Fitness trends come and go, but it’s always fun to see what’s up and coming. From new training philosophies to culture changes, the fitness industry trends of 2020 will shape the decade to come.
Innovation is what drives growth. We predict a shift of changing workout experiences with a growing demand for group training, as well as the focus on reducing injury risk and joint damage.
It is important for everyone who prioritizes their health to stay informed on the latest trends in the industry.
2020 looks exciting in the fitness industry and these changes will help improve the health of many fitness enthusiasts!
Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2020:
1. Group Training
Group training has been gaining popularity in recent years. In 2020, we expect this trend to continue. Consumers are trading solo workouts in exchange for group experiences. Although these group training sessions are more expensive, it is becoming increasingly more popular. Millennials and Generation Z are the primary drivers of this growth. Fitness studios, cycle studios, and boxing studios are the top options for this group training shift. Many of these establishments often encourage or compensate their customers for posting results on social media. 2020 will see this group training and social sharing trend continue to grow.
2. Functional Training
CrossFit was the initial functional training trend in the industry. As the years went on, CrossFit increased in popularity as the workout provided a powerful and effective way to burn calories without the added stress on joints. In 2020, as fitness enthusiasts are becoming more focused on form, we expect functional training to grow exponentially. Instead of focusing on how much weight can be lifted, people will put a greater emphasis on learning the proper technique and movements. It is possible to get a full-body workout that can target all muscle groups, while also hitting your cardio goals in the shortest amount of time possible. We expect functional training to be more relevant compared to heavy weight lifting in 2020. Functional training is an especially important type of training for older adults since this will ensure a more long-term, injury-free, health and fitness plan.
3. Mindfulness
In the fast-paced society that we live in, there is no shortage of distractions and stimuli. As technology has improved, our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. It is now estimated that the average person can only fully focus for 20 minutes at a time.
Meditation is a holistic mind-body medicine that effectively reduces stress and relaxes your body. During meditation, you focus your attention on your breathing and eliminate rampant thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.
This process has proven to result in enhanced emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual well-being. Physiologically, meditation positively impacts the body by alleviating the impact of energy and work on the body. During meditation, metabolic and heart rate is lowered, which reduces the workload of the heart and cardiovascular system. In addition, cortisol and other chemicals resulting from stress, are reduced.
For a lot of people, working out is how they manage stress. This can be an effective way but a proper mediation routine combined with the appropriate fitness routine can do even better. Mindfulness practice provides many of the same values; it helps manage anxiety and even depression. People should look to use both mindfulness and exercise to help ease stress.
Our brains are a muscle. Just as we must rest our muscles after a workout, it is equally important to rest our minds after a stressful day. There are many apps out there that utilize technology to help with this trend. Lebron James recently became a major spokesperson for the CALM app, which provides meditation routines.
We believe will be a major shift in meditation and mindfulness in 2020.
4. Plant-Based Diets
We couldn’t talk about the world of health and fitness without looking at what’s happening on the nutrition side of things.
Sustainability has become a key issue in recent years, and this extends throughout all industries. In past years consumers have been offered vegan or vegetarian alternatives, with both health and conservation in mind. We are now shifting towards a different term: plant-based.
The world has been transitioning into the plant-based territory for the last few years. It’s predicted that by 2040 only 40% of the global population will be eating meat. 35% will be consuming lab-grown meat, and 25% will be consuming vegan meat replacements. It’s safe to say; the trend is here to stay.
Numerous celebrities and athletes openly follow a plant-based lifestyle, with the example of a recent documentary “From The Ground Up.” The doc follows a former meat-eating college football player, who meets with elite plant-based athletes including ultra-athlete Rich Roll, who are powering their performances with plants.
While originally plant-based referred to a diet completely free from animal products, it has taken on a slightly different meaning. The term now seems to evoke plenty of vegetables and healthy choices but spares customers the harsher conditions of vegan or vegetarian. Instead, it’s seen as a soft nudge to eat more vegetables, not caution to stop eating meat entirely. For some, this allows a little wiggle room to sneak in the odd burger!
The majority of plant-based products are vegan, their target audience, however, is not for the most part. Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers have already made a big splash in the industry but expect to see many more brands and products popping up in 2020.
5. Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting - I'm sure you've heard of the term by now. But what exactly is it? Intermittent fasting is currently one of the world's most popular health and fitness trends. It involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a specific amount of time, before eating regularly again.
People are using it in hopes to lose weight, improve their health and increase their longevity. Many studies show that it can also have powerful effects on your body and brain.
Check out this article we wrote for 3 different ways to try intermittent fasting:
6. Yoga HIIT
Hybrid fitness classes have been trendy for a while now, think Yogalates (Yoga and Pilates) or Aqua Zumba. So, it’s about time that these two major fitness trends join forces. Yoga Hiit is, as the name suggests, is a combination of quick bursts of Hiit (high-intensity interval training) peppered with dynamic yoga poses. Classes often finish with some full-body yoga-style stretches.
This time-efficient workout allows you to get the best of both worlds, achieving a serious calorie burn while simultaneously lengthening and stretching your muscles. This class is a fantastic option for people who are struggling to find time to meet all their fitness goals. It may seem like a novelty, but we predict this class will be around for a while!
7. Electrolytes
Just drinking plain water is not enough. When we workout, we are losing valuable nutrients through our sweat. Furthermore, there due to our water supply, our water does not contain all the nutrients that we need.
Electrolytes are chemicals that form ions in body fluids. Electrolytes help make sure specific bodily functions run at optimal levels. Having too few electrolytes can cause your muscles to cramp. As serious athletes know, a lack of electrolytes can make a big difference in athletic performance. So how do we prevent cramping and keep our body performing at its peak levels? At Kingsfield Fitness, we are firm believers in controlling the controllable. One thing that we need to do is to keep our bodies supplied with a sufficient amount of electrolytes.
8. Low Impact Interval Training
Low impact training is becoming more and more relevant in the fitness industry. People are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of lifting heavy weights and putting excess stress on our joints.
Low impact bodyweight training can accomplish all the goals of a workout without putting excess stress on our bodies.
Check out this article for a 20-minute bodyweight workout!
9. Improved Focus on Recovery
Active recovery is an important part of a holistic fitness routine. It is important to take care of our muscles and joints after we workout and put excess stress on them.
Eating properly, stretching, hydrating, foam rolling, compression, and massage therapy are expected to be the main drivers of active recovery in 2020.
10. Less Alcohol Consumption
Studies have shown that millennials and especially Generation Z are becoming more aware of the harms that alcohol can have on fitness and health.
Cutting back on alcohol consumption will become increasingly popular in the fitness industry.
We expect this change to be a slow and steady trend throughout the decade.
Summary:
The fitness industry is an always changing, constantly evolving industry. It is important to know the trends and make the best decisions for your overall health. In 2020, we expect these trends to be the main drivers of the changing fitness industry.
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