It’s a new year, so that means it’s the perfect time to evaluate your fitness facility’s offerings and make sure you’re staying competitive. The American College of Sports Medicine is in the 13^th year of publishing its annual worldwide survey of fitness trends, offering us a deep look into what is making the fitness industry’s heart beat, and at what opportunities exist for the growth and strategy of fitness facilities worldwide.

While we’re not seeing any surprisingly new trends at the top of this list (spoiler alert!), these trends stand as a reminder that you need to be making sure you’re embracing them so your facility is appealing to exercisers. How is your facility shaping up in 2019?

Trend #1: Wearable Technology

Between smart watches, heart rate monitors, and fitness trackers, these devices are popular among everyone from fitness pros to newbies just beginning their fitness journeys. Worn on the wrist or around the chest, wearable technology measures steps taken throughout the day, heart rate, distance and path covered during workouts, sleep, and much more. This data is then synced to accounts and presents the ability to be analysed for performance and growth over time. It’s a great way for modern exercisers to be fully integrated and to see the role health plays in their lives.

Integrate wearable technology into your facility: Try incorporating heart rate monitors into group training sessions through the use of a leaderboard. The ability for exercisers to see their personal performance data reflected in real-time, as well as the stats of those around them, leads people to push themselves to achieve greater progress. This also contributes to the notion of gamification: using a data-driven approach to promote engagement and motivation among users, in a game-like competitive environment.

Read more about gamification and how your facility can incorporate it.

Trend #2: Group Training

Exercisers these days are constantly looking to experience fitness – to train with like-minded people in a motivating environment, to be held accountable for and have the ability to track their progress, and to be part of an exclusive fitness community.

For the second year in a row, group training comes in as the second highest-ranked trend in the fitness industry. Most fitness facilities offer group training in some form or another, from indoor cycling classes, to yoga, to strengthening and toning classes. The key to group training classes is that they are comprised of more than five participants and are led by instructors who teach and motivate exercisers of varying fitness levels to achieve their goals.

Is your facility’s group training programmememing performing at its best? We have developed a Group Training Business Manual, your ultimate resource for building and enhancing your group training programmemes. In this guide, you’ll find information about the six core components of successful group training: vision, programmeme, marketing, people, experience, and easy sign-up.

Download our Group Training Business Manual now to see how you can expand upon your current group training offering, or start from scratch and grow an offering that is unique and compelling to draw in new exercisers, and potentially new revenue as a result.

Trend #3: High-Intensity Interval Training

HIIT training has been a popular trend for five years now, and with good reason. This style of training is defined by high-intensity exercise followed by short breaks of rest, all taking place within a shorter period of time than other workouts. HIIT workouts can be done on cardio equipment, strength equipment, and a combination of the two.

Millennials are drawn to HIIT training because it allows them to fit an efficient, results-driven workout into their busy schedules. Boutique studios prove popular among millennials because they are embracing the HIIT trend, but that does not mean that larger fitness facilities should not compete in this arena. Focusing on building your group training (above) presents a way to for you to work HIIT training into your programmememing options.

Trend #4: Active Ageing Programmemes

People today are living longer and staying healthy and active for much longer than in the past. Baby Boomers and their fellow generations are increasing their fitness activities, and facilities are seizing the opportunity to provide more programmememing and options catered to them.

Case Study – Active Ageing in Action: The Northshore YMCA in Bothell, Washington launched a functional fitness programmeme for active older adults who are seeking low-impact workouts. The addition of a Queenax functional fitness unit meant that members could work on improving stability, balance, and flexibility. The Northshore YMCA has seen a significant increase in the participation of active older adults in their small group programmemes – from an initial group size of 1 – 2 per class, to a consistent 8 – 10 per class!

Enhance active ageing in your facility: When considering launching or building upon active ageing programmememing in your facility, it’s important to remember to gradually introduce members to new functional training options. While new options may be intimidating to older adults at first, the addition of social group training programmemes that are comfortable and fun can contribute to a higher quality of life for active ageing clientele.

Trend #5: Bodyweight Training

This recently popular style of training has been in the top five of fitness trends for the past two years. It involves using one’s own bodyweight as resistance to create a workout technique that uses little to no equipment, making it an appealing area for many facilities.

Support this trend in your facility: The key to embracing this way of training is to give your members the knowledge and support they need to properly perform bodyweight exercises. Start by hosting monthly one-hour drop-in workshops that educate members on fundamental bodyweight training movements and new ideas. It will empower and encourage your exercisers to use bodyweight training to reach their goals, and it’s a great way to market your trainers to potential clients too!

Want to see more of the top fitness trends predicted for 2019? See the ACSM full report here.

Is your facility embracing 2019’s top fitness trends?

Get in touch with a Precor representative to evaluate how your facility is taking advantage of the trends above, and learn how you can better cater to the top trends of 2019.

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