New survey reveals top 20 fitness trends of 2018

January 2018

New survey reveals top 20 fitness trends of 2018: Results from an annual survey revealed responses from 11 countries including Brazil, Japan, South Africa, the United States and the UK in order to identify the most popular fitness trends.

Out of 4,133 fitness professionals who had participated from around the world, over half (58%) had 10-20 years’ experience within their profession and over one quarter (28%) claimed to be a personal trainer.  

Out of the responses given, the top 20 fitness trends in order are as follows:   

1. HIIT training
2. Group training
3. Wearable technology
4. Bodyweight training
5. Strength training
6. Educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals
7. Yoga
8. Personal training
9. Fitness programs for older adults
10. Functional fitness (using strength training to improve aspects in their daily life)
11. Exercise is weight loss (exercising to a calorie controlled diet)
12. Exercise is medicine (exercising for health purposes)
13. Group personal training (providing personal training services to a group between 2–4 people)
14. Outdoor activities
15. Flexibility and mobility rollers
16. Licensure for fitness professionals (more regulations of fitness professionals)
17. Circuit training
18. Wellness coaching
19. Core training
20. Sport-specific training

Sport-specific training, core training and licensure for fitness professionals are the newly emerged fitness trends for this year, however, those that fell out of the top 20 trends were: worksite health promotion (number 16 in 2017), smartphone exercise apps (number 17 in 2017) and outcomes measures (number 18 in 2017).

The 12^th annual survey reinforced previous trends as HIIT, yoga, functional fitness and group training continue to climb up the ladder. However, when it comes to wearable technology it is difficult for analysts to distinguish the trend from the fad. With insulated clothing and tracking technology an evolutionary success in both the sport and retail markets, workout apps and mobility rollers are predicted to a thing of the past. However, with technology continuing to evolve at a rapid rate, it still remains difficult to predict the success of the next technological development.