular trend, while body weight training was number three. Bodyweight exercises have risen in popularity in gyms from almost non-existent to number three in the last decade.
Seniors started working out more.
At one time, mostly younger people were in the gym working out. That’s no longer the case. Longer longevity and more attention to looking and feeling good in the senior years have boosted this trend in fitness. Other factors that caused an increase in baby boomers in the gym are free time, discretionary cash, and the focus on fitness by many Medicare Advantage programs that often pay for fitness classes. Functional fitness training is right below senior fitness and interrelated to it.
HIIT—high intensity interval training—workouts are also on the list of fitness activities trending.
HIIT is not a specific exercise but a way of doing any exercise. It alternates exertion between high intensity where the heart rate is higher than 80% and recovery pace. It’s not the first time HIIT made the top 10. It has been on the list as #1 in 2014 and 2021 and in the top five for all the years between those years. It has been the #7 top trend for the last two years.
- Outdoor fitness activities have become more popular in 2023. It was often low in the rankings, but Covid-19 drove it to the #3 position in 2022. This year it dropped a bit in popularity, but outdoor biking, hiking, and other exercises are still a driving factor in fitness.
- Core training is gaining momentum and renewed interest. In the past few years, it was not a top focus on training, but the demand has grown. Part of the growth came from the increased demand for senior and functional fitness where core training can improve the activities of daily living.
- Exercising and food as medicine have made the top 20 charts. There’s a new emphasis on doing more than taking a pill. It’s all about making lifestyle changes to help the body heal more naturally.
- Health and well-being coaches are gaining popularity, just as personal trainers are. There’s more focus on helping people help themselves. Personal trainers have become more affordable, so they’re available to more people.
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