The Top 15 Fitness Trends for 2025

THE TOP 15 FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2025

The most popular fitness trends change every year.  Compare the 2025 survey with last year’s post, The Top Fitness Trends for 2024.

Here are excerpts from the 19th annual survey from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), published in its Health & Fitness Journal, 2025 ACSM Worldwide Fitness Trends: Future Directions of the Health and Fitness Industry.

The editors of this Journal have developed and circulated an electronic survey sent to thousands of professionals around the world to predict trends in the health and fitness industry for the following year.

This report for 2025 describes the top potential trends defined in ACSM’s Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends. As in previous years, the order of trends is dynamic and reflects the changing needs of the fitness industry, although others may seem to be relatively static for a duration of time.

With wearable technology (no. 1), mobile exercise apps (no. 2), and data-driven training technology (no. 7) peaking in the top 10 trends, this year’s survey results point to digital technologies making a significant impact on the fitness industry. The appropriate and intentional use of smartphone devices may be useful for exercise professionals as they aim to increase daily physical activity behaviors . Additionally, the increased reliance on telehealth systems gives further significance to the integration of technology in health care for prescribing, monitoring, and measuring health and fitness behaviors

1. Wearable technology.

   Wearable technology continues as the no. 1 trend in the 2025 survey, nearly consistent with previous survey results since 2016 (no. 3 for 2018 and no. 2 for 2021). The field of wearable technology is constantly advancing and allows real-time self-monitoring and feedback from devices such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, heart rate monitors, and GPS tracking devices. These devices can provide information such as physical activity (i.e., steps, active minutes), health markers (i.e., heart rate, ECG, glucose), sedentary behaviors, sleep, and even stress (i.e.,heart rate variability). Wearable activity trackers can support healthy lifestyle behavior change through goal setting, personalized coaching, or connecting with apps to provide actionable insights.

2. Mobile exercise applications (apps).

   Mobile exercise apps continue to move up the list (no. 7 in 2024 and no. 20 in 2023) and seem to be a more important trend among exercise professionals with more experience. In 2023, there were 850 million fitness app downloads by nearly 370 million users. The upward trajectory of mobile exercise apps could be fueled by their complimentary nature with wearable technology (the no. 1 trend). Mobile exercise apps can allow flexible, adaptable, accessible, and customizable fitness programming.

3. Fitness programs for older adults.

   The development of fitness programs for older adults holds its place as the no. 3 trend. Regular physical activity for this population remains a critical strategy for maintaining overall health, preventing chronic diseases, improving quality of life, and promoting independent living. Adults aged 60 years and older are also less likely to engage in the recommended amounts of physical activity for health, making them an important demographic for high-quality, evidence-based programming.

4. Exercise for weight loss.

   Exercise for weight loss remains consistent as the no. 4 trend. Global rates of obesity have doubled among adults, with approximately one in eight adults categorized as having obesity. Further, obesity rates among children and adolescents have nearly quadrupled in the past 30 years. While the benefits of exercise are positive regardless of weight status, regular exercise should be included as a part of a multicomponent strategy for the long-term maintenance of weight loss

5. Traditional strength training.

After falling to no. 17 in the 2024 survey, traditional strength training moves back up the trends list to no. 5. Traditional strength training, a key tenet of ACSM’s exercise guidelines, incorporates equipment such as barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells focusing on proper movement and lifting technique to improve or maintain muscular fitness. The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults complete at least 2 days per week of strength training, across all major muscle groups.

6. High-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Rising to no. 6 on the trends list, HIIT has been a consistent top 10 trend since 2018. Its stability is likely due to its effectiveness as a training modality across demographics and among varying health statuses (e.g., cardiometabolic disease and cancer). HIIT involves repeated short bouts of near maximal, high-intensity aerobic efforts followed by active or passive rest periods that allow sufficient recovery to repeat the same working effort.7

7. Data-driven training technology.

Data-driven training technology was added in 2024 and appears as the no. 7 trend for 2025. Data-driven training technology can help clients understand the physiological responses to an exercise stimulus in real-time. This type of training allows individualized coaching and instruction, even in a group setting where there may be various fitness levels.

8.Exercise for mental health.

Exercise for mental health remains the no. 8 trend after being added in 2024. This trend focuses on exercise programming designed to improve aspects of mental health, like reducing feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression. While specific exercise guidelines for mental health benefits have not been established, exercise professionals should aim to help clients accumulate physical activity doses that meet ACSM guidelines. Additionally, it is important to incorporate client preferences for activities and acknowledge individual barriers that may influence participation

9. Functional fitness training.

This training modality typically encompasses strength training to improve balance, coordination, functional movement, and endurance that reflect activities of daily living. Functional fitness training has appeared in various positions on the trends list since 2007, but most recently fell to no. 14 in 2024.

10. Health/wellness coaching.

    This trend has moved up to the no. 10 spot for 2025. Health and wellness coaches utilize principles of behavioral science to promote health and lifestyle medicine programs. ACSM’s partnership with WellCoaches^®provides exercise professionals with access to evidence-based coaching tools to facilitate growth and promote change among exercising individuals.

11. Youth athletic development.

    This no. 11 trend emphasizes the importance of the physical and cognitive development of children and adolescents for sport participation. Several staged development models have been established to guide exercise professionals on evaluating readiness, physical literacy, and skill building. Most models prioritize a development-based as opposed to an age-based approach to determining levels of participation, training, and competition.

12. Influencer/ambassador-led fitness programs.

    The rise in social media and digital technology has birthed a newly added trend. The no. 12 trend involves the utilization of health and fitness entrepreneurs and enthusiasts to provide content and promote brand awareness via online social media platforms. Influencers typically have an expanded reach across platforms such as Instagram^®and TikTok^® and can promote exercise to their followers.

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    Outdoor fitness activities.

    This trend was added to the annual trends survey in 2010 and became popular in 2021 as the no. 3 trend. For 2025, outdoor fitness activities appears as the no. 13 trend. Outdoor fitness activities include modalities such as walking, running, skiing, or hiking to improve physical fitness.

14. On-demand exercise classes.

    This digital technology trend reappears in the top 20 for the first time since 2022 and includes prerecorded instructional videos that users can access on their own time. These virtual classes can be accessed at any time and in any location, providing flexibility to their users. On-demand exercise classes may include modalities such as Yoga, cycling, strength training, or boot camp style classes.

15. Employing certified professionals.

    Despite the fall to the no. 15 spot, employing certified professionals remains an important trend for 2025. Certified professionals are trusted individuals who have demonstrated competency to safely prescribe exercise to a variety of populations.