On December 28, 2022, the 2023 edition of ACSM’s annual Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends report was released: Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2023. The report, which surveys fitness programs for the coming year and releases the top fitness programs for the year ahead, is the 17th release of the report since 2006. It is a revision and update of the previously released ACSM Global Fitness Trends Survey (Top 20) for 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic certainly had an impact on the 2021 survey and continues through 2022, but by 2023, some current trends are emerging and others are waning as the world recovers from the isolation caused by COVID-19.
As in 2022, the number one trend in 2023 is wearable technology. Home fitness gyms rank No. 2 in 2022, but drop to No. 13 in 2023. fitness programs for seniors will make a comeback in 2023, breaking the top 10 to rank No. 4. functional fitness training, a popular form of exercise for seniors, is the No. 5 trend in 2023.
This year’s findings are likely to be titled “Post-Epidemic Recovery Impacting the Fitness Industry” or “What’s Changing in Online Training and Home Gyms? In an era of COVID-19 quarantine, masks, social distance, and health club closures, fitness professionals are turning to online delivery of fitness programming in an impressive way.
In fact, the 2021 survey ranked online training as the No. 1 trend. It fell to No. 9 in 2022 and now ranks No. 21, having dropped out of the top 20. Online personal training rose from #17 in 2022 to #26 in 2023. Home gyms have fallen from #2 in 2022 to #13 in 2023. The health and fitness industry is returning to basics, with strength training and free weight training ranking as the second trend, weight training as the third trend in 2023, and functional fitness training as the fifth trend. Fitness program for seniors is the fourth trend for 2023.
As has been the case for the past 17 years, the results of this annual survey help health and fitness professionals make critical business decisions for future growth and development. These investments can be based on emerging trends already identified by health and fitness professionals worldwide, rather than making these decisions based on the latest exercise infomercial on television, social media, or the next hottest celebrity-endorsed product. As in the past, the survey was constructed using a Likert-type scale ranging from a low score of 1 (least likely to be a trend) to a high score of 10 (most likely to be a trend). After each scoring opportunity, additional space for comments was provided. A place for respondents to comment or list potential fitness trends not considered in future surveys was included at the end of the survey, along with some anonymous demographic information. Using SurveyMonkey ( www.surveymonkey.com), the online survey was sent to 125,940 people. The total number of survey responses was 3,735. The response rate of 3% is comparable to previous years.
Responses were received from nearly every continent, including Australia, Brazil, Barbados, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Jordan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, Vietnam and the United States, among others.
The top 20 emerging trends for 2023 include the #4 trend, senior fitness programs, the #5 trend, functional fitness training, and the #9 trend, hiring certified fitness professionals. Live and on-demand online fitness classes rank #26 in 2020 and #1 in 2021 but have dropped to #21 in 2023. dropping from #2 in 2022 to #13 in 2023 are home fitness gyms. Continuing in the top 20 from 2022 are workplace health promotion and workplace well-being (#18 in 2020, #27 in 2021, #28 in 2022, and now #30), children and exercise (#20 in 2020, #29 in 2021, #29 in 2022 and #31 in 2023), and outcome measures (#20 in 2021, #29 in 2022 and #31 in 2023). indicators (#20 in 2021, #22 in 2022, and #29 in 2023).
1.wearable technology Wearable technology includes fitness trackers, smart watches, heart rate monitors, and GPS tracking devices, and also includes fitness and activity trackers that can monitor heart rate, calories, sitting time, sleep, etc. With the exception of 2018 (#3) and 2021 (#2), wearable technology has been the number one trend since it was introduced to the survey in 2016. Used as pedometers and heart rate monitors, these devices can track body temperature, calories, sitting time, sleep time, and more. Initially, there were issues with the accuracy of wearable technology, but these issues appear to have been resolved. New innovations include blood pressure, oxygen saturation, body temperature, respiratory rate, and electrocardiograms.
2.Free weight training focuses on proper exercise and weight lifting techniques that combine the use of barbells, dumbbells, and/or kettlebells to improve or maintain muscle health by controlling repetitions, sets, tempo, load, and exercise selection to achieve specific muscle health goals.2 Surveys conducted through 2021 include a study described as “strength training. The survey conducted before 2021 included a category described as “strength training”. This description was considered too broad; therefore, strength training was redefined in 2020 to favor more specific strength training and free weight training. This category includes free weights, barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, and solid ball sessions. Free weight training debuts at #4 in 2020, drops to #8 in 2021, and then to #4 in 2022.
