The 18 Biggest Fitness Trends For 2018
How are you going to be werk, werk, werk, werking up a sweat in 2018?
After some major trend stalking and some help from the American College of Sports Medicine's new survey(where they speak to thousands of fitness professionals about the biggest fitness trends for 2018), we’ve predicted what’s going to be getting you motivated for the next year.
'But first, check out our brand new show Ex On The Beach: Body SOS and get fully up to speed on what it’s all about >>>'
1. HIIT
In the ACSM survey of 2018’s predicted fitness trends, high-intensity interval training has reclaimed the number one spot. The workout has had a HUGE surge over the past year and the express workout shows no signs of going anywhere. This is mainly due to the fact that HIIT is such an effective workout and can be done in a short amount of time with little to no equipment. What’s not to love?
2. Wearable tech
Fitness trackers, smart watches, tracking devices and even smart eye glasses (designed to show maps and track activity) will help you take your fitness to the next level. Studios such as Orange Theory and Speedflex use wearable tech like heart-rate monitors within their group fitness classes to motivate competitive gym-goers.
3. Group training
Some people love to stick their headphones in, go for a peaceful run and clear their mind, but it turns out a LOT of us love getting together with like-minded people to get motivated. Group training has thrived for years, but the reason it’s always on trend is because there are constant innovative new ways to get people together to exercise. SUP yoga is a new fave, where doing classic yoga moves like the downward dog on a paddleboard adds a whole new challenge.
4. Flexible fitness memberships
If you’re someone who likes to switch things up, you’ll be happy to know the perfect membership for you exists. MoveGB has the UK’s largest range of activities to choose from under one membership - there are thousands of activities and venues to choose from!The best thing is that you can choose your price and package type, which ranges from £1.25 to £49.99 a week.
5. Digital fitness and live streaming classes
Sounds like Netflix for fitness freaks, right? Mega fitness start-ups like ClassPass are opening the door to home workouts with their own streaming service called ClassPass Live. Instead of going to a class, subscribers can live-stream scheduled workouts that are broadcast worldwide. You can even see the performance of your friends so you can motivate (and compete against) each other.
6. Feeling empoweredthrough dance-based fitness
Who run the world? Girls! It’s time to bring out your inner siren and dance your way to confidence. Seen On Screen will run a ‘Boss’ class from January, which is an empowering music video style class to Bey, RiRi and Little Mix tracks. At Your Beat classes want you to take inspo from the dance sequences while making it your own, with classes like StrutBeat (where heels are totally welcome) to workshops (where you’ll be taught in-depth choreography).
7. Being a mermaid IRL
Ever wanted an excuse to wear a shimmery mermaid tail and frolic around in the water? The good news is that you can now swap your old-school aqua-aerobics classes for mermaid tail antics. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can laze by the pool taking Instagram snaps in your mermaid get-up though, because each class involves swimming, aerobics, dance, interval training and some serious core tightening. Ariel must have been knackered.
8. Megaformer pilates
The Megaformer is the fitness contraption that Kim Kardashian, Meghan Markle and Alessandra Ambrosio are obsessed with, so we’re already intrigued. This new-gen Pilates reformer is fitted up with levers and weights and combines strength, balance, core and flexibility in every move you make. We’re totally on board.
9. Hot yoga
Whether your goal is a satisfying stretch, mental relaxation or something more intense, there’s a type of yoga out there for everyone, which is probably why it remains in the top ten fitness trends for 2018. From cat yoga to beer yoga to even naked yoga, nothing is out of bounds!We love Hot Pod yoga in particular, which is a class held in inflatable, immersive cocoons.
10. Strong issexy
Strength training is still a true trend in the fitness arena and probably will be for a very long time. Why? The benefits seem to be endless, but there's now actual science that suggests strength training can help you live longer - a recent study by the University of Sydney found it can make you 23% less likely to die early.
11. Virtual reality workouts
Classes are aiming to create more immersive experiences for their gym-goers, from VR headsets to huge cinema screens, live concert experiences and interactive gaming. For example, Les Mills’ fitness workout ‘The Trip’ takes your workout to the next level with a cinema-scale screen and sound system through digitally enhanced worlds. Woah.
12. Barre so hard
A fave with Victoria's Secret models, this ballet-inspired workout doesn’t seem to be going off the radar as more variations are popping up everywhere. Seen On Screen’s Barre So Hard class promises to build you muscle in places you never knew existed, while At Your Beat are introducing Hip Hop Barre classes in the New Year.
13. Taking recovery to a whole new level
From cryotherapy to infrared saunas to floating tanks, the fitness world is now jumping on the high tech recovery bandwagon (which was once only reserved for athletes and celebs). For example, cryotherapy involves standing in a chamber in -90°C and is said to improve muscle recovery and ease pain. We're listening...
14. Bodyweight training
What’s not to love about the back-to-basics workout that requires minimal equipment? Bodyweight training is still a huge contender for fitness in 2018 as it’s an inexpensive way to exercise and is accessible to absolutely everyone. Follow Simone Ming and Darren Onyejekwefor some serious bodyweight training inspo.
15. Outdoor fitness
Hiking, kayaking and climbing are all on trend, but we’ve definitely fallen for Farm Fitness, which is similar to Strongman but with a rural shake-up. You’ll be hitting tyres with hammers, using battle ropes, lifting kegs and performing high-intensity cardio. It’s a reality star fave -Love Island'sAlex Bowen and Olivia Buckland have been put through their paces here.Warning: it'sNOT for the faint hearted.
16. Tracking your fitness goals
There are endless ways of tracking your fitness journey, but if you love running or cycling then you should download Strava, like, right now. The GPS tracker will track your speed, distance and route while connecting you with other users who have run the same course to compare your times. Perfect.
17. Low-cost / free fitness
After the launch of the adidas All Day app and Nike adding free yoga workouts to its Nike+ Training Club app, it's now cheaper than ever to work out. The rise of online workouts, apps and fitness Insta accounts means you can say goodbye to your pricey gym membership if you want. HURRAH.
18. Spiderbands
Our spidey senses are tingling - Franci Cohen has invented the coolest new piece of equipment: spiderbands. it may look like a TRX but it’s actually two stretchy resistance bands that hang from the ceiling. The most fun thing about them is that the buoyancy offsets some of your body weight so you can do some pretty cool moves you wouldn’t usually be able to do with good form. The craze is expanding from New York to LA and hopefully landing in the UK asap!