worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2013this year’s survey also included some valuable...

WORLDWIDE SURVEYOF FITNESS TRENDSFOR 2013

by Walter R. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

From this article, the reader should understand the following

concepts:

• the difference between a fad and a trend

• worldwide trends in the commercial, corporate, clinical (including

medical fitness), and community health and fitness industry

• expert opinions about identified fitness trends for 2013

Key words:Commercial, Clinical, Corporate, Community, Expert Opinions,Future Programs

INTRODUCTION

This annual survey is now in its seventh

consecutive year. The 2013 American

College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends supported

previous trends and also reinforced the deletion

of three trends that had previously appeared to

be strong for 2 to 3 years but now have dropped

off the list for the third year in a rowI much

to the disappointment of Pilates instructors

all over the globe. Pilates, stability ball, and

balance training again failed to appear on the

list of top 20 trends in the health and fitness

industry, supporting the theory that these were

fads and not trends. Some survey respondents

have argued that the still sluggish economy has

influenced the results of this survey and that

specialized training programs, such as Pilates,

are not supported because of their increased

costs. Others have said that Pilates and the

stability ball have run their useful course.

The results of this annual survey may help

the health and fitness industry make some very

important investment decisions for future

growth and development. Business decisions

should be based on emerging trends and not the

latest exercise innovation peddled by late-night

television infomercials or the hottest celebrity

endorsing a product.

Similar to previous ACSM fitness trend

surveys, we asked respondents to first make

the important distinction between a ‘‘fad’’ and a

‘‘trend.’’ A trend has been described as ‘‘a

general development or change in a situation

or in the way that people are behaving’’

(http://dictionary.cambridge.org). Using this

definition, it would be predictable, then, to see

the same trends appearing for multiple years in

a trend survey. The definition of trend includes

the phrase ‘‘general development’’ as opposed

8 ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA | www.acsm-healthfitness.org VOL. 16/ NO. 6

Copyright © 2012 American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org

to fad, which is described as ‘‘a fashion that is taken up with

great enthusiasm for a brief period,’’ which is the definition of

a fad (http://dictionary.reference.com). During the last 7 years,

the editors of ACSM’s Health & Fitness JournalA have de-

veloped and widely disseminated this electronic survey to

thousands of professionals to determine trends in the health and

fitness industry. The survey in this issue of the Journal will

help guide programming efforts for 2013. The first survey (1),

conducted in 2006 (for predictions in 2007), developed a

systematic way to predict health and fitness trends, and surveys

have been done each year since (2Y6).

These annual surveys of health and fitness trends in the

commercial (typically for-profit), clinical (including medical

fitness), community (not-for-profit), and corporate divisions of

the industry have confirmed some trends appearing each year.

Some of the trends first identified in 2007 have moved up and

stayed at the top of the list since the first survey was published,

whereas some new trends appear to be emerging in 2013 and

others have dropped out of the top 20. Future surveys will either

confirm these new trends or they will fall short of making an

impact on the health and fitness industry and drop out of the

survey, as did the stability ball, Pilates, and balance training in

the past. Dropping out of the survey may indicate that what was

once perceived to be a trend in the industry was actually a fad.

One emerging trend (body weight training) appears in the top

20 for the first time. Future surveys will either confirm or reject

this as an emerging trend.

The ACSM survey makes no attempt to evaluate equipment,

gym apparatus, tools, or other exercise devices that may

materialize at clubs or recreation centers or appear during late-

night television infomercials, often seen during the winter

holidays or the week before and a few weeks into the New Year.

The survey has been designed to confirm, reconfirm, or to

introduce new trends (not fads) that have a perceived impact on

the industry according to the international respondents. It is

understandable that using this survey construct, some of the

trends identified in earlier surveys would appear for several

years (as is the case for many of the top 10 trends). The ACSM

annual worldwide survey of health and fitness trends should not

be confused with estimating the market impact potential of a

piece of new equipment, exercise device, or program. As ad-

monished in the past, the type of information provided by this

survey is left to the readers to determine if it fits into their

business model and how best to use the information. It is

as important for the health and fitness industry to pay close

attention to not only those trends appearing for the first time

(e.g., body weight training) but also for those that do not appear

this year or have been replaced on the list by other trends (e.g.,

Pilates and stability ball).

As with past surveys, the health and fitness industry should

consider applying this information to its own settings. The

benefits to commercial health clubs (those that are for-profit) is

the establishment (or maybe the justification) of new markets

that may result in a potential for increased and sustainable

revenue. Community-based programs (typically not-for-profit)

could use the results to continue to justify an investment in their

unique markets by providing expanded programs serving

families and children. Corporate wellness programs and medical

fitness centers may find these results useful through an

increased service to their members and patients.

