What’s going to be a trend in the fitness world in 2015?
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently completed its ninth annual Survey of Fitness Trends sent electronically to thousands of exercise professionals around the world. The results can be found in the November/December 2014 issue of the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. The article is written by Walter R. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM. I was lucky enough to hear Mr. Thompson present this material firsthand to a group of 60 fitness professionals at the 2014 South Eastern Medical Fitness Association conference held in Athens, GA.
There were 39 possible trends in the 2015 survey this year. The top 25 trends from previous years were included, as were some newer up and coming trends identified by the staff and editors of the ACSM. Using Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com), the online survey was sent to 28,426 health fitness professionals. After 3 weeks and 2 additional notices, 3,403 responses were received. (12% return)
Top 20 Results:
1. Body Weight Training. Appearing for the first time in 2013 (at no. 3) typical body weight training programs use minimal equipment and makes it inexpensive to offer programming in this format. As the number 2 position last year body weight training is a trend to watch for in the future.
2. High-Intensity Interval Training. Falling from the top spot last year, high-intensity interval training typically involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a short period of recovery and generally takes less than 30 minutes to perform.
3. Educated, Certified, and Experienced Fitness Professionals. Falling to number 3 last year and holding that place is the educated, certified, and experienced fitness professional. The US Department of Labor Statistics predicts “…employment of fitness trainers and instructors is expected to grow by 24% from 2010-2020. (all of your VHWFC fitness staff have a min. of a 4-year degree in a health science field and a NCCA-accredited certification)
4. Strength Training. Many contemporary health and fitness professionals incorporate some form of strength training into a comprehensive exercise routine for their clients and patients. It is not uncommon at all for cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation or metabolic disease management programs to include weight training in the exercise prescription for patients.
5. Personal Trainers. Personal training has been in the top 10 of the survey the past 9 years. Attention has been paid to the education (through a third party accreditation of CAAHEP) and certification (through a third party accreditation by NCCA). (All VHWFC personal trainers have these credentials)
6. Exercise & Weight Loss. The combination of exercise and diet is essential for weight loss maintenance and can improve compliance to a caloric restriction diet and in particular weight loss programs.
7. Yoga. Moving up the list for 2015 is Yoga after occupying the number 10 spot last year and nearly falling off the chart in 2009. Yoga comes in a verity of forms including Power Yoga, Yogalates, Bikram Yoga (the one done in hot humid environments).
8. Fitness Programs for Older Adults. The concern for the health of aging adults has been consistently at the top of this survey, and this year is no different. The baby boomer generation has now aged into retirement years. This will remain a strong trend in years to come.
9. Functional Fitness. Replicating actual physical activities someone might do as a function of his or her daily routine, functional fitness is defined as using strength training to improve balance, coordination, force, power, and endurance to enhance someone’s ability to perform activities of daily living.
10. Group Personal Training. Group personal training will continue to be popular trend in 2015. The personal trainer can continue to provide the personal service clients expect but in a small group with potentially deep discounts and great results.
11. Work-site Health Promotion. Designed to improve the health and well-being of employees, this is a trend for a range of programs and services that evaluate health, healthcare costs, and worker productivity.
12. Outdoor Activities. This recent trend for health and fitness professionals to offer outdoor activities for their clients began in 2010. Outdoor activities can be done with family and friends, with a group, or by yourself. Personal trainers use outdoor activities as a form of small group training.
13. Wellness Coaching. Wellness coaching took the biggest jump from last year’s survey from number 17 to 13. Wellness coaching integrates behavior change science into health promotion, disease prevention, and rehabilitation programs. (VHWFC has degreed wellness coaches available. See Valley Health Wellness Services for more information.)
14. Circuit Training. Circuit training is a group of 6-10 exercises that are completed one after the other in a predetermined sequence.
15. Core Training. Core training stresses strength and conditioning of the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen, thorax, and back. Core training often uses devises such as balls, BOSU, wobble boards, and foam rollers.
16. Sport-Specific Training. This trend incorporates specific training for sports such as baseball and tennis, designed for younger populations.
17. Children and Exercise for the Treatment/Prevention of Obesity. Childhood and adolescent obesity continues to be a major health issue in most developed and developing nations and is important because of its association with other medical issues such as diabetes and hypertension.
18. Outcome Measurements. A trend that addresses accountability, these efforts to define and track outcomes to prove that selected programs actually work. Measurements are necessary to determine benefits of health and fitness programs in disease management and to document the success in changing a negative lifestyle.
19. Worker Incentive Programs. This is a trend that creates incentive programs to simulate positive healthy behavior change as part of employer-based health promotions programming and healthcare benefits.
20. Boot Camp Training. Boot camp training is a high-intensity training structured activity patterned after military training. This has started to move further down the list the past few years.
Summary: Consistent with the previous nine ACSM worldwide surveys, some new trends from last year were embraced (e.g., body weight training, and high-intensity interval training), others were once again supported (e.g., educated and certified fitness professionals), and still others failed to make the top 20 trends (Pilates, indoor cycling, stability ball, mixed martial arts, online training, pregnancy/postnatal classes, water workouts, unmonitored fitness facilities, medicine ball slamming, and Bowka). It will be interesting to watch body weight and high-intensity interval training during the next year to see if these are truly trends or fads. Pilates, indoor cycling, balance training, and others still exist in the health and fitness industry but with not as much popularity according to the ACSM trends survey.
By: Jeffrey J. Jeran, MS, CSCS, CPO, Director of Valley Health Wellness & Fitness Center
Reference:
Thompson WR. Worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2015. ACSM Health Fitness Journal. 2014; 18(6): 8-17.
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