INDUSTRY TREND PREDICTIONS
WHAT ’ S IN
2022
STORE FOR
CEC ARTICLE
1 OF 5 ARTICLES
The annual Fitness Trends survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Fitness has forecast the movements , methods and must-haves that it believes will dominate the fitness sector in the year ahead .
C onducted by Australia ’ s leading
fitness training organisation , the survey of AIF ’ s top industry experts and professionals predicted that the three biggest fitness trends for 2022 will be Wearable Technology ( 1 ); Exercise is Medicine ( 2 ); and Online Training ( 3 ) - the highest new entry on this year ’ s list .
High Intensity Interval Training ( HIIT ) followed in fourth place , with Health and Wellness Coaching coming in fifth and Hybrid Gym Offerings ( virtual / in person ) another new addition to the list in sixth position . Rounding out the top 10 were Functional Fitness Training ( 7 ), Mobile Exercise Apps ( 8 ), Outdoor Activities ( 9 ) and Mind and Body Training ( 10 ).
Commenting on the survey results , AIF CEO Steve Pettit said ‘ Fitness trends have changed and accelerated - especially over the past year - as industry and consumers have embedded the way they engage with fitness in the post-pandemic world . Whereas in 2020 , many of us were reactively finding our feet , this year we ’ ve been able to fine-tune our approaches and lean into what works best for us - even as things have continually shifted . Fitness professionals , establishments and consumers have “ found their grooves ” so to speak and , with this , have come many exciting reimagined ways to access and deliver fitness in 2022 and beyond ’.
‘ As restrictions and lockdowns hopefully become a thing of the past in 2022 , it is unlikely we ’ ll see things return to the way they were before the onset of COVID-19 . Instead , a combination of old meets new will become the norm as technology continues to drive evolutions in gym and PT offerings . Increasingly , we will likely see the fitness industry tailor bespoke programs , experiences and services to consumers ’ individual wants and needs through a mix of in-gym , online and hybrid models . Fitness consumers will gain the flexibility to experience more of what they want - when , how and where they want it , while the fitness industry will be able to tap new opportunities through clever diversification , personalisation and meeting consumers where they want to train .
‘ We will also likely continue to see fitness shift further beyond aesthetics and weight loss towards deeper areas of holistic health and wellbeing . The key role that fitness can play in broader health outcomes - especially mental health , chronic disease prevention and management , and evolving conditions like Long-COVID recovery , will all be key areas for Australia ’ s fitness industry to engage with .’
AIF ’ s top 10 fitness trends for 2022
1 . Wearable Technology 2 . Exercise is Medicine 3 . Online Training 4 . High Intensity Interval Training ( HIIT ) 5 . Health and Wellness Coaching 6 . Hybrid Gym Offerings 7 . Functional Fitness Training 8 . Mobile Exercise Apps 9 . Outdoor Activities 10 . Mind and Body Training
NETWORK SUMMER 2021 | 49