3.The combination of bodyweight training multi-planar bodyweight and neuromotor movements with bodyweight as the primary resistance defines this trend. Bodyweight training uses minimal equipment and space, making it an inexpensive and practical form of exercise. Bodyweight training first appeared in the 2013 trends survey (ranked #3), ranked #2 in 2017, #4 in 2018, and #5 in 2019 before dropping to #7 in 2020 and then rebounding to #3 in 2021 and then #8 in 2022. While weight training has been around for a long time, it didn’t appear as a survey trend option until 2013, as it only became popular in gyms around the world last year (as a definite trend) decade.
4.Senior Fitness Programs This is a trend that emphasizes and caters to the fitness needs of baby boomers and older generations. People are living longer, working longer, and want to stay healthy and physically active throughout their lives. This trend is returning after entering the top 10 in 2007 (#2 trend) and dropping to #11 in 2017. senior fitness programs are #9 trend in 2018, #4 in 2019, #8 in 2020, #9 in 2021 and #11 in 2022. baby boomers (and older generations) typically have more discretionary funds than younger generations. Health clubs may be able to capitalize on this growing market.
5.Functional fitness training trains to improve balance, coordination, functional strength, and endurance to improve activities of daily living. An exercise program reflects the actual activities that someone may perform during the day. Functional fitness first appeared at #4 in the survey in 2007 but fell to #8 in 2008 and #11 in 2009. It reappeared in the top 10 at #7 and #9 in 2010 and 2011. functional fitness was the #10 trend in 2012, ranked #8 in 2014, but dropped to #14 in 2021 and 2022. this trend typically focuses on using strength training to improve basic balance, coordination, muscular strength, and endurance to improve activities of daily living typically targeted at older adults as well as clinical populations.
6.Outdoor Activities allow health and fitness professionals to offer more outdoor activities, such as group walks, rides, or organized hikes. Activities can be short-term events, day-long activities, or planned multi-day hikes, and ECO challenges such as stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, mountain biking, and remote hiking. Perhaps because of the limitations of COVID-19, more outdoor activities have become popular recently. outdoor activities ranked #4 in 2021 and #3 in 2022. participants typically meet with a designated leader at a local park, hiking area, or bike trail. The trend of health and fitness professionals offering outdoor activities to their clients began in 2010. In that year, outdoor activities ranked 25th in the annual survey and 27th in 2011.
7.High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) These workout programs typically include repeated high-intensity workouts (>80% of maximum heart rate) combined with rest periods. High-intensity interval training can be used for a variety of exercise activities. Although HIIT was not in the top 20 as part of the survey as a possible trend until 2013, HIIT was ranked #1 in the 2014 and 2018 surveys and remained in the top 5 each year from 2014 to 2021 (#5); however, HIIT falls out of the top 5 for the first time in 2022, dropping to #7, and remains #7 in 2023. HIIT is available in a variety of formats, including dumbbells, barbells, sprints, cycling, bodyweight, and stair climbing.
8.weight loss exercise This trend combines weight loss programs with exercise programs. Combining physical activity and exercise training with diet and cooking classes may provide additional benefits. Perhaps because of the segregation of COVID-19 implementation and the resulting perceived (or actual) weight gain, weight loss exercise is making a comeback in 2022 (#5). Most dieting programs recommend incorporating some form of exercise program into daily caloric restriction, adding caloric expenditure from physical activity to the equation. Exercise for weight loss programs has been a top 20 trend since the survey began.In 2009, weight loss exercise ranked as low as 18th, only to regain popularity in 2015. Beginning in 2016, the trend began to slip to #16 in 2021.
9.Hiring certified fitness professionals focuses on the importance of hiring certified health and fitness professionals who have completed educational programs and fully accredited health/fitness certifications. This trend first appears at #6 in 2019, then drops to #10 in 2020, and ranks #13 in both 2021 and 2022. The importance of hiring certified health and fitness professionals through educational programs and accredited certification programs has been on a steady trend. More certification programs have been recognized by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, allowing employers to easily obtain certification verification through the American Registry of Exercise Professionals and the International Federation of Certified Exercise Professionals.
