What’s Hot, What’s Not in 2018 Fitness Trends

Curious about 2018 fitness trends? The recent past is a good indication of what’s just ahead. The International Health, Racquet and Sports Association (IHRSA) creates an annual health club consumer report. This year it consisted of 24,134 fitness enthusiasts providing information about what we love to do inside health club doors.

According to female health club users, the top 10 female attractions in 2017 were (in alphabetical, not popularity order):

1. Aquatic Exercise
2. Barre
3. Bootcamp
4. Crosstraining Style Workouts
5. Dance and Choreographed Exercise
6. Elliptical Trainers
7. Cardio Kickboxing
8. Pilates Training
9. Stretching
10. Yoga

A Fitness Professional’s Opinion

The American College of Sports Medicine conducted its annual survey of 4000 fitness professionals to find out their predictions of 2018 fitness trends. Here’s what personal trainers and fitness instructors have to say (in order of most popular):

1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which has been in the top three since 2014, tops the chart
2. Group training (not including dance-inspired classes like Zumba and Barre)
3. Wearable technology
4. Body weight training
5. Strength training
6. Educated and experienced fitness professionals
7. Yoga
8. Personal training – whether one-on-one or small group (online or off)
9. Fitness programs for older adults
10. Functional fitness

Some of the dance-inspired workouts that trended in 2017 as favorites among women aren’t included in the top 10 for fitness pros predictions about 2018. Is there value in those workouts?

What about Barre?

This newcomer is a clear favorite among women. It’s a good small-muscle group conditioning class reminiscent of the conditioning classes of the 80s that featured many repetitions, quick movements, isometric exercise (small range-of-motion exercises).

Flipping 50 take away: While it may be good for a mid-week workout between heavier strength training sessions it has less impact on metabolism boosting. It may help you strengthen those small muscle groups and improve postural muscles, so go ahead and include it if you have the time or need an initiation to working out. Start with it, then move on to heavier weights 2x a week as a part of your stronger, leaner, flipping 50 self.

What about the woman flipping 50 who wants to prevent muscle loss, boost metabolism, maintain exercise without injury, and improve bone density? What’s hot for her whether she’s flashing or not? Among the top 2018 fitness trends according to consumers like you and fitness professionals combined, you’ll definitely find the things you need most:

• Strength training is your best friend for bone density, fat loss, injury prevention or recovery, and bone density
• HIIT one or two times a week is ideal. You lose your fast twitch muscle fibers twice as fast as you age, so using speed or power to reach a higher heart rate will both help your heart, your muscles, and your fat burning. This can be done in any fitness mode from running to swimming to kickboxing. You can choose based on your personal preference.
• Pilates, stretching, and or yoga for mobility will keep you able to do strength training and HIIT that will enhance your fitness. If you’re just getting started, start here. You want to begin doing higher intensity exercise on a balanced and fully aligned body. Plus, if you’re stressed, these activities may not be high calorie burners, but because hormones like cortisol control your weight, yoga may help you drop a few pounds.
• Aquatic exercise and elliptical trainer are modes of exercise where you can apply intervals and/or your mobility work that suits your heart, muscles, and your joint needs.

Choose the 2018 Fitness Trends That Serve You Best

• You’re not just a bag of muscles, bones, and heart. Your personal preference matters too. Choose what you love.
• What to watch out for? Using precious exercise time on activities that don’t provide the biggest reward. You might enjoy trying new dance-inspired workouts, but if you’re not getting the right stimulus for results that match your goals, your motivation will drop.
• Balance the activities you love to do with those that give you results you love. There’s no getting around the fact you do have muscles, bones and a heart, each requiring a different kind of attention.
• What are you doing to prevent muscles loss that happens with aging unless exercise offsets it? The answer here is weight training!
• What are you doing to prevent bone density loss and prevent falls due to weakness or poor balance? The answers are weight training and balance-enhancing exercise, either within your workouts or standing yoga poses that challenge you.
• What are you doing to elevate that heart rate regularly? Some type of cardio that gets you breathless should be a part of your program.
• If you’re that dance-exercise lover, be sure to add quality resistance training time at least twice a week. Even 10 minutes twice a week is enough, provided you do the right exercises. Cool down after your dance set and your weights with a few yoga poses and you’ll have met all your needs doing what you love.
• If you love yoga, you still need a little additional resistance training and you need to elevate that heart rate regularly.

Set Yourself Up For Success

1. List your goals. Do you want more energy, less fat, or better bones? Prioritize.
2. Determine your realistic exercise time.
3. Choose activities you love that will keep you inspired. What’s non-negotiable?
4. What category does your favorite exercise mode fall into? Is it primarily strength cardio, or mobility? What’s missing?
5. Choose activities that balance your need for strength, a cardio, and mobility.