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Every year, the American College of Sports Medicine publishes a list of global fitness trends. The annual Top 20 is a reflection of not only what’s hot now, but also what we can expect to see more of in the future. The list was first published in 2006 and depicted a major shift in trends, including the rapid rise and fall of Zumba, the introduction of HIIT (high intensity interval training) and home gyms reaching an all-time high of #2 in 2022, to fall to #13 in 2023, when we happily left our basements and returned to the neighborhood gym.

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Defining a trend as “a general development or change in a situation or in the way people behave” versus a fad (“a fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a short period; a craze”), the list was assembled . from over 2,000 survey responses sent to fitness professionals worldwide, including exercise physiologists, researchers and academics, personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, athletic trainers and medical professionals.

According to experts, 2025 is all about technology, with wearable technology claiming the top spot, followed by mobile exercise apps at number 2 and data-driven training technology at number 7. It’s no surprise that exercisers have become enamored with technology. The availability of real-time statistics during a workout, along with the archiving of past workout data, allows fitness fanatics to get as granular as they want when evaluating their training habits. Runners can map their cadence, stride length and ground contact time, along with their pace, distance and effort. Swimmers can get their intervals, count their laps, identify their strokes and rate their efficiency. Cyclists can track their speed, distance, elevation, power and cadence. And safety features like fall detection give peace of mind to those exercising alone, whether they’re in the woods or closer to home.

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But that’s not all. Smartwatches increasingly include health features that complement exercise content, providing an enhanced view of personal well-being. Add that to heart arrhythmia notifications, sleep patterns, and Apple Watch’s new sleep apnea feature, and users can gain unprecedented insight into their personal health while wearing a watch.

But not only smart watches are popular among fitness enthusiasts. More fitness clubs are using wearable technology to provide real-time stats through studio monitors during a workout. Exercisers can now adjust exercise intensity to ensure their effort matches their goals.

“Wearable activity trackers can support healthy lifestyle behavior change through goal setting, personalized coaching, or connecting with apps to provide actionable information,” said the ASCM group of authors and contributors to Fitness Trends 2025.

New to the list and part of digital technology are influencer/ambassador-led fitness programs, which come in at number 12. The addition reflects the growing number of instructor-led workouts and exercise content on social media like Instagram and TicTok, which which suggests it’s a trend to watch. Given its popularity, ACSM reminds followers to check the credentials and professional qualifications of fitness influencers to ensure that the fitness and health information provided is safe and effective and not just for social media.

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But 2025 won’t just be about technology. Fitness programs for older adults is number 3 on the list. The over 60 crowd is a growing segment of the population. They also have more time on their hands to exercise, especially since physical activity has been identified as one of the best strategies for maintaining health, mobility and independence with age. Given its position on the trend list, fitness clubs and recreation centers should take note of a largely untapped market that is more diverse than meets the eye. The latest cohort of older adults has a variety of fitness goals that require more options than traditional light-intensity group exercise classes.

Exercise for weight loss is in 4th place, even with the arrival of drugs that make it possible to lose weight without the extra effort of going to the gym. Burning calories through exercise is another effective way to keep your weight under control. And strength training plays an important role in reducing the loss of muscle mass that accompanies a dramatic decrease in body weight.

As such, it makes sense that traditional strength training rounds out the top five, a significant improvement from 17^th place in last year’s list. Inexplicably, strength training has jumped up a notch since the ACSM first published its list. Building and/or maintaining muscle mass should be a priority for all ages and fitness levels, with exercise guidelines suggesting at least two strength training sessions per week. Getting expert advice from a certified fitness professional is worth the investment, as exercise selection, the right mix of reps, sets and loads, and technique are important for both success and fun.

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The rest of the top 20 can be found below, which ACSM says reflects a diversification away from the traditional offerings found in gyms, studio facilities and corporate wellness programs. They also tout the 2025 list as a signal of improved “fitness integration with diverse sectors such as health care, technology, wellness product development and personalized fitness solutions.”

The American College of Sports Medicine’s Top 20 Fitness Trends for 2025

1. Wearable technology
2. Mobile exercise apps
3. Fitness programs for older adults
4. Exercises for weight loss
5. Traditional strength training
6. High intensity interval training
7. Data management training technology
8. Exercise for mental health
9. Functional fitness training
10. Coaching for health/wellness
11. Athletic development of young people
12. Influencer/ambassador led fitness programs
13. Outdoor fitness activities
14. Exercise classes on request
15. Hire certified exercise professionals
16. Personal training
17. Exercise is medicine
18. Bodyweight training
19. Lifestyle medicine
20. Hot and cold therapies

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