What’s To Come In 2024: Gym, Exercise, and Wellness Trends

2023 was undoubtedly an incredibly exciting year, not only for the expansive leaps in technology, societies’ increased shared value on wellness, and the emergence of new healthcare and wellness techniques. But as 2023 has ended, and 2024 is in full swing, the world of health, exercise, and wellness is set to evolve further, with exciting trends, emerging technologies, and new holistic approaches to health.

This article aims to guide you through our expectations of the 2024 wellness and exercise world, as health and fitness experts. We’ll show our predictions for the 2024 world of nutrition, exercise, and the gym, in addition to the trends we see carrying on from 2023 and developing further in 2024. So, without further delay, What health, fitness, gym, and exercise trends are happening this year?

Personalisation, Tailored Content, and AI integration

2023 Saw the mainstream adoption of various AI technologies, with ChatGPT, Upscaling, AI Image Creation (DALL-E, Midjourney), and Even Snapchat AI, piquing the interest of absolutely everyone with access to the internet, social media, and news sites. AI, Large Language Models, and other forms of machine learning technology were quickly integrated into our tech in 2023, with every major operating system, phone manufacturer, and service provider aiming to capitalise on the bettered ease of access, and improved efficiency they developed. With this, among the admiration of us all, there were many poor, lazy, and often needless implementations of complex technology, leaving the user often frustrated. However, we believe that 2024 will usher in more valuable, meaningful implementations of these revolutionary technologies.

2024 is set to bring in an exciting range of personalised, AI driven, fitness experiences. Many platforms and product providers such as WHOOP, Lululemon, Peloton, and more, are set to utilise developing machine learning technologies, improved access to biometric data, and advanced lifestyle tracking to tailor exercises, nutrition, and wellness techniques to the individual needs of the user. By utilising wearable technology, smartphones, and at-home smart exercise equipment, various metrics will be monitored and processed to curate custom regimens for everyone. These metrics may of course include stress levels, heart rate, VO2 Max, sleep quality, and more. The adoption of powerful technologies such as machine learning, and the eased access to relevant data, means the fitness journey we all share, along with the tools we utilise, will be a much more personal, adaptable, and dependable.

TikTok, Fitness, and a Peloton Partnership

TikTok, as any other social media, has a profound impact on how we perceive and interact with the world around us. With this, these platforms hold significant influence on how we live our lives, the habits we build, and the goals we hold. TikTok may primarily hold a reputation for diminishing our attention span, and being a time sink, and even a potential negative impact on our own perceptions of self, but it also holds vast power for good in content which provides a positive influence on ourselves.

Among this positive impact, we have health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness, all in the form of #FitTok. #FitTok, currently approaching 65 billion views as of January 10^th, 2024, is a tag used to find fitness content on the platform. This massive view count of course indicates the profound affect TikTok can have on our wellbeing, often for positive just as much as negative, while showing that there is a real, significant, and growing interest in health and fitness online. #FitTok introduces new ideas, exercise routines, meal plans, and more to us, and provides us all with new sources of inspiration for our own, personal fitness journeys. With various trends, gamification features, and online classes, TikTok and #FitTok is set to have a continued, positive impact on our health and fitness this 2024.

Peloton, just like ourselves, seem to recognise the profound influence that TikTok can hold on our own health, fitness, and wellness habits. With this, Peloton have reached an agreement with the social media giant to partner up, providing Peloton with their own hub on the app, which is aptly named “TikTokFitness Powered by Peloton”. This hub will feature Peloton branded and developed content, routines, classes, and collaborations with other TikTok creators. One thing for certain is that this Peloton partnership is only set to solidify the impact of #FitTok, while the multi-billion-pound brand’s investment and strategic decision presents an expectation for continued growth of #FitTok.

An Increased Interest in Badminton and Martial Arts

Carrying on from 2023, into the hopeful year of 2024, we’re witnessing the revival of timeless sports such as badminton and martial arts.

Badminton, rooted in Chinese origins dating back 2,000 years, is reclaiming the spotlight with an impressive 80% surge in searches for rackets and outfits. The sport’s straightforward rules coupled with its physically demanding pace position it as a standout choice for enthusiasts. This of course couples an increased general interest in racket sports, such as Tennis and Padel. While Badminton has its own requirements, skill-set, and challenges, the generalised feeling of a more casual experience, especially in comparison to Tennis, has generated a massive amount of interest in those looking for a sport to enjoy without going all out. With this, we expect an increased interest in the sport this year, with more content and participants.

