At the beginning of every year, many people start their journey toward a healthier lifestyle and improved physical fitness. This is mostly due to the tradition of the "New Years Resolution" that involves individuals pledging a certain change in their diets, bad habits, and other ways in which they live. New diets and fitness programs seem to sprout up as a direct result of this massive collective shift towards improved health and fitness. With all that being said, let us take a look into the emerging fitness trends coming this year and see if they are based on health or hype.
It seems like you can't turn on any daytime news channel or talk show without hearing about the latest diet trends emerging for the 2020 New Year. Not only is a "New You" for the "New Year" a popular trend among many Americans, but it is also a huge market for the fitness industry. How huge is this market exactly? Well, a report from the IHRSA database in 2018 showed that the health club market is worth $87.2 billion globally, growing every year since 2008. Additional statistics from this report demonstrated that there were more than 6 million gym visits to just under 40,000 locations across America in 2018. This created a 7.8% increase in revenue for the gym industry, totaling $32.3 billion.
So, now we understand how big this industry is and how many people it draws each year we need to look deeper. Is this the result of great marketing tactics, pressure from the tradition of making lifestyle changes each year, or are these people truly motivated to make changes and stick with them? According to another IHRSA report, the month of January is when 12% of all gym memberships occur. 80% of those "New Years Resolution" memberships that started in January will end up being canceled within 5 months.
So what are some health trends for the New Year that will perform better than a gym membership? Fitness apps and online programs seem to be a big trend that may prove to be more beneficial than attempting a new gym membership to achieve your goals. A 2017 report from Flurry Analytics showed that the fitness app industry grew an incredible 330% in three years. While this category only grew 9% from 2016 to 2017 it may be because most users remain loyal to their fitness apps and they may have already found the app they love during the big boom. 96% of users only use one health and fitness app, with 75% of active users opening their app at least twice a day, and 25% access their app 10 times a week.
With numbers like that it would seem the fitness app industry may have more to offer than the gym industry. If so, why is this? Do people just really love their smartphones and other devices that much? I believe the answer lies in the ease and convenience of using an app in the comfort of your own home or the flexibility to use it on the go. This is a way more versatile option than your traditional gym membership. While many gyms are part of a chain with multiple locations available to their members, you can't match the ability to put your gym and your coach in your pocket.
Even though you still need weights and workout equipment to do a lot of exercises, there are plenty of HIIT training, bodyweight, and aerobic workouts that a virtual coach in your fitness app can help you with wherever you are. This convenience combined with our love of technology makes fitness apps a huge hit for our 2020 fitness trends. But what app is the best?
This is a tough question to find an answer to because most people have different fitness goals. While many of our goals may be different, one thing that we find in common more often than not is that we are busy. Most of us don't have a whole lot of time every day to dedicate to fitness. Or do we?
One of the more popular fitness apps on the Apple App Store is the Johnson and Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout. This app is completely free and offers 7-minute workouts you can do anytime and anywhere. The app talks you through the workouts, showing you how to do each exercise and counting down for you while you do them. You also have options for longer, more intense, or less intense workouts. This pretty much allows everyone to find a workout they can do if they're busy, traveling, or even if they are just new to fitness or working out in general.
Start your 2020 with a fitness trend that may lead to a new lifestyle not a hole in your wallet. Check out the latest and greatest fitness apps and see what they can offer you beyond the ease and convenience they provide. Find the right app for your fitness goals and stick with it like 96% of users do!
