Latest news
ACSM 2019 fitness trends report: wearable tech tops the list
By Tom Walker
Wearable tech came top of the 20 trends identified by ACSM
Wearable tech has made a comeback as the 'hottest fitness trend' for 2019 – with group training, HIIT and programming for the elderly also expected to grow in popularity over the next 12 months.
In its latest global trends report, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) identified 20 trends it believes will shape the global fitness industry in 2019.
Now in its 13th year, the Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends surveyed more than 2,000 health and fitness professionals and ranked 39 possible trends on a scale of 1 (least likely to be a trend) to 10 (most likely to be a trend).
New to this year’s survey was the inclusion of potential new trends, such as virtual reality, community interventionist, and access pass – none of which made the top 20 trends.
Wearable tech had fallen down to third place in the 2018 trends report, but has now made a comeback following the emergence of a new generation of fitness and activity trackers.
The full list of the top 20 trends:
1. Wearable technology
2. Group training
3. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
4. Fitness programmes for older adults
5. Bodyweight training
6. Employing certified fitness professionals
7. Yoga
8. Personal training
9. Functional fitness training
10. Exercise is medicine
11. Health/wellness coaching
12. Exercise for weight loss
13. Mobile exercise apps
14. Mobility/myofascial devices
15. Worksite health promotion and workplace wellbeing programmes
16. Outcome measurements
17. Outdoor activities
18. Licensure for fitness professionals
19. Small group personal training
20. Post-rehabilitation classes
To read the full trends report, click here.
Wearable tech has made a comeback as the 'hottest fitness trend' for 2019 – with group training,
HIIT and programming for the elderly also expected to grow in popularity over the next 12 months.
HAF,FIT,IND,PTS,SAM,TRA,RES,TEC
imagesX/THUMB340066_292638_847055.jpg
Latest news
26 Jun 2026
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound may be
25 Jun 2026
Low-cost gym operator, PureGym, is trialling recovery zones at two of its UK sites, democratising
25 Jun 2026
In a milestone moment, mental health has become a core part of CIMSPA’s occupational professional
25 Jun 2026
US high-value, low-price chain, Eos Fitness, has announced plans to pilot reformer Pilates in three
24 Jun 2026
Preventive healthcare company Neko Health has added body composition analysis to its full-body health scan
24 Jun 2026
Chequan Lewis is the new CEO of Crunch Fitness, taking over from Jim Rowley, who
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing disparate information from multiple
23 Jun 2026
Sea Lanes Canary Wharf has officially opened. The 50-metre, six-lane pool, which uses the natural
23 Jun 2026
London-based high-performance fitness club, ONE LDN, is raising funds for a multi-site expansion across London,
22 Jun 2026
A new brain clinic has opened in London, which uses non-invasive brain stimulation to treat
22 Jun 2026
Good Boost’s digital exercise programmes are helping adults with MSK at a lower cost than
22 Jun 2026
With Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announcing his resignation this morning and Andy Burnham as a
22 Jun 2026
Koru Health Club launched recently within Luxembourg’s multi-experience destination, GRID X, which combines culture, retail
As healthcare continues to shift towards prevention, there’s a growing focus on helping people stay
19 Jun 2026
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Elevate has had its busiest show to date, with almost 200
19 Jun 2026
A new report from Your Personal Training (YPT) suggests UK gym operators could be missing
19 Jun 2026
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives,
18 Jun 2026
Elevate Arena is underway at London's Excel and the hot topic of AI was the
16 Jun 2026
PureGym Group has announced that group chief financial officer, Alex Wood, is taking over the
15 Jun 2026
Independent operator, Fitness Worx Gyms, is introducing private blood testing as a service to members.
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an on-demand personal
15 Jun 2026
International industry lobbying associations are calling for physical activity and strength training to be deeply
12 Jun 2026
Global group exercise specialist, Les Mills, is inviting operators to sign up to its Workout
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Third Space partnered with IndigoFitness to deliver a
bespoke training space for its new club at The Whiteley
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
David Lloyd is stepping up its commitment to women’s health as it continues to explore what fit-for-purpose looks like for the female population
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Greg Bradley looks at the shift towards strength training in gyms and advises on how operators can create the ultimate training environment
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Starpool supports Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, says Riccardo Turri
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
SnowDome Fitness has added 50 per cent more space with cutting-edge Technogym solutions
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Find out how your gym can tap into the corporate wellness boom
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
EGYM has opened a new HQ in Paternoster Square,
London and revealed a range of new launches
HCM promotional features
Promotion
BLK BOX has been reimagining elite performance
spaces for more than a decade. Founder and
former athlete, Greg Bradley, tells us what it takes
HCM promotional features
Promotion
Performance Health Systems, manufacturer of Power Plate,
has a new CEO, with an ambitious vision for the company
HCM promotional features
HCM magazine
Strength training is evolving,
driven by changing consumer
preferences. Julie Cramer talks
to innovators about how their
products are meeting this demand
HCM magazine
Small improvements to sleep, diet and physical activity have major benefits for the heart, according to new research from the University of Sydney
HCM magazine
For every member with a tripod and a big following, there are others irritated at the way equipment is being hogged or wary they’ll be in the background on someone’s Insta feed. Do influencers offer valuable, free marketing or are they just a nuisance? Kath Hudson finds out how operators are responding
HCM magazine
Collaborations with the medical profession and greater aspirations around wellbeing are creating a need for more experts in our sector. It’s time to reboot our thinking around the workforce
HCM magazine
If the health service is to
survive, we must recognise
that it is a disease service
– and that wellbeing rests with
us, says the activity advocate
and healthy ageing champion.
He talks to Kate Cracknell
HCM magazine
As the entrepreneur who started Wexer, Fresh Fitness, Fitness DK and Repeat, as well as being a former elite athlete, Rasmus Ingerslev’s life looked perfect from the outside, but onthe inside it was a different story. He talks to Kath Hudson about healing old wounds
HCM magazine
HCM People
Jamie Clements
The Breath Coach“I experienced a blissful feeling of joy I hadn’t felt since I was a kid”
HCM magazine
Raphael Cuomo explores the
powerful link between addiction,
health and behaviour change
HCM magazine
HCM People
Stephen Price
Founder, SP&Co Group“Working in public health over the last few years has lit up parts of my brain again”
HCM magazine
Researchers have long known that the brain changes as a result of exercise. Now researchers believe this process is actually driven by the brain
HCM magazine
UK market penetration has risen to 18 per cent – one of the highest
globally, yet with 100 per cent of people seeing benefits when they
exercise, how high could it go? Kath Hudson asks the experts…
HCM magazine
Current vacancies
Operations Manager - Brentwood School Enterprises Brentwood School Sports Centre
£32,000 - £34,000pa + pension + benefits
Brentwood, Essex, United Kingdom
Read the latest issue
Opinion
promotion
“Strength training has moved from the margins to the mainstream.”
Featured supplier news
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an
on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right
client in under 10 seconds.
Featured supplier news
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing
disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support
its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy.
Company profiles
Every week, millions of people get fit in 21,000 clubs, across 100 countries with the ...
Company profiles
Running a fast-paced fitness business while ensuring safety and compliance is no easy feat. That’s ...
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
Directory
Spa and beauty equipment
Industrial washing machines
Hot tubs
Water experiences and hydrotherapy solutions
Lockers
Fitness tracking platform
Property & Tenders
Stratford, East London.
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Property & Tenders
Diary dates
21-24 Sep 2026
The Langham Huntington Pasadena , Pasadena, United States
Diary dates
Search news, features & products:
Find a supplier:
