Ah, history … it repeats itself. If you’re old enough to remember Gold’s Gym before it turned into an aerobics studio, then you’ll appreciate the irony in the American College of Sports Medicine’s “Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2023” results. It originally published in the January/February 2023 edition of the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal.
Now in its 17th year of publication, the Worldwide Survey identifies 42 top-rated trends gleaned from past World Survey lists and emerging trends. Selecting the trends are editors representing corporate, clinical, community, commercial and academia. The list is then sent by Survey Monkey to more than 125,000 individuals involved in the fitness industry worldwide. Responses to 2023’s survey were received from almost every continent, with a total of 3,735 individuals participating.
The survey results show …
After nearly three years of predicating the takeover of fitness by virtual offerings, experts are backing off their dire warnings (or maybe it was really the marketing machines of our online equipment manufacturers telling us everyone wanted to stay home). Turns out, exercising in front of a self-congratulatory mirror is not what shakes people up. Or gets them excited. Or really builds those Instagram-able rear ends.
Instead, online training and online personal training both dropped to 20th and 26th respectively on the World Survey list. Meanwhile, wearable technology, strength training with free weights, and body weight trainingcame in first, second, and third, respectively. Bam! Weights are back, baby! Visit the original article here.
What’s the reason for all this old-school exercise?
We have to guess it’s the same old nemesis – social media. Iron Mayhem Strength & Conditioning Gym is a weight training gym, featuring top-level equipment perfect for ©Strongman competitors and bodybuilders. Lately, owner Claude Mumpower has been awash in members gliding in for a glute workout, taking a few videos of their posteriors, and sailing out, satisfied with the resulting perky roundness. “They act like they’ve worked out,” he jokes, but as long as they tag Iron Mayhem in the post, he’s cool with their game.
How are these fitness trends reflected in real life?
In the World Survey, fitness programs for older adults, functional fitness training, and outdoor activities came in fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. Rounding out the top ten are high-intensity interval training, exercise for weight loss, employing certified fitness professionals, and personal training.
From our perspective, trends four, five, and six mirror society’s response to the pandemic. For many people, prioritizing physical health throughout life and enjoying fitness activities, both indoor and outdoor, is job #1.
Overall, though, the results suggest individuals are becoming much more results-focused with their training. Because, from a practical perspective, nothing builds a body like weight training and functional fitness. Combine these with the abundance of supportive exercise programming, extensive coaching support, and diverse licensing now available to anyone with the interest to succeed, and it seems the fitness industry is as healthy as it’s ever been.
Here’s the World Survey of Fitness Trends complete list:
Top 20 Worldwide Fitness Trends for 2023
1) Wearable technology
2) Strength training with free weights
3) Body weight training
4) Fitness programs for older adults
5) Functional fitness training
6) Outdoor activities
7) High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
8) Exercise for weight loss
9) Employing certified fitness professionals
10) Personal training
11) Core training
12) Circuit training
13) Home exercise gyms
14) Group exercise training
15) Exercise is Medicine
16) Lifestyle medicine
17) Yoga
18) Licensure for fitness professionals
19) Health/well-being coaching
20) Mobile exercise apps
How does this apply to your gym?
Although we wouldn’t expect you to make major changes due to this list, we hope reading interesting, well-produced data such as the ACSM’s survey informs great decisions throughout the year. Or maybe, at least, confirms a hunch that’s been nagging at you. (Yep, time to buy more equipment.)
Gym Insight
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[MOU1]Exercise as medicine (?)