As 2022 winds down, it's time to start looking toward the new fitness trends that will ignite the fitness community next year. The experts at Renpho are predicting 2023's biggest fitness trends - from the quirky workouts to the trusted training methods you'll all be seeing this upcoming year.
Over the last few years, the fitness industry has evolved at an incredible rate. This is partially due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown changing the mindset of millions for the better. By now, people understand the importance of physical and mental health and make an effort to get fit and stay fit as best as they can.
Wearable technology has become a mainstay for fitness addicts in 2022, and so have home workouts. While many people appreciate the benefits of group exercise, thanks to technological advancements in the health and fitness space, working out at home isn't the sad activity it used to be. What other fitness trends do we expect to see surface in 2023? Here are the four most prominent ones for next year.
1. Virtual & Augmented Reality
Can’t bring yourself to get up and go to the gym? This could be a problem of the past – or at the very least, an excuse of the past. In 2023, virtual reality (VR) workouts are set to become a mainstay hit that will only grow in the future. The VR and Augmented Reality (AR) space is projected to grow exponentially to over $80 billion by 2029 - with the likes of Apple being rumoured to be releasing their own VR headset in 2023.
The intense appeal of gamified, total-body workouts that can take you to picturesque, hyper-realistic locations will change the face of fitness, entering gyms, commercial spaces and homes with equal vigour. The true beauty of VR fitness lies in its potential - gamifying the fitness process can, and likely will, engage a whole new demographic of people who may otherwise never be entering the fitness space.
2. Exercise for Mental Health
It’s no secret that the current state of day-to-day life is increasingly taking its toll on the psyche of the masses - leading to a greater focus on self-care and prioritising mental health across the board. Whilst each and every person has their own, more personal ways to relax and comfort themselves, a standout method has been physical movement.
After all, a study into the relationship between fitness and mental health found that people that undertook daily physical activity reduced their risk of depression and dementia by up to 30% and also helped to reduce stress, and anxiety, increase brain function and improve sleep quality. Aside from the physical benefits, 2023 will see a surge in people using exercise to improve their mental health by connecting with friends, establishing and achieving personal goals and even enjoying some solitude - all vital to positive mental health.
3. Even more smart tech
The rise of smart tech in fitness is something that is set to firmly establish itself as the norm by the end of 2023. From AI Smart Bikes boosting your workouts from home through technological innovation that personalises training to the individual to body measurement tools using technology to replace analogue, inaccurate methods - smart is here to stay.
How important are accurate body measurements? From finding clothes that fit and nailing down a tailored diet plan to more serious health considerations – accurate body measurements are vital. Smart tech being used for both health & fitness is looking to be a mainstay theme of 2023 and beyond.
Research by Renpho has found that more than nine in ten respondents (94%) claimed to trust smart technology over traditional measurement methods – with 69% of studies finding that inaccurate results negatively impacted their self-esteem. This level of public trust in the smart tech revolution indicates that 2023 could be the year analogue measurements are entirely replaced.
4. TikTok Training
Social media and fitness have a problematic relationship bathed in grey areas and surrounded by question marks. From airbrushing to influencer-sponsored diet pills and unqualified accounts giving sweeping, sometimes dangerous fitness advice - social media has suddenly become a home for fitness in recent times, for better or worse.
Primarily led by Gen Z and younger millennials, TikTok is set to become the 2023 social media fitness trend that could surpass all others. Specifically, there is set to be a significant rise of sub-group culture within the TikTok fitness movement. A great example of this is the creation and popularity of female-led fitness communities, with #femalebodybuilders (6.2million views), #girlsatthegym (8 million views) and #femalefitness (94.2 million views) being standout examples of women encouraging a new, less predatory and much more accessible way to inspire other women to take up fitness in an authentic way.