THE SURVEYThere were 37 possible trends in the 2013 survey. The top 25

trends from previous years were included in the survey, as were

some potentially emerging trends identified by the staff and

editors of ACSM’s Health & Fitness JournalA. To create a bal-

ance, the editors represent all four sectors of the health and

fitness industry (corporate, clinical, community, commercial), as

well as academia. In the survey, potential trends were first iden-

tified, and then short explanations were written to offer the re-

spondent a few details without inconveniencing them with too

much reading, analysis, or interpretation. The survey was de-

signed to be completed in less than 15 minutes. As an incen-

tive to complete the survey, the editors made available several

ACSM books published by Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams

& Wilkins and Human Kinetics and a $100 American Express

gift card. These incentives helped increase participation in the

survey. (See the list of winners at the end of this article.)

As in all of the previous ACSM surveys, the 37 potential

items were constructed using a Likert-type scale ranging from a

low score of 1 (least likely to be a trend) to a high score of 10

(most likely to be a trend). After each scoring opportunity,

space was allowed for the respondent to add comments. At the

conclusion of the survey, space was left for the respondent to

add comments or potential fitness trends left off the list to be

considered for future surveys. This year’s survey also included

some valuable demographic information that will help guide the

construction of subsequent surveys. The next step was to send

the survey electronically to a defined list of health and fitness

professionals. Using Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com),

the online survey was sent to 29,630 health and fitness profes-

sionals (11,156 more than last year). This list included all currently

certified ACSM Certified Personal TrainersSM, ACSM Health/

Fitness InstructorsA (presently known as ACSM Health Fitness

Specialists), ACSM Exercise SpecialistsA (now ACSM Clinical

Exercise Specialists), ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise

PhysiologistsA, ACSM Health/Fitness DirectorsA, ACSM

Program DirectorsSM, ACSM Alliance members, ACSM’s

Health & Fitness JournalA nonmember subscribers, ACSM’s

Health & Fitness JournalA Editorial Board, and Associate Editors.

In addition, it was posted on ACSM’s Health & Fitness JournalA

Web site, a tweet was placed on Twitter, and it was posted on

Facebook.

VOL. 16/ NO. 6 ACSM’s HEALTH & FITNESS JOURNALA 9


http://dictionary.reference.com

www.surveymonkey.com

After the 3-week window of opportunity had been com-

pleted, 3,346 responses were received, which represent an ex-

cellent return rate of 11%. Responses were received from just

about every continent, including Asia, Europe, Australia,

Africa, North America, and South America. Some specific

countries included the United States, Australia, Canada, China,

France, Germany, Japan, India, Italy, and Russia. Demographics

of the survey respondents included 67% female across a wide

variability in ages (Figure 1) and 48% having more than 10

years of experience in the industry (Figure 2). Almost 37% of

the survey respondents earned more than $50,000 annually,

which included 5% who earned more than $100,000 a year

(Figure 3). Respondents were asked to identify their occupa-

tions (Table 1), and 24% indicated that they were full-time or

part-time personal trainers, and only seven people reported to

be unemployed.

SURVEY RESULTSThe first step in the analysis was to collate all of the responses

and then to rank order them from highest (most popular trend)

to lowest (least popular trend). Only the top 20 for 2013 are

described in this report. After rank ordering the responses, we

asked four internationally recognized experts representing all

sectors in the health and fitness industry to comment on the

findings. Their analysis and commentary are included at the end

of this report. For a comparison of the top 10 trends from the

past 6 years’ surveys (1Y6), please see the comprehensive com-

parison table online (available at http://links.lww.com/FIT/A7).

The same top trends identified in 2008 to 2012 appeared as

top trends for 2013, just in a different order, with educated,

certified, and experienced fitness professionals maintaining the

no. 1 spot, fitness programs for older adults dropping to no. 6,

and strength training remaining at no. 2. Introduced for 2013

for the first time is body weight training, which landed at no. 3

in this year’s survey. The 2013 survey (Table 2) seems to

reinforce the findings of previous years, which was expected

when tracking trends and not fads. Dropping out of the top 20

trends for 2013 were spinning, sport-specific training, and

TABLE 1: Respondents’ Occupation

Answer OptionsResponsePercentage

Personal trainer (part-time) 13.9

Personal trainer (full-time) 9.9

Health and fitness specialist (or equivalent) 11.7

Clinical exercise specialist (or equivalent) 4.1

Clinical exercise physiologist 6.2

Program manager 5.3

Health/fitness director 7.2

Owner/operator 3.3

Student 9.1

Teacher 2.1

Professor 6.2

Health care professional (M.D./D.O., R.N.,physical therapist, occupational therapist)

5.9

Other 15.1

Figure 1. Age (in years) of survey respondents.

