For the past 14 years, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has released the results of its survey predicting the top worldwide fitness trends. New to this year’s survey was the inclusion of mind-body movement and lifestyle medicine.
Below is the overview of the top five trend predictions from the Top 20 Worldwide Fitness Trends for 2020 list:
Wearable Technology
The top predicted trend for 2020 is wearable technology, which was also the top trend for 2016, 2017 and 2019. This technology includes fitness trackers, smart watches, HR monitors, and GPS tracking devices.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
While HIIT can look different from club to club, it ultimately consists of short periods of high-intensity exercise with short periods of rest in between. HIIT has been a top five trend since 2014 and continues to stay relevant worldwide.
Group Training
Group training is defined by the ACSM survey as a group with more than five participants. Group exercise instructors teach, lead and motivate individuals through intentionally designed, larger in-person group movement classes. This has been a mainstay on the survey since it was first constructed.
Training with Free Weights
The ACSM defines training with free weights as the incorporation of free weights, barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells and medicine balls into classes. Instructors teach proper form for each exercise and then progressively increase the resistance once the correct form is accomplished. This is the first year training with free weights has been on the predicted trends list.
Personal Training
According to ACSM, personal training includes fitness testing and goal setting with the trainer working one on one with a client to prescribe workouts specific to clients’ individual needs and goals. Since the survey was first published, personal training has consistently stayed in the top 10.
Overall, there are four trends that are new to the top 20 list. These are training with free weights, lifestyle medicine, circuit training and children and exercise. Trends that fell out of the top 20 trends for 2020 are mobile exercise apps, mobility/myofascial devices, small group personal training and post-rehabilitation classes.
You can see the full list of Top 20 Trends for 2020 below:
- Wearable technology
- HIIT
- Group training
- Training with free weights
- Personal training
- Exercise is Medicine (EIM)
- Bodyweight training
- Fitness programs for older adults
- Health/wellness coaching
- Employing certified fitness professionals
- Exercise for weight loss
- Functional fitness training
- Outdoor activities
- Yoga
- Licensure for fitness professionals
- Lifestyle medicine
- Circuit training
- Worksite health promotion and workplace well-being programs
- Outcome measurements
- Children and exercise