10.Personal Training Personal training includes goal setting, fitness assessments and workout programs set up one-on-one with a trainer. The personal trainer will provide workout technique instruction, monitor improvements and progress workouts at each client encounter based on the client’s progress. One-on-one training continues to be a strong trend as personal training specialties become more readily available online, in health clubs, at home and at work. Personal training includes fitness testing and goal setting, where a trainer works one-on-one with a client to develop a specific workout program based on his or her individual needs and goals. Since the survey was first released in 2006, personal training has been the third most popular trend in 2008 and 2009, now dropping to 10th in 2023.
11.Core training is a trend that emphasizes training to condition the trunk, abdominal and back stabilizing muscles. Core training uses stability balls, hemispheric balance trainers, wobble boards, foam axes, body weight and free weights. Core training ranked #5 in the top 10 fitness trends from 2007 to 2010. it has regained popularity after dropping slightly to #6 in 2011, #7 in 2017, and #9 in 2013. Core training was ranked #21 in 2022, but hasn’t been in the top 20 since 2018 when it was ranked #19. Working the core muscles improves the overall stability of the trunk and transfers it to the extremities, enabling individuals to meet the demands of activities of daily living and performance in a variety of sports that require strength, speed and agility.
12.Circuit Training Circuit training is typically a set of approximately 10 exercises that are completed consecutively in a predetermined order. Each exercise is performed for a specified number of repetitions or set duration before taking a short break and moving on to the next exercise. Circuit training first appeared in the top 20 trends in 2013 (#18) and rose to #14 in 2015 from #15 in 2014. in 2016, it ranked #18 and #19 in the 2017 trends. Circuit training is not in the top 20 fitness trends for 2021 or 2022, but it ranked #17 in both 2018 and 2020.
13.Home gyms Home gyms can use resistance bands, free weight machines, cardio equipment or many other fitness options. They can be individual or home activities, self-guided or following online classes. This trend is a popular alternative to going to the gym during COVID-19 isolation. Home gyms can use minimal equipment or expensive treadmills and bikes. This is the second year that home gyms have emerged as a fitness trend, but have dropped from #2 in 2022 to #13 in 2023. As the world emerges from the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, home gym manufacturers will need to make significant contribution adjustments, including lowering equipment prices, to convince consumers that home gyms are a better option.
14.Group Training Group exercise training involves instructors teaching and leading individuals through face-to-face group classes (defined as more than five participants). These types of classes are designed for different fitness levels and use a variety of equipment to teach multiple forms of exercise, from aerobics and indoor cycling to dance and step classes. Group exercise training did not enter the top 20 until 2017, when it ranked No. 6, then ranked No. 2 in 2018 and 2019, dropping slightly to No. 3 in 2020. group exercise training drops sharply to No. 17 in 2021 and No. 20 in 2022. the sharp decline in the trend survey in 2021 and 2022 may be the result of gym closures or mandatory restrictions on social gatherings.
15.Exercise is Medicine (EIM) is a global health initiative that encourages physicians and other health care providers to include physical activity assessment and treatment as a standard of care when designing treatment plans. Exercise is Medicine recommends that physicians refer patients to evidence-based exercise programs and qualified health and fitness professionals. In addition, the EIM considers health and fitness professionals as part of the local community health care team.Exercise is Medicine is trending at #7 in 2017, #12 in 2018, #10 in 2019, jumping to #6 in 2020, #7 in 2021, and then dropping to #12 in 2022.Upon completion the new EIM can now be earned Certificate any online program with a minimum bachelor’s degree in exercise science, exercise physiology or kinesiology.
16.Lifestyle Medicine Lifestyle medicine promotes healthy behaviors as the basis for health care, disease prevention and health promotion. Examples of targeted patient behaviors include, but are not limited to, eliminating tobacco use, improving diet, increasing physical activity, moderating alcohol consumption and stress, and increasing social connections. Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based practice that helps individuals and their families adopt and maintain health behaviors that affect health and quality of life. The Lifestyle Medicine survey category first appears at #16 in 2020, #18 in 2021, #19 in 2022, and then bounces back to #16 in 2023.
