The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conducts a yearly survey in order to predict fitness trends for the New Year. A fitness trend is “a general development or change in a situation or in the way that people are behaving” (http://dictionary.cambridge.org); whereas, a fitness fad is “a fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period” (http://dictionary.reference.com). Some of the fitness trends for 2011 such as Pilates, stability ball, and balance training did not make the 2012 list; therefore, what was thought to be a fitness trend may have actually been a fad.
Top 20 Fitness Trends for 2012
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1. Educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals
2. Strength training
3. Fitness programs for older adults
4. Exercise and weight loss
5. Children and obesity
6. Personal training
7. Core training
8. Group personal training
9. Zumba and other dance workouts
10. Functional fitness
11. Yoga
12. Comprehensive health promotion programming at the worksite
13. Boot camp
14. Outdoor activities
15. Reaching new markets
16. Spinning (indoor cycling)
17. Sport-specific training
18. Worker incentive programs
19. Wellness coaching
20. Physician referrals
