1. Digitalization and technology
A trend that is affecting the fitness industry on multiple levels. Firstly, the personal training experience is changing due to wearable gadgets. Every year they are becoming more accessible and functional, offering a wide range of parameters to analyze - from activity and sleep levels to complex body condition data. Artificial intelligence (AI) will increasingly assist in processing information from such gadgets, creating and adapting personalized training programs. Even today, it is not uncommon for AI to be consulted about one's diet or physical activity throughout the day.
Second, digitalization is changing the experience of interacting with fitness clubs. Now you can renew your membership, book an individual workout, find out the schedule of group classes and other things in a mobile app. They also form individual packages for customers based on their needs and class history. Some of the classes are moving to an online environment.
“We expect more targeted online fitness programs to emerge. They will unite people in different parts of the country and the world. Here, participants have a common goal, the ability to train anywhere and anytime, which will remove the need to be in close time zones. Within the programs there will be tasks with deadlines, gamification, scoring, healthy competition and support from the host and other participants. All the things that discipline and help “not to slip up” until the achievement of a common goal for all participants,” comments Oksana Markova, director of fitness product XFIT.
Thirdly, new fitness club formats are emerging. For example, XFIT Point assumes automated operation in 24/7 format without staff, which allows club owners to place the necessary equipment on a more compact area and to refuse from the reception area and the corresponding employees. Access to the club is via a mobile app.
2. Outdoor tours and amateur sports
Tours, marathons and outdoor groups will grow not only online but also offline. Offsite fitness events of various kinds will become even more popular in 2025. Examples of such events include yoga tours, running, swimming, triathlon and other training camps. They will attract both regular visitors of fitness clubs, who in the warm season want to diversify their training cycles and spend more time outdoors, and those who for some reason have not yet bought a card to the club.
It is important for the fitness industry to accept that amateur sports will develop in 2025 and use its knowledge and experience in integrating such activities into its own portfolio of services. In particular, fitness centers can act as a base for training for all kinds of competitions.
3. Stress reduction programs
In the realities of modern reality it is vital for people to regain balance. It is known that motor activity itself changes the hormonal background and helps to restore the psyche. So fitness is great for harmonization. These are group classes for those who like to recover due to the common energy with other people, under music, through a change of environment, and personal programs with a trainer in the format of “here is only me, my trainer and my training”.
The premise of this trend can be seen in the fact that myofascial release, yoga and Pilates are gaining popularity again. But XFIT predicts the emergence of even more narrowly focused mental health recovery programs that aim to work not only with the body, but also with a person's emotional state.
4. Directions for pregnant women, recovery programs after childbirth, rehabilitation
Large fitness clubs are actively introducing directions for pregnant women. Special classes help to maintain health both during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Rehabilitation and recovery programs will also apply to other clients, including those who want to resume an active life after illness or injury. The development of digital technologies, the focus on more accurate diagnostics when drawing up individual programs will make it easier to develop these areas.
“In the last 5-6 years, fitness clubs have been emphasizing rehabilitation and recovery. Especially much attention was paid to this after the coronavirus pandemic, when the programs were created taking into account the peculiarities of functioning of the respiratory system of the people who got overdosed. And in the future this direction will remain relevant, - says Ruslan Panov, expert-methodologist and coordinator of the direction of group programs XFIT.
5. Active longevity
Health and active longevity are a priority for the state, at the same time the audience of fitness clubs is getting older. Their needs will be more frequently considered in programming over the next few years. In 2025, senior-oriented trends will continue to evolve. These include adapted workouts that help maintain health and physical activity in adulthood, as well as programs to reduce stress and promote mental health.
“In 2025, there will be a focus on clearer diagnosis of a person's physical data and musculoskeletal system (MSD), and based on this, individualization of fitness programs. This will help to create a personalized set of workouts, taking into account chronic diseases and body features of age-related visitors. Perhaps, clubs will apply more scientific approaches to the screening of musculoskeletal disorders and physical qualities on a mass scale,” adds XFIT expert Maxim Oborin.
6. High-intensity training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) remains in demand due to its efficiency and time-saving benefits. They allow you to achieve significant results quickly by combining periods of intense exercise with short recovery phases. These workouts are suitable for people with busy schedules, as they typically last no longer than 20-30 minutes. In addition, HIIT helps to boost metabolism, improve cardiovascular function and increase endurance.
Sometimes, HIITs can also be performed at home, which adds to their appeal in the era of hybrid workout formats.
7. Technique classes in a group format
Such training is necessary for those who have just come to a fitness club, have no training experience, do not know how to swim or do not know from which side to approach a particular machine. The format is also in demand by people who are financially constrained and do not have the ability to take personal training classes. To train effectively, exercises need to be performed safely and correctly, which is why people seek training with basic support from professionals.
“An important step in fitness development is becoming 'below basic level' programs - for those who have basically never exercised. In other words, lessons of technique in a group format, attention to the training process itself will be in trend,” Ruslan Panov comments. This trend also corresponds to the objectives of clubs to increase the number of clients by attracting new audiences who have not been involved in fitness before.
These seven trends show that fitness in 2025 is a combination of technology, thoughtful health support and community engagement. The industry is moving to ensure that everyone can find the right format and achieve their workout goals, regardless of age, fitness level or financial means.