1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

You’ve undoubtedly heard of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) at some point. Perhaps you’ve even tried it for yourself. It’s certainly not a new way to exercise.

HIIT is simply a form of exercise where you alternate between short periods of near-maximal effort and recovery. One popular option is interval running––for example, run at 80-85% for 30 seconds, walk for a minute, and repeat. Do ten rounds of that, and you’re done.

These training principles can be applied to jumping rope, lifting weights, doing bodyweight movements, cycling,  and more. Some of HIIT’s most notable benefits include:


Efficient training. Rather than working out for 45, 60,  or even 90 minutes to burn enough calories and deliver the necessary stimulus to your muscles,  HIIT allows you to condense a lot of work in little time to get great results in far less time.
Decent caloric burn. Despite the relatively short workout duration,  HIIT allows trainees to burn a respectable number of calories in as little as 15-20 minutes (1). Trainees can burn an  extra 6-15% calories after the session, thanks to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) (2).
Muscle growth. The neat thing about HIIT is that it can deliver a decent muscle stimulus to promote modest muscular  development (3). Even cardio activities like running can lead to growth if we do them at a high enough intensity.
The question is, what makes HIIT a trend in the fitness industry now?  Well, the truth is that HIIT isn’t a new trend. The exercise modality has been popular for a while now,  thanks to how it’s presented and marketed.


One reason HIIT continues to be so popular relates to time management. People are increasingly busy with work, school,  and other obligations, making spending an hour working out impossible.

HIIT is a simple and effective form of functional fitness training that keeps people on track to reaching their goals, even if they can only train for 20 minutes.

2. Coaching Platforms

Online training used to be a fragmented experience, with coaches using email, social media, Google Sheets and Docs, Skype or Zoom for video calls, and other tools to communicate, plan workouts, and deliver files.

The scattered communication often made for a frustrating and overwhelming experience, even with a small client roster. Things would become even more confusing as coaches signed more clients.

Gathering feedback was also challenging, and coaches couldn’t always respond promptly, leading to frustration for clients. To make matters worse, progress tracking was also a problem that required a lot of manual input that took hours every week.

Enter coaching platforms designed to streamline the coaching process and put all communication between a trainer and their client in one place. How relieving is that?

A good coaching platform allows fitness professionals to create training programs, assign them to clients, track everyone’s progress from a single dashboard, communicate, make adjustments when necessary, and much more. 

That way, coaches can save time and spend more energy on things that move the needle: serving clients better, communicating more clearly, and finding ways to expand their businesses. 

Hevy Coach is our all-in-one personal trainer software designed to connect trainers and coaches with their clients. Its simple interface makes coaching and progress tracking a breeze. The platform works with the Hevy app, which clients use to access and log their workouts.

3. Wearable Technology

Wearable technology might seem like a fad, but it’s a fitness trend unlikely to go away soon. 

In the early days, wearables were basic, inaccurate, and not that useful. But today, such devices are everywhere and are growing more sophisticated by the year. 

Take smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Garmin. The early versions were mostly good for telling the time. Now, these same devices can measure people’s VO2 max with surprising accuracy.

Smartwatches can also measure heart rate and blood pressure, sleep quality and duration, calorie expenditure, and more. We can pair them with our phones and switch between devices when using apps for strength training or running.

Heart rate monitors are another popular product that assists endurance athletes and health-conscious individuals. Their sole purpose is to track heart rate, but their increasingly accurate tracking, thorough reports, and data-exporting capabilities make them great products.

Wristbands and smart shoes are other fitness wearables to watch out for. Bands can track various metrics like steps taken, calories burned, and stress levels, whereas smart shoes are equipped with sensors that measure gait, step count, and the force of impact when your feet strike the pavement during runs.

With the continual innovation we are seeing, the growing consumer demand, their appeal among various groups of people, and the integration with other devices, wearables have the potential to become one of the top fitness trends in the next decade.

4. Exercise for Mental Health

We’ve (hopefully) put the global pandemic in the rear-view mirror, but that doesn’t mean its impact has faded completely. Even today, countless people still carry the trauma of social isolation, uncertainty, contracting the virus, or even losing close people. 

The pandemic took a toll on our mental health and led to depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. According to the World Health Organization, there was a 25% increase in anxiety and depression globally during the pandemic (4). 

In a study published in 2023, researchers accounted for the data by WHO and conducted an online-based 45-question online survey with 205 anonymous participants (5). The researchers found that people with higher education were more likely to be in a worse mental state. Additionally, women under 30 were more likely to suffer from anxiety.

According to experts, new parents, young people, and those hospitalized due to Covid appeared to be the most impacted by the pandemic.

These recommendations are not new, as health professionals and organizations like WHO have preached the importance of physical activity for mental health long before Covid (6). But perhaps the topic is more popular because we’ve collectively become more conscious of our mental health and the positive impact exercise can have on our well-being.

Group fitness classes have particularly grown in popularity since the Covid restrictions were lifted because they combined two things known to help us feel better: connecting with others and doing physical activity.

5. Online Fitness Coaching

Like most other fitness trends, online coaching is not new. It’s been around for quite a while and has evolved. Instead of meeting clients in person, coaches can work with them over the Internet, which provides a few distinct benefits. Most notably:

• Convenience – instead of meeting at specific times, coaches provide clients with all the necessary information. Doing so allows clients to train when it suits them.
  
• Cost-effectiveness – charging clients per session can be costly. A huge benefit of online coaching is that there is typically a monthly fee that’s more affordable and predictable.
  
• Privacy – not everyone is comfortable in a gym setting. Online coaching allows anxious trainees to learn and work out in the privacy of their homes.
  
• Greater access – instead of being limited to the local area, trainers and clients can work with people from various parts of the world. This is particularly beneficial for those living in more rural areas.
  
• Personalized feedback – good online coaching is about accountability and progress tracking. Using tools and coaching platforms provides clients with the feedback and analysis they need to adjust their approach when necessary and stay on track.

Another advantage is that coaches can offer various services. One option is to create custom fitness programs and meal plans and give clients the freedom to do things on their own.

Alternatively, coaches can offer online fitness classes for newbies and those who don’t have the time or energy to plan their workouts and decide how to tackle each minor issue that comes up.

With the rising popularity of fitness wearables, coaching platforms, home exercise equipment, and other tools, it’s easier than ever for trainers to guide people online. Progress tracking is far easier; clients can get almost instant feedback, and overall satisfaction rates are only going to increase.

For these and other reasons, online personal training continues to grow in popularity and will likely become an even bigger trend in the upcoming years.