Figure 2. Years of experience reported by the survey respondents.

Figure 3. Annual salary of survey respondents.


Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2013


http://links.lww.com/FIT/A7

physician referrals. Outcome measurements (no. 17) and circuit

training (no. 18) made the top 20 list in 2013.

1. Educated, Certified, and ExperiencedFitness ProfessionalsHolding on to the no. 1 spot for the last 6 years, this is a trend

that continues and drives the need for education and certifica-

tion programs that are fully accredited by national third-party

accrediting organizations for health and fitness and clinical

exercise program professionals. There seems to be an expo-

nential growth of educational programs at community colleges,

undergraduate programs, and graduate programs at colleges and

universities, which have become accredited by the Commission on

Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP;

www.caahep.org) through the Committee on Accreditation for

the Exercise Sciences (www.coaes.org) and more certification

programs accredited by the National Commission for Certifying

Agencies (NCCA); www.credentialingexcellence.org/NCCA).

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor

Statistics (BLS), ‘‘Ijobs for fitness workers are expected to

increase much faster than the average for all occupations

[through 2020]’’ (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos296.htm, cited

on July 27, 2012). They go on to say ‘‘As businesses and in-

surance organizations continue to recognize the benefits of

health and fitness programs for their employees, incentives to

join gyms or other fitness facilities will increase the need for

workers in these areas.’’ The BLS defines ‘‘much faster than

average’’ (their highest rating) as an increase of 20% or more,

with the health and fitness profession expected to increase by

24%. The BLS estimated that, in 2010, there were approx-

imately 251,400 fitness trainers employed and projects that, by

2020, that number will increase to 311,800 (a difference of

60,400 workers, a 29% increase in the workforce in just 10

years). It has become clear that in this still sluggish economy,

as the market for fitness professionals becomes even more

crowded and more competitive, some degree of regulation

either from within the industry or from external sources (i.e.,

government) seems to be growing as several states and the

District of Columbia have considered legislation to regulate

personal trainers just as it does physicians, lawyers, and

pharmacists. CAAHEP and NCCA are both third-party accred-

iting agencies; CAAHEP for academic programs and NCCA

for certification programs. Because of their independence,

neither organization is directly influenced by the health and

fitness industry. In 2007, CAAHEP added a Personal Fitness

Trainer accreditation for certificate (1 year) and associate (2

years) degree programs. The accreditation for the academic

training of the Personal Fitness Trainer joined academic

program accreditation for exercise science (baccalaureate) and

exercise physiology (graduate programs in either applied

exercise physiology or clinical exercise physiology). Collabo-

ration also has started within the fitness industry to address the

issue of standardized facility practices. Coordinated by NSF

International (www.nsf.org), this collaboration (known as the

NSF Joint Committee on Health Fitness Facilities Standards)

brings various sectors of the industry and the public together to

resolve the issues of facility standards (i.e., the characteristics

of a health and fitness facility). Look for these standards to be

adopted by the joint committee soon, with a voluntary cer-

tification program to follow.

2. Strength TrainingStrength training remains at the no. 2 position for the second

year in a row but has been a strong trend since the first year of

this survey. This trend calls for both men and women to

incorporate strength training into their exercise routines or to

use it as the primary form of exercise. Historically, many clients of

both community-based programs and commercial clubs trained

exclusively using weights, and there are still those who lift weights

for body building. However, today, there are many other in-

dividuals (both men and women, young and old, and children)

whose main focus is on using weight training to improve or

maintain strength. Most health and fitness professionals today

incorporate some form of strength training into a comprehensive

exercise routine for their clients and for patients with stable

diseases. It is not uncommon for cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary

rehabilitation, or metabolic disease management programs to

include weight training in the exercise prescription. Strength

TABLE 2: Top 20 Worldwide Fitness Trendsfor 20131. Educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals

2. Strength training

3. Body weight training*

4. Children and obesity

5. Exercise and weight loss

6. Fitness programs for older adults

7. Personal training

8. Functional fitness

9. Core training

10. Group personal training

11. Worksite health promotion

12. Zumba and other dance workouts

13. Outdoor activities

14. Yoga

15. Worker incentive programs

16. Boot camp

17. Outcome measurements*

18. Circuit training*

19. Reaching new markets

20. Wellness coaching

* Trends with a top 20 position that is new for 2013.



www.caahep.org

www.credentialingexcellence.org/NCCA

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos296.htm

www.nsf.org

training remains popular in commercial, community, clinical, and

corporate health fitness facilities for many different kinds of

clients.

3. Body Weight TrainingAppearing for the first time in the trend survey is body weight

training. Body weight training did not appear as an option in

previous surveys because it has only now become popular (as a

defined trend) in gyms around the world; this is not to say that

body weight training has not been used previously. On the

contrary, people have been using their own body weights for

centuries as a form of resistance training. Packaging it as an

exercise program has now made it popular in all kinds of gyms.

Body weight training often uses minimal equipment, which

makes it an inexpensive way to exercise effectively. Most

people think of body weight training as being limited to push-

ups and pull-ups, but it can be much more than that. Body

weight training may be a trend to watch as more people get

‘‘back to the basics.’’

4. Children and ObesityRetaining a spot in the top 10 in this year’s survey is exercise

programs aimed specifically at the problem of childhood

obesity. The problem with childhood and adolescent obesity

continues to be a major health issue in most developed and

developing nations. As public school systems continue to face

the reality of cutting programs such as physical education and

recess to spend more time preparing for standardized testing in a

challenging economy, this is a trend toward more programs and

a potential new market for commercial and community-based

organizations. Health and fitness practitioners see the problem

of childhood obesity and its associated comorbidities as an

opportunity to positively influence a health issue that not only

immediately impacts the health care industry but has an even

greater effect on the health of these children as they mature into

adults and have families of their own. The health and fitness

industry should recognize this chronic health issue and start

new programs targeted specifically at these children. Corporate

and clinical programs also may see this as an opportunity to de-

velop specialized physical activity programs for children of their

staff and clients. Commercial- and community-based programs

may find a receptive partner within public and private schools.

5. Exercise and Weight LossFor many years, weight loss programs have been trying to

infuse a regular exercise program into the caloric restriction

diets of many popular commercial programs. Most well-

publicized diet plans incorporate exercise into their daily

routine of providing meals to their clients. The combination of

exercise and weight loss is a trend toward incorporating all

weight loss programs with a sensible exercise program. This has

been a growing trend since the survey began. In 2009, exercise

and weight loss ranked no. 18, moving to no. 12 in 2010, no. 7

in 2011, and no. 4 in 2012, and now sits in the no. 5 spot. It

appears as though people who are in the business of providing

weight loss programs will incorporate regular exercise as well

as caloric restriction for weight control. The combination of

exercise and diet is essential for weight loss maintenance and

can improve compliance to caloric restriction diets and in

particular weight loss programs.

6. Fitness Programs for Older AdultsThe concern for the health of aging adults has been consistently

at the top of the survey. The baby boom generation is now aging

into retirement, and because they may have more discretionary

money than their younger counterparts, fitness clubs should

capitalize on this exponentially growing market. Fitness

programs for older adults will remain a strong trend for 2013.

It is assumed that people who are retired not only typically have

greater sums of discretionary money but they also have a

tendency to spend it more wisely and may have more time to




engage in an exercise program. Health and fitness professionals

can take advantage of this growing population of retired persons

by providing age-appropriate exercise programs. The highly

active older adult (the athletic old) also can be targeted by

commercial and community-based organizations to participate

in more rigorous exercise programs, including strength training

and team sports. Even the frail elderly can improve his or her

ability to perform activities of daily living when provided

appropriate functional fitness activities. Health and fitness

professionals should consider developing fitness programs for

people of retirement age.

7. Personal TrainingAs more professional personal trainers are educated and be-

come certified (see trend no. 1), they become more accessible

to more people in all sectors of the health and fitness industry.

Personal trainers are employed by community-based programs, in

commercial settings, in corporate wellness programs, and in

medical fitness programs. Personal training has been in the top 10

of this survey for the past 7 years. Recently, attention has

been paid to the education (through third-party accreditation of

CAAHEP) and certification (through third-party accreditation

by NCCA) of personal trainers. In a growing number of states

(California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Georgia, and several

others), legislation has been introduced to license personal

trainers, but none of which has yet passed. Although there have

been some minor variations of personal training (e.g., small

groups as opposed to one-on-one), respondents to this survey

believe that personal trainers will continue to be an important

part of the professional staff of health and fitness centers.

8. Functional FitnessFunctional fitness may be defined as using strength training to

improve balance, coordination, force, power, and endurance to

improve one’s ability to perform activities of daily living.

Functional fitness programs reflect actual activities one might

do as a function of daily living. Functional fitness first appeared

on the survey in the no. 4 position in 2007 but fell to no. 8 in

2008 and no. 11 in 2009. It reappeared in the top 10 for 2010 at

no. 7 and in 2011 at no. 9. In 2012, functional fitness was no.

10. Some of the survey respondents said that there is a

relationship between functional fitness and fitness programs for

older adults (see trend no. 6). Many exercise programs for the

older age group are composed of functional fitness activities.

Functional fitness is often used in clinical programs to imitate

activities done around the home.

9. Core TrainingCore training stresses strength and conditioning of the

stabilizing muscles of the abdomen, thorax, and back. It ty-

pically includes exercises of the hips, lower back, and abdomen,

all of which provide support for the spine and thorax.

Exercising the core muscles improves overall stability of the

trunk and transfers that to the extremities, enabling the

individual to meet the demands of activities of daily living

and for the performance of various sports that require strength,

speed, and agility. Core training often uses stability balls,

BOSU balls, wobble boards, foam rollers, and other pieces of

equipment. Some respondents argued that core training may be

losing some of its popularity as new forms of exercise are

developed. This will be an interesting trend to watch in the next

few years.

10. Group Personal TrainingThis trend allows the personal trainer to continue providing the

personal service clients expect but now in a small group of two

to four, offering potentially deep discounts to each member of

the group. In 2007, group personal training was no. 19 on the

list. In 2008, it rose slightly to no. 15 but dropped again in 2009

to no. 19 and improved to no. 10 in 2010. In 2011, group

personal training was no. 14 on the survey and no. 8 in 2012. In

these continuing challenging economic times when true

personal income may be decreasing (and almost certainly

discretionary spending), personal trainers must be more creative

in the way they package personal training sessions. Training

two or three people at the same time in a small group seems to

make good economic sense for both the trainer and the client.

Group personal training will continue to be popular in 2013.

11. Worksite Health PromotionThis is a trend for a range of programs and services designed

to improve the health of workers and incorporate systems to

evaluate their impact on health, health care costs, and worker

productivity. Many of these programs are physically housed

within the company or corporation building or on campus,

whereas other programs may contract with independent

commercial- or community-based programs. Within the context

of health care reform in the United States and rising health care

costs, health promotion programs may take on additional im-

portance in the future.



12. Zumba and Other Dance WorkoutsCombining Latin rhythms with interval-type exercise and

resistance training, Zumba and other dance workouts first

appeared on the list of potential trends in 2010 and ranked no.

31 of 37 potential trends; in 2011, it was ranked no. 24 out of a

possible 31 choices. In 2012, it jumped into the top 10 (no. 9)

and now appears on the list at no. 12. Zumba requires energy

and enthusiasm from the instructor and the participants. It

appeared as though the popularity of Zumba was growing, with

a rapid escalation between 2010 and 2012. Future surveys will

determine if this is a trend or a fad.

13. Outdoor ActivitiesThis is a trend for health and fitness professionals to offer more

outdoor activities to their clients. In 2010, outdoor activities

ranked no. 25 in the annual survey, and in 2011, it ranked no.

27. In 2012, outdoor activities ranked no. 14. Outdoor activities

can be done with family and with friends, with a group or by

yourself. Outdoor activities typically include hiking, canoeing,

kayaking, and games or sports. Outdoor activities also can in-

clude high-adventure programs such as overnight camping trips.

14. YogaYoga now comes in a variety of forms, including Power Yoga,

Yogalates, and yoga done in hot and humid environments.

Other forms of yoga include Iyengar Yoga, Ashtanga, Bikram

Yoga (the hot and humid one), Vinyasa Yoga, Kripalu Yoga,

Anuara Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Sivananda Yoga. Instructional

tapes and books are abundant, as are the growing numbers of

certifications for the many yoga formats. Yoga appeared in the top

10 in this survey in 2008 and seemed to make a comeback in the

2010 (no. 14) and 2011 surveys (no. 11). In 2012, yoga was no. 11

on the list, falling to no. 14 this year.

15. Worker Incentive ProgramsAppearing for the first time in the survey top 20 in 2011, worker

incentive programs stayed in the top 20 for 2012. It now appears at

no. 15 for 2013. This is a trend toward creating incentive programs

to stimulate positive healthy behavior change as part of employer-

based health promotion programming and health care benefits.

This trend represents a resurgence of corporate health promotion

programs as a result of rising health care costs experienced by both

small and large companies and corporations. It also may be a

response to recent health care reform legislation in the United

States. Worker incentive programs also are associated with the

trend to provideworksite health promotion programs in an attempt

to reduce health care costs.

16. Boot CampAfter first appearing in the 2008 survey at no. 26, boot camp was

no. 23 in 2009, no. 16 in 2010, and no. 8 in 2011 but fell to no. 13

in 2012 and no. 16 for 2013. Boot camp is a high-intensity

structured activity patterned after military-style training. Boot

camp includes cardiovascular, strength, endurance, and flexibility

drills and usually involves both indoor and outdoor exercises

typically led by an enthusiastic instructor. Boot camps also can

combine sport-type drills and calisthenics. Because of its climb in

the survey rankings from2008 to 2011,with a decrease in the trend

analysis the past 2 years, it will be interesting to see if boot camp

programs continue as a trend in the fitness industry.

17. Outcome MeasurementsThis is a trend toward accountability. There will be efforts to

define and track outcomes to prove that a selected program

actually works. Measurements are necessary to determine the

benefits of health and fitness programs in disease management

and to document success in changing negative lifestyle habits.

The proliferation of technology will aid in data collection to

support these efforts. This trend did not appear in the top 20 for

the past couple of years. Accountability to owners and operators

of health and fitness facilities will provide important metrics to

determine if new programs are cost-effective and if old

programs are actually working.

18. Circuit TrainingCircuit training is a group of 6 to 10 exercises that are com-

pleted one after another and in a predetermined sequence. Each

exercise is performed for a specified number of repetitions or

for a set period before having a quick rest and moving on to the

next exercise. Circuit training appears in 2013 for the first time

in the top 20 trends.

19. Reaching New MarketsThis is a trend that identifies new markets in all aspects of the

health and fitness industry. With an estimated 80% of

Americans not having a regular exercise program or a place

to exercise, commercial, clinical, corporate, and community

programs will reach out to tap into this huge market. Reaching

new markets appeared in the top 20 in previous years of this

survey but dropped out in 2010. In 2011, it reappeared as no.

19, moving up to no. 15 for 2012, and remaining in the top 20

for 2013. Health and fitness professionals and their employers

will be searching for new ways to deliver their services to most

people who are still not engaged in their programs.

20. Wellness CoachingFalling from no. 13 in 2010 but remaining in the top 20 for

2011, 2012, and 2013 is wellness coaching. This is a trend that

incorporates behavioral change science into health promotion

and disease prevention programs. Wellness coaching often uses

a one-on-one approach similar to a personal trainer, with the

coach providing support, guidance, and encouragement. The

wellness coach focuses on the client’s values, needs, vision, and

goals. According to this trend survey (and results from past




surveys), it seems as though wellness coaching and its

principled techniques of behavior change have been adopted

by personal trainers and other health and fitness professionals.

WHAT’S OUT FOR 2013?Falling out of the top 20 fitness trends this year was spinning

(indoor cycling), sport-specific training, and physician refer-

rals. Spinning was no. 16 in the survey for 2012. As an

instructor explains the terrain and provides the motivation, this

group fitness program has been described as pedaling outdoors

without temperature, humidity, or other environmental changes.

The pedal tension on the stationary bike can be varied to

simulate riding uphill or through valleys. Upbeat background

music motivates people through this relatively high-intensity

workout. Falling from a top 10 spot (no. 8) in 2010, sport-

specific training dropped to no. 16 for 2011 and no. 17 for

2012. This trend incorporates sport-specific training for sports

such as baseball and tennis, designed especially for young

athletes. Breaking into the top 10 for the first time in the survey

in 2009 (no. 9), sport-specific training jumped from no. 13 in

2008 after falling from no. 11 in 2007. This will still be an

interesting trend for the health and fitness industry to watch

during the next few years because of the fall to no. 17 in 2012

from its relative popularity in 2010. Jumping from no. 17 in

2010 and rounding out the top 10 for 2011 was physician

referrals. In the 2012 survey, physician referrals fell to no. 20

and is now out of the top 20 trends. This is a trend toward an

emergent emphasis being placed on partnerships with the

medical community resulting in seamless referrals to a health

and fitness facility and health and fitness professionals. It is

always interesting to see what fell out of the top 20 list on this

survey for the next year and what seems to be supported by this

year’s survey.

SUMMARYAs in the previous seven ACSM worldwide surveys, some

trends were once again embraced (e.g., educated and certified

health fitness professionals), whereas others fell out of the top

20, and still others were not supported at all (whole-body

vibration, gravity training, activity-based video games, sandbells,

kickboxing, and unsupervised and unmonitored fitness facilities).

Trends have been defined as a general development that takes

some time and then stays for a period (usually described as a

behavior change), whereas a fad comes and goes. In the top 10

fitness trends for 2013, nine have been on the list in previous

years. Appearing for the first time is body weight training.

