By Dave Malaska
SmartHealthToday
With sales expected to approach $6 billion by the end of 2016, the wearable fitness technology trend isn’t going away anytime soon, according to fitness professionals. In fact, the trend tops the newest survey of those professionals as they tracked the top trends for the coming year.
The survey, compiled by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), released its 10th annual survey results recently, with wearable technology taking over the top spot from body weight training in its first appearance in the results.
“I suspect it has something to do with our fascination with gadgets,” said Walter Thompson, associate dean in the College of Education & Human Development at Georgia State University. The lead author of the study, Thompson added, “People love [wearable technology] because it helps them out – not just by gauging the intensity of effort during the workout, but it also provides motivation between workouts.”
Over the past 10 years, ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal has asked more than 2,800 health and fitness professionals to participate in the survey. For the 2016 survey, participants ranked 40 possible trends including 25 previously included in results and emerging trends identified by editors of the magazine.
They identified these top trends for the coming year:
Wearable technology.
Fitness trackers like AppleWatch and Fitbit, along with smart watches with heart rate monitors, GPS workout trackers and smart fabrics, debuted atop this year’s rankings.
Body weight training.
After debuting in the No. 3 spot in 2014, body weight training topped last year’s survey, and is likely to hang around for a long time. Typical body weight training programs use minimal equipment and cost very little. Exercises include (but are not limited to) pull-ups and pushups.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT).
The top trend for 2015, high-intensity interval training typically involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a short period of rest or recovery and typically takes less than 30 minutes to perform, which makes it popular among people on-the-go.
Strength training.
Identified as one of the top trends since the beginning of ACSM’s survey, strength training is still a favorite for health and fitness professionals who incorporate some form of it into routines for their clients and patients.
Educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals.
The top trend from 2008-2013, well-trained and -versed professional help is still going strong. The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the field of fitness professionals is expected to grow by 13 percent by 2022.
Personal training.
Personal training has been in the top 10 of the survey almost every year as trainers become increasingly accessible through community and corporate health programs.
Functional fitness. Defined as using strength training to improve balance, coordination and endurance to enhance someone’s ability to perform activities of daily living.
Fitness programs for older adults.
Many older adults recognize the benefits of being active. For local classes and opportunities, visit SilverSneakers.com to find participating locations or visit gyms near you to inquire about their class programs. If you need more proof that this is a growing trend, check out this video we shared a couple weeks ago.
Exercise and weight loss.
This sort of speaks for itself, don’t you think?
Yoga.
With varieties including Power Yoga to “Hot Yoga” (also known as Bikram Yoga), yoga seems to reinvent itself every few years, keeping it an annual top 10 resident of the survey.
Rounding out the survey’s top 20 for the coming year were group personal training in the 11th spot, followed by worksite health programs, wellness coaching, outdoor activities and sport-specific training at No. 15. Flexibility and mobility rollers, smart phone exercise apps, circuit training, core training and outcome measurements completed this year’s roundup.
SmartHealthToday is a service of St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