17.Yoga Yoga can be done individually or in groups, with or without a live instructor, through power yoga, hot yoga, or restorative yoga. From novice to expert, instructional videos, books and yoga certifications offer advanced techniques and practices for students of all levels. Traditional yoga includes Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Bikram and Iyengar, but it has adopted various up-to-date versions and is now available as on-demand videos and books. Yoga first appeared in the survey’s top 10 in 2008, fell out of the top 20 in 2009, but made a comeback in 2010 (#14) and in the 2011 survey (#11). Yoga ranked as high as #7, but has been in the top 20 since 2010.
18.Fitness Professionals Certification A number of occupations in the United States and around the world are regulated by licensure. This trend supports the licensure of fitness professionals, such as personal trainers, exercise physiologists, and clinical exercise physiologists. For example, one cannot call oneself a doctor or nurse without the appropriate state license, and in many places, the same is true for physical therapists or dietitians. This is a trend in the fitness industry’s quest to regulate fitness practitioners. Fitness professional licensure first emerged as a fitness trend in 2018 when it ranked 16th, then 18th in 2019, 15th in 2020, then 19th in 2021, and 18th in 2022.
19.Fitness Guidance The trend toward wellness coaching uses a one-on-one, sometimes small group approach, with coaches providing support, goal setting, guidance, and encouragement This trend uses one-on-one and sometimes group approaches, with coaches providing support, goal setting, guidance and encouragement. Health/wellness coaches use behavior change techniques that guide intervention strategies and focus on the client’s values, needs, vision, and short- and long-term goals. Previous surveys have included wellness coaching, but for the 2019 survey, the term “wellness” was added to better describe this trend. Health coaching has been in the top 20 trends since 2010, ranking 17th in 2014, 13th in 2015 and 2016, 15th in 2017, 18th in 2018, 11th in 2019, 9th in 2020, 10th in 2021, and 10th in 2022.
20.Mobile exercise apps These apps are compatible with most mobile devices and can include audio and visual cues to start moving while sedentary or when to start and stop exercising. There are many companies and brands that produce these apps, including FitOn® , Adidas Training® , Map My Fitness® , Sworkit® , Daily Workout Fitness Trainer® , Aaptiv® , 8fit® , Fitify® , Asana Rebel® , Jefit® , Pacer® , and Jefit® . Jefit®, Pacer®, MyFitnessPal®, Seven®, Gymshark®, Fitplan® _ and Nike Training Club®. These apps track time progress and hundreds of other features, and are available for mobile devices such as iOS and Android devices. Mobile workout apps rank #20 in the 2019 survey, #25 in 2020, #12 in 2021 and #16 in 2022. dropping out of the top 20 in 2023 are online live and on-demand fitness classes (from #9 to #21) and online personal training (from #17 to #26). new survey entries for 2023 are Balance and Stability Training (#23), Stretch Training (#36), and Stretching (#37). stretching (#36), augmented training (#38), virtual reality exercise training (#41), and solid ball training (#42). Due to their lack of industry support in 2022, low-cost and budget gyms (#31), mind-body exercise (#36), boutique fitness studios (#38), boot camp-style programs (#39), post-COVID recovery programs (#40), and blood flow restriction training (#43) were omitted from the 2023 survey. Trends that received the least support in the 2023 survey included resistance band training, staff motivation programs, long-term youth development, stretching, Pilates, augmentation training, dance-based exercise, aquatics, virtual reality exercise training, and solid ball training. The post-publication comments on these results are always interesting, with one group or another identifying their interest as a popular trend. Readers of this survey must understand that regional fads do not always translate into international trends, and with ACSM’s Global Fitness Trends Survey now in its 17th consecutive year, this may be one of the more pivotal years due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the return of some form of normality in the industry and the shift in the health club business model. The survey is designed to help and support the health and fitness industry in making critical planning and business decisions to gain more business in the future and perhaps even stay in business beyond these turbulent years. The survey’s results are relevant to all four sectors of the health and fitness industry (commercial for-profit clubs, clinical or medical fitness programs, corporate wellness programs and community-based nonprofit fitness programs), although no one can accurately predict the future of any industry.
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