For the past 15 years, the editors of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal® (FIT) have conducted an electronic survey of now 75,000 professionals around the world to identify health and fitness trends for the following year. This survey serves as a guide for health and fitness programs in 2021 and beyond. The year 2020 has been a memorable one for many of us, including those in the fitness industry, and the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything. That’s why this 15th annual fitness trends survey will have an even bigger impact on the industry than before. New to this year’s survey, for example, was the inclusion of potentially new trends such as online training and virtual training. The results of this annual survey will help the health and fitness industry make some important business decisions for future growth and development, which is why we are presenting this survey and its results here. The results show that online training, wearable technology and bodyweight training are the main trends ranked 1 to 3.
Online training rose from the No. 26 trend in 2020 to the No. 1 trend for 2021, likely due to the market shift from clubs to home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wearable technology took over the No. 1 spot in 2019 and 2020 and is now the No. 2 trend for 2021. HIIT, the No. 1 trend in 2014 and 2018, is now the No. 5 trend. Group training was the No. 2 trend in 2018 and 2019, No. 3 in 2020, and dropped to the No. 17 trend for 2021. Training with free weights (which replaced barbell training in 2020) was the No. 4 trend in 2020 and dropped to No. 8 for 2021. Personal training is still in the top 10, but drops to No. 10 for 2021. Fitness programs aimed at older adults are regaining some popularity after falling out of the top 10 trends in 2017 and are No. 9 in 2021. Bodyweight training first emerged as a fitness trend in 2013 at No. 3 and has been in the top 5 fitness trends ever since, peaking at No. 1 in 2015. Other trends to watch out for include outdoor activities (No. 4), virtual training (No. 6) and EIM (No. 7). Dropping out of the top 20 are circuit training, workplace health promotion and wellbeing, and exercise programs specifically for children.