Falling out of the top 10 was Zumba (now no. 12). It will be

very interesting to watch these two trends (Zumba and body

weight training) during the next year to see if these truly are

trends or fads. Pilates, balance training, and use of the stability

ball continue to exist in the health and fitness industry but with

not as much popularity according to the ACSM trend survey.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS COMMENT ON 2012 TRENDSOsnat Fliess Douer, Ph.D. A hydro-

therapist and the owner of Multipool

Aquatic Therapy Center in Israel

(http://www.multipool.co.il/About-Us),

Dr. Fliess Douer is a lecturer and director

of hydrotherapy courses at Wingate Col-

lege Israel and a certified international

JaharaA teacher (www.jahara.com/QualifiedTeachers.htm).

Dr. Douer is a member of the Sport Science Committee of

the International Paralympic Committee. ‘‘As the director of

hydrotherapy and adapted swimming courses, the consistent

importance of the educational level and experience of health

fitness professionals is encouraging and demanding to us, who are

in-charge of putting these programs in place, to be responsible for

providing high-level programs. It is fascinating to see the direct

link between courses’ content and the survey outcome. One

example is the growing focus on implementation of inclusion

policies for people with special needs through community-based

sport activities. The variety and flexibility of the top 20 worldwide

fitness trends for 2013 (i.e., strength training, body weight

training, yoga, etc.) make it an excellent showcase for strategies

of inclusion and adaptation. The continuous appearance of func-

tional fitness in the top 10, where strength training applies to

improve activities of daily living, goes hand-in-hand with the

continued endorsement of the International Classification of Func-

tioning, Disability and Health framework (ICF, WHO). It would

be safe to predict that in the next years, functional fitness will

maintain its high ranking. My last comment is about core training

(no. 9). It will be interesting to further investigate the reason for

the seemingly decline of core training. Since strengthening the

core muscles is a key component in reducing back pain and

preventing reoccurrence of back injuries, it is an inseparable

element in many mind-body-fitness methods, such as Alexander,

Feldenkrais, Pilates, Jahara aquatic technique, and more, which

emphasize the importance of core strengthening training. It could

be that a program named ‘Core Strength Training’ might lose

popularity, but not core training itself, which will be continuously

integrated into health and fitness programs.’’

Paul Sorace, M.S., RCEP, CSCS, Clinical

Exercise Physiologist, Cardiac Preven-

tion and Rehabilitation, Hackensack Uni-

versity Medical Center. ‘‘As a clinical

exercise physiologist, I am encouraged to

see strength training remains a strong and

popular trend. Working daily with persons

with controlled diseases, I am fully aware of the benefits

strength training has on the physical and mental well-being of

patients. More and more research is being conducted, examin-

ing how muscle-strengthening exercises help prevent or

manage common chronic diseases, such as hypertension, type



http://www.multipool.co.il/About-Us

www.jahara.com/QualifiedTeachers.htm

2 diabetes, and overweight/obesity. Strength training provides

muscular fitness benefits that are not obtained through aerobic

exercise, so any comprehensive exercise program should incor-

porate some strength training. I also found bodyweight training to

be an interesting new addition to the trend list. Bodyweight

training is a form of strength training and, as mentioned by

Dr. Thompson, returning to the basics is an option for in-

dividuals of all fitness levels. There are bodyweight exercises

that can be performed by many novice or decondtioned persons

(e.g., wall push-ups), and there are bodyweight exercises that can

be challenging for more advanced exercisers (e.g., burpee or

squat thrust). Finally, children and obesity and exercise and

weight loss are extremely important trends. Childhood obesity is

a real threat to the future health and wellness of the United States

and the world. There needs to be a continued and concerted

effort to keep children physically active. Although caloric

restriction is essential for a substantial weight loss program,

exercise is critically important to maximize a caloric deficit.

Perhaps even more importantly, exercise is essential for weight

loss to be permanent or for the prevention of weight regain.’’

Desiree Nathanson, M.S., DTR, is a CNN

contributor, former NBA dancer, dietetic

technician, AFAA-certified group exercise

instructor, NESTA-certified personal

trainer and sport yoga instructor, Spencer

InstituteYcertified wellness coach, dance

instructor, and FUP/FAP fitness com-

petitor. www.fitdesiree.com. ‘‘As a group exercise/dance

instructor, personal trainer, and dietetic technician, I see, first

hand, the implementation of these top 20 fitness trends every

day. My most popular exercise classes are dance fitness and

circuit training classes, which are both in the top 20 trends. It

seems that adults are becoming interested in finding fun ways

to get themselves moving, returning to activities they may have

participated in when they were younger. I believe this is why

dance workouts remain in the top 20, and I believe they will

stay in the top 20 as more studies are done showing the benefits

of dancing in regard to chronic health conditions such as

Alzheimer’s disease. As consumers become more educated and

involved in their health and wellness, it is no wonder educated,

certified, and experienced fitness professionals is at the top of

the list. It is encouraging to know that many fitness

professionals value education while providing quality exercise

programs to their clients; and those clients are searching for

well-qualified fitness professionals to guide them. It is

unfortunate children and obesity is also on the top 20 list of

trends. Children are faced with unnecessary stress dealing with

standardized testing, sedentary school days, and multiple after-

school activities. While it is the responsibility of the health and

fitness industry to design programs geared toward children, this

problem would be easily reduced by incorporating daily physical

activity back into schools. I hope that by 2015, children and

obesity and exercise and weight loss drop lower on the list and

things like dance workouts and circuit training only continue to

get more popular.’’

