The #1 fitness trend for 2021? Online training! I can be a part of your plan; I recently launched an online yoga and fitness studio at www.michelleyoga.net. For the low monthly price of $25 you have unlimited on-demand access to a variety of yoga and fitness classes – anytime, anywhere.
We’ve been in a global pandemic for nearly a year now. It has changed the way we exercise and changed our needs for self care and mental health care.
Exercise is medicine. In short, more people are going to be looking at fitness as a means to achieve both physical and mental health not just a slimmer figure.
Keeping fit and healthy, both physically and mentally, has never been more important than during COVID 19 crises.
While at-home workouts might have seen a growth in popularity, out-of-doors has been king. During 2020, Strava’s community grew by about two million new athletes each month. Others dusted off their bikes and this winter in our suburb, there was an increase in areas where people could skate, ski and snowshoe.
For many of us, weekends without social plans resulted in daily (if not twice daily) walks around our local areas, whether it involved a socially distanced catch-up with a friend in the park, or a lengthier hike on the trails.
Dog ownership increased and some poor pups were led out on their leashes more times than they may have cared for.
It’s unsurprising seeing as walking outside is one of the best ways to enjoy low-impact fitness in nature and escape the mundane 9-5 home office, while also giving your mental health a boost.
Quick-fire workouts continued to be popular. With attention spans and working schedules ever more stretched, it’s no wonder people are continuing to desire micro-HIIT workouts which are a short burst of high intensity interval training that can range anywhere from three minutes to 20-minutes (the recommended maximum time, three times a week).
There was of course a drastic change to the digital world and corporate wellness. Online gyms and virtual stress management will still rule in 2021.
Families figured out their very own at-home gyms, complete with skipping ropes, yoga matts and dumbbells.
The annual American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal (ACSM) worldwide survey to determine industry trends by health fitness professionals, ranked 41 possible trends on a scale of 1 (least likely to be a trend) to 10 (most likely to be a trend). The COVID-19 pandemic certainly made an impact on the 2021 survey. The new #1 trend for 2021 is online training which was #26 for 2020. The following were the top 20 predicted trends for this year:
1. Online training 2. Wearable technology 3. Body weight training 4. Outdoor activities 5. HIIT 6. Virtual training 7. Exercise as medicine 8. Strength training with free weights 9. Fitness programs for older adults 10. Personal training 11. Health/wellness coaching 12. Mobile exercise apps 13. Employing certified fitness professionals 14. Functional fitness training 15. Yoga 16. Exercise for weight loss 17. Group training 18. Lifestyle medicine 19. Licensure for fitness professionals 20. Outcome measurements.