HealthNews Dozen: Top 12 Fitness Trends for the New Year

Health and fitness are part of any plan for life improvement. And there is no better time to dedicate oneself to a healthier lifestyle than upon the start of a new year. It is typically the number one resolution of people in America: to get healthy, which may include a more appropriate diet, more daily exercise, and/or a gym routine.

But New Year’s resolutions may last only a few weeks. That is why health professionals take many more factors into considerations when predicting the actual trends for the new year. Not only do they look at the past and current years and the course of health and fitness throughout, but they are familiar enough with where the industry is going as 2008 comes to an end to predict what 2009 may hold.

For the third year running, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has conducted its annual survey of 1,540 certified health and fitness professionals across six continents to predict what the industry may seen in the coming year. The survey provided 35 choices of possible trends to choose from, and the most popular were ranked and published in the November/December issue of ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal. The report was authored by the survey’s lead author, Walter Thompson, PhD, FACSM, FAACVPR, and Regent’s Professor at Georgia State University.

For the second straight year, it was voted that the health and fitness industry will see more educated and experienced fitness professionals. As the field becomes more competitive and the public grows more concerned over the credentials of those who hold their health in their hands, not to mention stricter regulations being put into place, more professionals are working toward certification and accreditation. Not only should that be more comforting to those seeking health and fitness guidance, but it heightens the level of education among those who want to train and teach.

Also for the second year in a row, obesity rates with regard to children came in as the runner-up, signifying a growing concern among professionals the general public alike that youngsters are not eating properly and getting enough exercise. Over the past decade, children have become more sedentary, as video games, computers, cell phones, and the like involve little to no physical activity. By stressing fitness in schools and encouraging children to play outdoor games, become involved in sports, and even exercise in formal classes or at a gym, it might reverse the trend of the next generation as more obese than any in history.

Personal training ranked third, again for a second year, which shows that people seem to be taking fitness more seriously than ever. Instead of people relying on self-discipline or self-education about health issues, hiring someone to motivate, teach, and encourage exercise and positive eating habits is becoming more common.

Other items that made it into the top twenty were, in order from 13th to 20th, were wellness coaching for health-related behavioral changes, worker incentive programs, outcome measurements to monitor progress, spinning or indoor cycling, physician referrals to health and fitness facilities, exercise for weight loss, group personal training, and reaching new markets, such as people who have never participated in the health and fitness community before.

Author Thompson noted, “When predictions become consistent, we view it as an opportunity for education and action. These developing themes will help health and fitness professionals give the best possible service to the public, and also help the public understand the quality of service they should be receiving as clients.”

While the reported trends should not have a tremendous effect on one’s personal goals for 2009, they do show which way the industry is going and what be more readily available--like personal training--than in the past. Whatever one’s New Year’s resolutions may be, if health and fitness are on the list in some fashion, that desire to make it happen is all anyone in the industry can ask for.