Fitness Trends For 2017 - Part I

1) Wearable technology

Fitness trackers and smart watches have been hot holiday gifts for the last few years, and the ACSM says that trend won't be going anywhere in 2017—and in fact, it will only get bigger. Recent updates from brands like Garmin, Apple, and Fitbit have sent the trend to number one for the upcoming year. Brands have upped their games regarding the accuracy of their technology.  This has helped keep the trend around. 

Today’s wearables track distance, and also provide heart rate readings, GPS route tracking, move reminders, and so much more.

2) Body weight training

It's easy to see why no-equipment workouts are so popular: They're relatively easy to learn, they can be modified to suit any ability level, and they can be done just about anywhere. Plus, body weight body weight exercises are an efficient way to get fit for free. Pushups and pull-ups are classic bodyweight moves, but there are plenty more to choose from, like squats, lunges, and planks, just to name a few.

3) HIIT

HIIT's helps you torch calories fast by alternating quick bursts of high-intensity exercise with short rest periods. It can be found in all types of workouts, from Pilates to CrossFit and boot camp classes. High profile fitness companies are huge proponents of this form of exercise, if they continue to advertise and support HIIT, we don’t see it leaving the trend list anytime soon.

To try a high-intensity interval training workout yourself, spend 20 to 30 minutes total combining repeated shorts bursts of work with short break periods, like 45 seconds of burpees with 15 seconds of rest followed by 45 seconds of squats.  A 20-minute HIIT session can burn around 190 calories per session and will keep your metabolism fired up long after you finish the routine.

4) Educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals

The number of people who want to become personal trainers keeps growing, and they have more options than ever to earn accreditation. Overall, people who work in the fitness industry are much more accountable and professional than previously.  This is attributed to clients becoming smarter about who they seek out for fitness-related help.

Not only is there continued growth in college and university programs, but there are more than 250 third-party certification organizations committed to teaching personal trainers best practices. As for the future of personal trainers and fitness professionals, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts these occupations to only increase in popularity, with employment of fitness professionals to rise 8% between 2014 and 2024.

5) Strength training

Gone are the days when the biggest fitness buffs out there stuck to cardio. Today, they know they can't miss strength training's science-backed benefits, such as boosting longevity, building muscle mass, and protecting against diabetes, back pain, and more. Plus, a growing number of women, in particular, have come to realize that lifting weights won't necessarily make them bulky, and in fact will help them burn more fat and boost metabolism.

6) Group training

SoulCycle, PureBarre, Orangetheory, CrossFit—they're all forms of group training, a huge fitness trend that will continue to thrive in 2017. The current group training movement kicked off in 2008 in conjunction with the beginning of the Great Recession, when the expense of personal training became a luxury many Americans could no longer afford. With many people using services like ClassPass to replace a gym membership entirely, we don't see the group training trend dying down any time soon.

7) Exercise Is Medicine

Regular exercise lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, and other chronic diseases, and serves as a powerful stress-reducer and mood-booster. That's why the ACSM and the American Medical Association co-launched Exercise Is Medicine, a global movement that encourages physicians to refer patients to fitness professionals in their communities, and likewise, encourages fitness professionals to make connections with physicians. With health care costs on the rise, and with the future of the U.S. health insurance industry uncertain, using exercise as a preventive health tool is perhaps more important than ever.  

8) Yoga

Your zenned-out yogi friend is onto something: this ancient mind-body practice can be practiced on the go and can boost your mood, improve your sex life, and strengthen your entire body. Yoga has been around for thousands of years and has been a modern fitness trend for at least a decade, so how does it continue to be so popular? ACSM notes that while traditional Ashtanga, Hatha, and Vinyasa classes are readily available, fitness pros are also constantly finding new ways to reinvent yoga—think aerial yoga, hot yoga, and rope wall yoga. 

9) Personal training

Personal training is a perennial trend (it's been on the ACSM's annual list since it launched in 2006) and not much has changed about it over the years—these professionals generally provide one-on-one sessions that provide a more immersive and personalized experience for fitness seekers. But one important shift is happening in the industry: More education. A growing number of fitness professionals are seeking out formal education in kinesiology and exercise science, and credentialing is becoming more important to the facilities that employ them.  Quality of trainers has increased along with the sheer number of trainers available, because certifications and qualifications weed out the trainers who aren't top-notch in such a saturated market. 

10) Exercise and weight loss

Achieving a healthy weight will never go out of style, and a healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the best way to reach your weight loss goal. In fact, using fitness as a way to shed fat has appeared on the ACSM's annual list since the survey’s inaugural year in 2006. Most of the well-publicized diet plans integrate exercise in addition to the daily routine of providing prepared meals to their clients.