Five fitness trends to shape the industry in 2019

The sports and leisure industry is constantly evolving and it is the responsibility of fitness professionals to position themselves best to take advantage of any changes. Spotting the fitness trends that are likely to take hold in the year ahead are a great way to do this.

Every year there are new fads and fresh directions taken by the industry, but what does 2019 hold? Here at Protectivity we’ve picked out five things we predict will happen in the fitness world in the 12 months ahead.

Row-fit to sail up in peoples opinion

The number of people taking to the water and regularly rowing grew dramatically in 2012, after Team GB’s overwhelming success in the sport at the London Olympics. But, in recent years that number has stayed fairly stagnant, with indoor rowing doing much of the same. There are signs, however, that the trend is coming full circle again.

Declaring itself as the UK’s first dedicated rowing studio, The Engine Rooms in London is out to make a change. Led by 2014 World Championship gold medallist Matthew Tarrant, it signals a resurgence of the activities popularity.

As well as this dedicated facility, the number of rowing classes on offer around the country is on the up. And with doctors stating that time spent on the rower is more effective than running on a treadmill, it could be the next big focus in the industry.

Work-based fitness to strike it big

In 2018, a company in China announced that it was to fine employees who fail to meet fitness targets. The aim was to get workers to walk on average 62 miles a month, with a fine of around £1 for every mile they missed their target by.

While the approach may be a little drastic, there are signs that employers interest in their staff’s health is on the up. More and more workplaces are offering discounted gym memberships as part of their employment, while others are even providing their own workout space.

With a belief that healthy workers are more efficient workers, expect more businesses to take an added interest in their employee’s fitness in 2019.

The budget gym scene to grow further

In a survey back in 2017, the BBC learned that the most common reason people don’t work out was the cost of gym memberships. A total of 47% of people stated that the often high financial outlay was the reason that don’t regularly attend the gym.

This aversion to high gym costs seems to have been the catalyst for big growth for one budget chain too. The Gym Group whose no-contract membership starts at around £17.99 a month have shown fantastic results in recent times.

A mid-year report showed that their membership figures had grown 41% on last year, while revenue was 36% up. It’s likely that the chain’s success will lead others to follow suit with a budget-focused approach.

Streamed workouts on the up

Another growing trend in the health and fitness market is the provision of streamed workout services. While spinning classes may have been the go-to group exercise of a couple of years ago, programmes such as Peloton are taking social workouts to a new level.

Like the cyclist-friendly software of Zwift, Peloton allows you to test your peddle power with a group of like-minded individuals. With an instructor monitoring the group and leading the way, the spinning comparisons are obvious, but having the added benefit of being able to join the class from the comfort of your own home.

Taking the aspect of being able to workout anytime, anywhere further, this could be just the start of things.

More and more ‘new’ diets

It seems that every five minutes a new diet fad is grabbing the headlines. And in our opinion, that is set to continue in 2019. From the Keto diet which takes a low carb, high fat approach, to the DASH model which focuses on eating small amounts often, the choices have been endless.

We expect the proliferation of these ‘new’ diets to continue at a similar pace as we head into 2019, with more interest and greater understanding of what makes our bodies tick.

However, personal trainers are ultimately likely to stray too far away from the tried and tested fundamentals of healthy eating. The names and portion sizes will vary, but in our opinion, the types of materials we are digesting are unlikely to change greatly in the next 12 months.

The fitness trends of 2019 might bring about change in the year ahead, but there’s one thing that won’t differ. That is the need for a suitable insurance policy. Personal trainers and fitness professional should ensure that they are always protected against what can often be costly and professionally damaging claims.