2020 Fitness Trends: Results from the ACSM Survey

ACSM Survey 2020

With a new decade fast approaching, the question on everyone’s’ lips (or at least the Action PR teams’) is what is going to be the next big thing in fitness?

Well, as luck would have it, The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has just released their 2020 fitness trends predictions, drawing from the insights of over 3,000 fitness experts across the globe. In its 14th year, the survey is highly anticipated amongst the trade, with professionals keen to understand what direction to take their business to appeal to consumers and partners alike.

So… drum roll please… here are your top 10 fitness trends for 2020:

1.  Wearable technology

2. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

3. Group training

4. Training with free weights

5. Personal training

6. .Exercise is Medicine®

7. Body weight training

8. Fitness programs for older adults

9. Health/wellness coaching

10. Employing certified fitness professionals

Our thoughts

It was no surprise that wearable technology topped the charts. We highly anticipate the influx of “look at the new Fitbit I got for Christmas” conversations we are due to have. People love engaging with their very own, personalised data and tracking their progress and improvements over time. We’re sure this will only continue to grow and wouldn’t be surprised if its number one again next year. We see this extending to wider variables as well, covering aspects like stress, sleep, recovery –giving an overall assumption of holistic wellbeing.  This is something our client Firstbeat is way ahead of the curve on.

We were slightly surprised to see HIIT weighing in at a strong number two. Having placed in the top 5 since 2014, we were sure its time at the very top was coming to an end. In the UK especially, there are certainly more people focussing on a ‘less beasting’ and more mindful approach to their fitness regime, incorporating prehab/rehab, mobility and stretch based workouts… We predict a focus on recovery and quality of movement over intensity of exercise in 2020. Perhaps other countries are still chasing that ‘go hard or go home approach’?

It was great to see Exercise is Medicine® up at number 6 (previously 10). The global health initiative focuses on encouraging primary care physicians and other health-care providers to include physical activity assessment and associated treatment recommendations as part of every patient visit, referring their patients to exercise professionals. There are countless studies showing the amazing benefits of well-structured exercise programmes for cancer sufferers, those living with diabetes, people with osteoporosis and many other health issues or chronic conditions. Exercise really should be the medicine of choice, or in any case, a great supplement to other treatments.

What does all this mean?

Staying on top of trends is the best way to make sure a business is headed in the right direction. It’s important for future growth and development and could be the difference between securing investment or not. The ACSM report can help inform campaigns, product launches and promotions, putting you and your business at the forefront of the industry. How else can you be sure to give consumers exactly what they want, when they want it? Notably, we highly encourage you to read up on the full report here.

Recommended Posts