The fitness trends set to be big in 2018

For the last 10 years the American College of Sports and Medicine has been conducting surveys of more than 1,000 health and fitness professionals worldwide to see what the biggest trends in the industry are and what gyms, bootcamps and personal trainers will be offering their customers.

So what will be the new trends that fitness professionals will be adding to their workout routines?

New trends and technology are always being developed in the fitness world, but also old trends evolve to stay fresh and exciting – adding a new stimulant to your routine can be refreshing and give you a boost of motivation.

So why not try something new in 2018? Here are the worldwide fitness trends.

1. High-intensity interval training

HIIIT Training isn’t a new thing, it’s been around for years, but, it’s becoming one of the most popular ways to train.

Especially for health-conscious people that are pushed for time. HIIT training involves short bursts of activity followed by a short period of rest or recovery.

These exercise programs are usually performed in less than 30 minutes.

2. Group training

Group exercise training programs have been around for a long time and have appeared as a potential worldwide trend since this survey was originally constructed.

However, it was only in 2017 that group exercise training made the top 20, appearing at number six.

None of the respondents could explain why group training has become popular, but in my opinion, it’s because group training holds you more accountable to a training programme compared to training alone.

You’re less likely to skip a workout when you’re doing it with a group of friends.

Also, most people see better results with group training because they often push themselves harder than they would in an individual gym session. Even if you don’t realise it, your inner competitive streak comes out and you push harder.

3. Wearable technology

I hear a lot of people talking about how many steps or how many calories they’ve burned that day and it’s all though the wearable fitness technology they’re wearing.

Fitness trackers, smart watches and GPS tracking devices are everywhere now and it’s still a new industry that will only get bigger.

They are constantly evolving. Fitbit have just brought the new Ionic watch, which has a heart rate monitor and GPS built in, meaning you don’t have to wear a belt around your chest any more or carry your phone when out running.

It’s also waterproof so you can wear it while swimming.

4. Body weight training

Body weight training has been used previously, in fact, people have been using their own body weight for centuries as a form of resistance training.

But new packaging, particularly by commercial clubs, has now made it popular in all kinds of gyms and health clubs around the world.

Typical body weight training programs use minimal equipment, which makes it a very inexpensive way to exercise effectively.

Although most people think of body weight training as being limited to push-ups and pull-ups, it can be much more than that.

5. Strength training

Strength training remains a central emphasis for many fitness programmes.

Incorporating strength training is an essential part of a complete exercise program for all physical activity levels and genders.

In the last couple of years there’s been a massive rise in women taking up strength training, and seeing huge benefits.

In the past, there has been a stigma around strength training for women.

Most women thought lifting weights would make them look like a body builder, when actually that’s a big myth.

Strength training not only help you lose weight and tone up, but it strengthens your joins and bones.

Your trainer: Graham Low, owner of East Coast Fitness, is an award-winning personal trainer based in Seaham. The ex-professional footballer was nominated for the Small Business of the Year and Leisure Awards at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards last year. Graham won the Leisure Award at the North East Hotels Association Awards while working as gym manager at Seaham Hall in 2012. For personal training, boot camps, small group training and online programmes email [email protected] or visit www.eastcoast-fitness.com