Wearable technology, outdoor exercise activities and strength training are among the trends expected to shape the worldwide fitness industry during 2022.

The annual ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal worldwide survey – which predicts sector trends by surveying 4,500 health fitness professionals globally – has outlined the top 20 activities and industry shifts for 2022.

The list shows the impact of the pandemic with tech, health-focused activities, individual exercise and the outdoors all featuring heavily in the top 10.

Wearable tech and home exercise gyms are the top two trends, followed by outdoor activities, strength training, exercise for weight loss and personal training.

Health and wellness coaching also makes it into the top 10.

Group exercise training – which drives many boutique concepts – also makes the top 20 trends list.

"Online training went from being the number 26 trend in 2020 to the number one trend for 2021, likely due to a shift in the fitness market from clubs to homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic," the report states.

"However, it has now dropped to the number nine spot for 2022, perhaps in anticipation of a return to normal, including more social interaction.

"Wearable technology has again taken the number one spot in the global rankings, the same as in 2019 and 2020.

"Group exercise training was number two trend for both 2018 and 2019 and then number three for 2020 (before the pandemic) and fell to number 17 in 2021 – and is now at number 20, possibly due to the lingering effects of crowd avoidance due to COVID-19."

To read the full Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends report – now in its 16th consecutive year – click here.

The top 20 fitness trends predicted in the report for 2022:

1 Wearable technology

2 Home exercise gyms3 Outdoor activities

4 Strength training with free weights5 Exercise for weight loss

6 Personal training7 High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

8 Bodyweight training9 Online live and on-demand exercise classes

10 Health/wellness coaching11 Fitness programs for older adults

12 Exercise is Medicine13 Employing certified fitness professionals

14 Functional fitness training15 Yoga

16 Mobile exercise apps17 Online personal training

18 Licensure for fitness professionals19 Lifestyle medicine

20 Group exercise training