Continuing Trends in 2018
One thing is sure about the summer of 2018; fitness businesses aren’t going to disappear anytime soon. While it’s technically possible to do all of your workouts from home, that is not the choice that people are making this year.
What’s hot in mid-2018 is the human connection. The word of the season appears to be "continuation" as wearables continue to lurk in the background, HIIT continues to grow in popularity, and group classes continue to fill the need for social engagement in the lives of many.
Meanwhile, the spread of IoT connected equipment may influence fitness in the near future. Fitness in the middle of 2018 is seeing a refinement of existing trends. Nevertheless, if the trends are going in the right direction generally, why not improve on them, and ride them to the end of the line?
Digital Devices Threaten to Reach Their Potential
Wearables continue to evolve and offer more benefits. Apple and other Android-based brands like Samsung and Garmin have rolled out updates and improved features. You can choose for your device based on your budget or activities and collect more data than ever before.
I go back and forth in my opinion about the future of wearables; just as I conclude that they’re making a comeback, I see that there’s a back-to-basics trend. So, possibly there is cross flow as some people adopt and others discard their wearables. What that might mean is that wearables still aren’t quite mature yet; people try them and don’t find the value they’re seeking, and drop them.
Mastering the basics is always a great way to build good fitness habits, strength, and confidence. What could be more fundamental than pursuing the human connection? Classes and group activities can be low-cost and familiar as long as they bring people together.
HIIT Classes And Other Group Activities
High-Intensity Interval Training programs are doing well this year and fulfilling the promise they offered in previous reports. The short, sharp shock of a rapid burn suits busy lives and helps to give back the energy invested. Classes and group activities also are as popular as ever. CrossFit, spinning, other group activities leverage the peer pressure of group activities.
The ways that niche classes and activities are thriving now show people are looking to overcome isolation and balance group participation with busy work and family lives. The need for community, human-contact, and peer pressure are just a few of the reasons that people want to sign up to scheduled classes, and that looks like it will keep on going in the foreseeable future.
The impact of HIIT on human physiology now beginning to appear and it looks like a measured amount of HIIT is a good thing, but too much can be counter-productive. A recent report on the risks of overtraining show that too much HIIT leads to stress injuries and diminished benefits.
Bicycles Bicycles Everywhere
There has been an outbreak in the past few years of bike share services. The first ones had docking where you pick up and drop off bikes. More recently, the latest services use bikes that link to the Internet of Things. All you have to do is download the app on your smartphone, sign up, and away you go.
Perhaps these randomly located bikes will encourage people to get more active and get into the gym to have the physical conditioning to jump on a bike at a moment’s notice. While this isn’t a fitness trend as such, it does sometimes surprise people when they get on a bike for the first time in years.
If you don’t have a reasonable level of fitness, cycling can be tough work. It seems like an opportunity in the regions where bike share schemes have taken off. If you can have a business model that leaves equipment like bicycles sitting on sidewalks what can you do in fitness in 2018?
The Fundamentals of Human Connectivity
So the hot trends of 2018 build on what we already know and love about fitness. As a small gym business, you’ll find opportunities bringing people together, pushing them to get the best workouts possible and make the best use of their time.
Technology like wearables and the IoT are exciting. They will, no doubt, have huge impacts in the near future. However, connecting people to the fundamentals of fitness, as well as each other, continue to be hot in fitness this summer.
Bibliography
Dominic, Anthony. New Research Highlights Benefits, Risks of HIIT Training. June 7, 2018. https://www.clubindustry.com/fitness-studies/new-research-highlights-benefits-risks-hiit-training (accessed July 9, 2018).
Fagan, Lawrence. The First Reports On Gym Business Trends For 2015 Are Out. December 5, 2014. https://blog.gyminsight.com/3009-gym-business-trends-for-2015/ (accessed July 9, 2018).
Neighmond, Patti. Top Fitness Trends For 2018: Back To Basics. June 27, 2018. https://woub.org/2018/06/27/top-fitness-trends-for-2018-back-to-basics/ (accessed July 9, 2018).
Stella, Ben. The Best Fitness Trackers Of 2018. June 23, 2018. https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/best-fitness-trackers/ (accessed July 9, 2018).