The Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2019, According to Fitness Pros

Halloween candy is in the bargain bin and holiday sales are on the horizon, which means it's time to start thinking about 2019. For fitness professionals, that means anticipating what the top exercise trends will be next year. To get an idea of what's in store for the future, the American College of Sports Medicine surveyed thousands of fitness professionals about health and fitness trends via an electronic questionnaire. The results went public this week in ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal.

Respondents were asked to rank 39 possible trends—25 of which were trends from previous years—from 1 (least likely to be a trend) to 10 (most likely to be a trend). ACSM received 2,038 responses from across the globe, from ACSM-certified professionals, subscribers to FIT (their content digest), and more. This is the 13th year of ACSM's annual survey, and each time around, it hones in more specifically on the nuances of the industry. (Last year, for example, the survey asked participants about "dance workouts." This year, the question was specified to "dance-based workouts," to phase out the workouts where dance isn't the primary form of exercise.) The point is to give every establishment from gyms to businesses to corporate wellness programs an understanding of what's going on in the industry. If you're passionate about working out, it's probably interesting intel for you, too.

Ahead, the top 10 predicted fitness trends for 2019, according to the pros.

1. Wearable Technology

Wearable technology, like smart watches, fitness trackers, heart monitors, and more, has ranked in the ACSM's top three trends every year since 2016. The merging of fitness and tech shows no signs of going anywhere, so expect to see even more ways to track and monitor your fitness in 2019.

2. Group Training

ACSM defines group training as any workout with more than five participants. It first appeared among its top 20 trends in 2017, and innovation in the industry—like online group workout classes—are keeping it high on the list.

3. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)

HIIT took the top spot in 2018 (and in 2014), but despite its small drop, experts still see it playing a big role in the industry this coming year. A HIIT workout, according to ACSM, involves "short bursts of high-intensity bouts of exercise followed by a short period of rest." They're usually 30 minutes or less, though they can be longer. But the main point is to get a quick and very efficient workout. The best part? You can try a HIIT workout right from your living room.

Read more: https://www.self.com/story/top-fitness-trends-for-2019