Experts see wearable tech gaining traction
IS THE new year inspiring you to get back into shape? If so, you might want to try an exercise tracker, group fitness or high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
These are the top three fitness trends for 2019, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, and each has been ranked highly for several years.
For its 13th annual forecast, ACSM asked more than 2,038 fitness professionals employed by commercial gyms, medical facilities, non-profit organisations and corporate health programs to rank 39 possible fitness trends. Among some changes and surprises, core training and circuit weight training fell out of the top 20 trends, while Pilates and online training didn’t make the top 20. Here’s a look at the top five in ACSM’s Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2019.
Wearable technology moved back to number one after falling to number three in 2018. “The wearables, even the low-end ones, have gotten more accurate,” says Walter Thompson, the 2017-2018 ACSM president and author of the report, which appeared in the November/December issue of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal.
The wearables, even the low-end ones, have gotten more accurate. That may help explain why they’re back at the top. – Walter Thompson, the 2017-2018 ACSM president
“That may help explain why they’re back at the top.”
Although the survey results indicate that we love to measure our outcomes, the continuing popularity of group fitness, at number two, suggests we don’t want to compete just against ourselves. “Some smart psychologist out there might say the millennials have access to all the technology in the world, and yet they still want to be part of a community,” says Thompson, referring to the generation the health industry is most interested in capturing.
“Group exercise is the future,” says Devon Maier, managing director of Balance Gym, a Washington, D.C.-based gym. “It definitely delivers on the community aspect, but you also have the instructor who motivates and pushes you harder.”
Also important are the accountability and acknowledgement inherent in a class of regulars, Maier says. When you do a good job, you get a shout, and when you don’t, you might hear about that, too. “If I am part of the 6.30am cycle class, I know I need to be there or they (the instructor and fellow cyclists) will give me crap next time I show up.” — Washington Post/Boston is a fitness trainer and freelance writer. She can be found at gabriellaboston.com.