If you’re a regular on aSweatLife, you know we’re all about fitness — both physical and mental. So when it comes to researching new trends in the fitness industry, you know we’re all in. And this year, we can expect to see even more innovative fitness trends emerge as people become more aware of their health and strive to lead active lifestyles.
We chatted with a variety of fitness experts and delved into the latest market research (including our very own 2023 State of Fitness survey!) to predict what will be trending this year in fitness.
6 fitness trends that will be big in 2023
1. Wearable technology
Wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular as people become more conscious of their health and fitness goals. Wearable tech includes fitness trackers, activity monitors, and smartwatches measuring heart rate and other health-related metrics.
Sales for wearable devices (like smartwatches and fitness trackers) hit an estimated $90 billion dollars by the end of 2022. According to Exploding Topics, which tracks Google search trends, searches for the Oura Ring have grown 3,850% over the last five years.
Per the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)’s Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2023, wearable tech ranks first on their list of the top 20 predicted fitness trends for the year. The ACSM notes that innovations in this space include blood pressure, oxygen saturation, body temperature, respiratory rate, and electrocardiogram.
2. Functional fitness
Functional fitness focuses on exercises that train the body for everyday activities and improve overall strength and mobility. This trend emphasizes the importance of functional movement and practical fitness goals, says Tonya Mcintosh, personal trainer.
Functional fitness is the fifth most popular fitness trend on ACSM’s list of the top 20 predicted trends for 2023. Pinterest also predicts functional fitness will be huge this year. According to the company, searches for “primal movement,” “mobility stretches,” “neck hump exercises,” knee mobility exercises,” and “hip mobility exercises” are all up by over 100%.
3. Strength training
According to our recently published State of Fitness report, 61.7% of respondents said strength training with equipment was part of their fitness routines, while 52.27% of respondents said strength training with bodyweight was part of their fitness routines.
Meanwhile, the ACSM ranks strength training with free weights 2 out of 20 and body weight training 3 out of 20 on their list of predicted fitness trends for this year. As we note in our report, with greater access to gyms and strength training equipment, the shift back to equipment-based strength makes a lot of sense.
The pros at Strengthlog analyzed workout data from over 274,890 users of their workout tracker and found that the most popular strength training exercises (for men and women) are the bench press, squat, and deadlift. Women tend to do more training for their glutes and legs (compared to upper body training being more popular for men).
4. Pickleball
Pickleball has been deemed the fastest growing sport in the U.S., according to a recent report from the Sports & Fitness Industry. It’s seen a 40% increase since 2020, with more than 4.8 million players worldwide. Pickleball is a sport that blends parts of tennis, badminton, and ping pong.
As Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, president and chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise wrote in an article for aSweatLife, “the sport has grown in popularity since ACE-sponsored research conducted in 2018 explored whether pickleball could help middle-aged and older adults get fit.” Bryant noted that although USA Pickleball now reports that while most of pickleball’s most dedicated players are over age 65, the game is getting younger, with the strongest growth among players under 55.
5. Return to the gym and group fitness classes
Our State of Fitness survey respondents predict fitness at gyms and studios will make a full comeback. Our numbers certainly support a partial comeback, with 66.79% of respondents saying they’ve returned to a gym.
According to Mindbody’s 2023 Wellness Index, 43% of consumers say community is an important part of their wellness experiences. That’s why the fitness and wellness platform predicts that consumers will continue to look to fitness, beauty, and wellness businesses as a source of community.
Along those lines, fitness experts predict group classes to be very popular this year. Group classes offer an atmosphere of camaraderie, competition, and support, which can be beneficial for those looking to stay motivated and reach their fitness goals. Mindbody states that millennials and Gen Z are more likely to exercise at group fitness studios due to their focus on community as part of their wellness routines.
“Last year, we saw people wanting to get back into in-person classes for stronger connections and a bigger sense of community they had been missing and we expect that to get stronger, along with the need to manage their health and wellbeing in a more all-encompassing way where their mental health benefits too,” says Shaun Grove, president of Rumble Boxing.
6. Wellness retreats
Wellness retreats are becoming increasingly popular as people seek to improve their overall health and well-being. Retreats offer a variety of activities, such as yoga, meditation, hiking, and nutrition classes, that can help to improve physical and mental health.
According to Mindbody’s 2023 Wellness Index, millennials and Gen Z are most interested in the community aspect wellness, with more than 25% of consumers in these groups saying they’re focused on wellness so they can feel more connected to others. Therefore, Mindbody states that they’re more likely to go to wellness camps and retreats.
There’s also a mental health component to wellness retreats, which often include activities like meditation. Mental health is a big focus for people this year, so it makes sense that more and more people would be interested in attending a wellness retreat.
New this year to our State of Fitness survey, we asked participants about their mental health routines, and 55.6% of respondents said they have mental health routines that consist of activities like meditation, journaling, and practicing gratitude.
“We are already starting to see people making mental health and overall wellness equal to or perhaps more important than a super hard, high-intensity, calorie burning workout,” says Lindsay Junk, president of YogaSix. “More people will look for opportunities to focus on their breath, mobility , strength, and aerobic fitness in one workout.”
Drop a comment letting us know which of these trends you’re most excited about!