Meanwhile, on Pinterest, kickboxing takes centre stage with a remarkable 265% surge in searches, accompanied by a 200% increase in interest for mixed martial arts training and a 190% increase in searches for karate kumite. These combat sports have been increasing in popularity year after year, but we are certain of a spike in interest this year. Each combat sport has its own draw and advantages, and we’re sure that this monumental level of variety will provide an option for all, providing an accessible route into sports.

Personal Training Remains Stalwart Amidst a Technological Revolution

Even Amidst the technological advancements of the last two, and inevitably next year, the importance of personal training, personalisation, and expert guidance remains absolutely stalwart in 2024 and beyond. Qualified personal trainers will continue to be incredibly valuable in the coming years, providing expert advice, adaptable routines, and personalised advice. The best of these trainers will of course aim to leverage new technology, instead of combatting it, with the integration of the latest fitness tech, such as wearables and biometric data, recovery equipment and recovery programmes, and marketplace platforms such as Trainify.me.

Personalised fitness plans, informed by data and tailored to individual goals, attract modern audiences seeking a human touch in their fitness journey. As gyms and trainers adapt to an increasingly virtual audience, expect personal training to bridge the gap, providing tailored, long-lasting fitness solutions. With our increased focus on improving performance and results, marginally, or massively, through any means we feel reasonable, it’s a no brainer that personal training will continue to grow, especially with the improved ease of access provided by services such as our own, which offer an easy way to find local personal trainers, gyms, and facilities.

A Spotlight on Recovery, Wellness, and Rest

Recovery, alongside wellness, has been a continued trends of the 2020s, with each of us understanding more and more about the necessity of rest, wellness, and self-care. This has of course resulted in a massive increase in mindfulness, with many of us taking up meditation, yoga, technology breaks, social-media detoxes, and more. Recovery isn’t just mental though; our physical body must recover post-workout and after stress.

In 2024, we’ll see the increased focus on recovery, maintenance, and the reduction of stress. Gyms now feature infra-red saunas and handheld laser devices to expedite recovery and enhance overall health. Portable, hand-held recovery options like affordable massage guns make tech-led recovery accessible for home use. As we prioritise recovery as a crucial aspect of fitness, expect these tech-infused recovery options to become a staple in both gym settings and personal fitness routines.

Furthermore, we see more of us taking breaks to rest, recover, and fulfil our self-care needs. Gen Z and Millennials lead the trend of holidays focused on rest and recovery. Pinterest reports a 60% rise in searches for slow living, an 80% increase in interest in digital detox challenges, and a 165% increase in people looking for anything related to ASMR sleep. As individuals combat stress, burnout, and insomnia, prioritizing sleep hygiene becomes a crucial aspect of self-care, promising long-term benefits for overall well-being.

Virtual Reality and At Home, In Environment Workouts

Not everyone wants to, likes to, or can go to the gym. Not only is it convenient, but necessary to see the increased focus on at-home, yet immersive exercise alternatives. The explosion of at-home smart technology has of course drastically helped this phenomenon, but we are set to see a continued increase in at-home exercise tech.

Virtual workouts, born out of necessity during the pandemic, continue to soar in 2024. Online gym classes offer increased personalisation, accessibility, and trackable fitness goals. The emergence of virtual reality (VR) gyms takes the experience a step further, providing immersive workouts through three-dimensional imaging. FitXR and Myzone, with their gamification elements, add a fun dimension to virtual workouts, making exercise enjoyable from the comfort of home.

Even the aforementioned #FitTok and TikTokFitness by Peloton evidence our continued focus on at-home exercise and wellness. Peloton, already renowned for their smart at-home exercise equipment, continue to provide options for those of us who can’t make it to the gym, be it for time or accessibility constraints.

Conclusion

2024 offers a gym experience that goes beyond the conventional. So, gear up for a year of innovation, inclusivity, and wellness – the gym trends of 2024 are waiting to sculpt a healthier, more balanced you.