Trudy Moore-Harrison, Ph.D., Lecturer

and Graduate Practicum Supervisor,

Department of Kinesiology, University

of North Carolina at Charlotte. ‘‘With

the exponential growth in the older adult

population worldwide, it is not surprising to

see that fitness programs for older adults

remain in the top 10 fitness trends for the last 7 years. Lifelong

exercisers have been able to manage and prevent chronic diseases

better than nonexercisers. I expect the trend to continue for years to

come since individuals are now living longer and are seeking ways

to maintain a healthy lifestyle in their retirement years. Addition-

ally, I also believe there is a relationship between functional fitness

and fitness programs for older adults. The trend of functional

fitness has the potential to assist older adults with maintaining

their independence longer, which is an important added value.

Many fitness programs are including functional exercises that can

be done at home rather than at a gym. It is imperative that health

professionals address the needs of older adults especially since

they can experience significant barriers throughout their activities

of daily living. Next, it is encouraging to see outcome measure-

ments in the top 20 since we are a data-driven society. Outcome

measurements can be used as a promotional tool to persuade

individuals to exercise and to have an impact on the health care

system. The evidence-based approach is being endorsed by health

professionals worldwide. Lastly, I am pleased to see that educated,

certified, and experienced fitness professionals remains at the top

of the list because individuals have to be informed of the im-

pact that exercise can make on society. Fitness professionals

have to continue to lead the way by encouraging physical activity

every day.’’

AcknowledgmentsThe author thanks past Editor-in-Chief Ed Howley, Ph.D.,FACSM, for considering this project important enough toinclude in the year-end edition of ACSM’s Health & FitnessJournal and to current Editor-in-Chief Steven Keteyian, Ph.D.,FACSM, for continuing the tradition. The author also thanksthe ACSM’s Health & Fitness JournalA editorial team, espe-cially those who contributed to the original survey in 2006,Paul Couzelis, Ph.D.; John Jakicic, Ph.D., FACSM; Nico Pronk,Ph.D., FACSM; Mike Spezzano, M.S.; Neal Pire, M.A., FACSM;Jim Peterson, Ph.D., FACSM; Melinda Manore, Ph.D., R.D.,FACSM; Cary Wing, Ed.D.; Reed Humphrey, Ph.D., P.T.,FACSM; and Steve Tharrett, M.S., for their very importantinput into the construction of the original and subsequent sur-veys. Finally, the author is indebted to the ACSM staff thatsupported this study by assisting in the construction, formatting,




www.fitdesiree.com

and delivery of it to thousands of fitness professionals aroundthe world. In particular, the author recognizes the importantcontributions of Dick Cotton, Traci Rush, Kela Webster, andespecially Lori Tish who has tirelessly worked on this surveysince it started in 2006.

References1. Thompson WR. Worldwide survey reveals fitness trends for 2007. ACSM

HealthFitness J. 2006;10(6):8Y14.

2. Thompson WR. Worldwide survey reveals fitness trends for 2008. ACSMHealth Fitness J. 2007;11(6):7Y13.





Walter R. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, is a

regents’ professor of exercise science in the

Department of Kinesiology and Health

(College of Education) at Georgia State

University and in the Division of Nutrition

(Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and

Health Professions) where he also serves as the executive

director of the After-School All-Stars Atlanta. He has served on

the ACSM Board of Trustees and was twice elected a member

of its Administrative Council.

CONDENSED VERSION AND BOTTOM LINE

The 2013 worldwide survey of fitness trends is now in itsseventh year. It assists the health and fitness industrywhen making critical programming and business deci-sions. The results are applicable to all four sectors of thehealth fitness industry (commercial for-profit clubs,clinical or medical fitness programs, corporate wellnessprograms, and community not-for-profit fitness pro-grams). Although no one can accurately predict thefuture of any industry, this survey helps track trends inthe field that can assist owners, operators, programdirectors, and personal trainers with making importantbusiness decisions.



worldwide survey of fitness trends for 2013this year’s survey also included some valuable...

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