It’s that time of the year again; all of a sudden, everyone’s all interested in fitness trends for 2022. How can I get fit this year? What’s in style from a home workout point of view? And, most importantly, should you pay attention to these fads or will they just blow over by the time you’d even start your new fitness journey?

One thing is for sure: you want to get fit for 2022. It’s never too early (or late) to start losing weight. You can get fit over 40 easily!  There are a bazillion ways to lose weight and feel better in your skin. No one is a lost cause and even five minutes of walking a day are more than spending the same amount of time sitting on the sofa, watching TV.

That said, it’s understandable people are interested in fitness trends for 2022. After all, exercise science has changed a lot since Jane Fonda’s aerobic classes in the 80s and by now, we know that working the abs is not the best way to get a six-pack.

Then, what is? We read through many fitness trend predictions for the new year and collected some that we think to make the most sense. Plus, we added a few more that were not mentioned elsewhere but expect to see mentioned more in 2022.

TOP FITNESS TRENDS IN 2022

(Image credit: Getty Images)

MORE HOME GYMS

Yes, home gyms are here to stay. Thanks to the uncertainty that’s most government’s response to covid, it’s unlikely we’ll be allowed to enjoy commercial gyms the same way we used to anytime soon. And by that, we mean with headphones on working out by yourself.

iFit expert Colleen Logan agrees on this with us.  As she explains, the National Association of Home Builders’ latest survey noted that home gyms are now the second most popular “speciality room” requested by homebuyers, just behind home offices.

“As we enter 2022, I believe they will become the most requested speciality rooms”, she says, “Much like how hybrid work models remain the norm, people will also continue to envision the upgrades needed to work most efficiently – which will undoubtedly touch on fitness for many.”

This could include creating a conveniently located exercise space near the home office to quickly fit in a workout on lunch breaks to a yoga area to relax and unwind after a long day. Interest in home gyms has been on an upward trajectory since before the beginning of the pandemic and it will keep on rising in 2022, too.

TeamUp also believes that hybrid workouts are the way to go. “For gym members who can’t make a session, having the option to do the class at a time that suits them is a huge perk of paying for a membership”, says their expert, “It’s not just a benefit of signing up for a membership. It helps people save money by taking away the need to sign up for multiple fitness memberships.”

HYBRID WORKOUTS ARE HERE TO STAY

Home gyms are being kitted out but this doesn’t mean people don’t crave the social aspect of working out in the same room with like-minded people. Therefore, we expect to see people occasionally visiting in-person classes in 2022 where they can socialise as well as keep fit at home.

Khalil Zahar, Founder and CEO of FightCamp, the at-home boxing and kickboxing workout backed by pro fighters like Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather, is on the same page with us.

As Khalil explains, “With remote and hybrid work becoming an emerging and long-term way of life, people will be looking at matching their fitness habits to this new norm. It means a wider adoption of home fitness products in conjunction with a gym subscription or a la carte gym classes.”

“People like seeing people”, says MyProtein PT Tom Hall, “The interaction is so valuable, even if we don’t always think it is. While people may love being part of a gym thanks to having all the equipment they could ever need, they also love chatting and being sociable, as well as having other people around to provide motivation.”

DATA-DRIVEN WORKOUT PLANS

Workout data will become more prevalent in 2022 than ever before. Smart wearables such as fitness trackers, running watches and heart rate sensors will be used even more to analyse workout performance. Whereas before, only an experienced coach could make sense of this information, now algorithms can crunch data for you and provide adaptive workout plans so you can get fitter easier.

“According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), cadence is the best metric to accompany heart-rate training to achieve your goals”, says MYXfitness President Heberto Calves, “Wearing a monitor can help you recognize if you’re undertraining, overtraining, or if you’ve hit the sweet spot. After all, if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”

Speaking of heart rate data: heart rate variability and strain will also be talked about more in 2022. It’s not a new concept but wearables have just got to the stage where they can measure it more accurately. The Whoop 4.0 is all about strain management and even fitness trackers such as the Fitbit Charge 5 can now measure strain through the Daily Readiness Score.

“Returning to your normal heart rate in less time means you’re getting fitter and your heart stronger”, Heberto explains, “Your heart rate naturally fluctuates between zones when you’re doing these types of workouts. The goal is to get your heart rate down to as low as possible during the recovery.”

NICHE WORKOUTS

Looking at web search trends and making assumptions can be a self-fulfilling prophecy: certain topics are gaining momentum because people are reading about other people searching for them so they’ll do the same. Some of these trends are here to say but most of them will disappear as soon as they surfaced.

That said, PureGym had a look at the fastest growing fitness trends in 2022 and found some interesting data. Apparently, the top five new fitness trends people are interested in at the moment are:

• Weighted Hula Hoop
• ZUU
• Stroller Fitness
• Reverse Running
• Trapeze Classes

Do we see any of these fads surviving 2022? CrossFit started as a fad and is still around so ZUU might make it. Weighted hula hoops are bulky and not quite as versatile as dumbbells or kettlebells so we don’t expect them to stick around for too long.

Stroller fitness most likely means running with one of those sport strollers – so it’s basically just running – and reverse running is just dangerous in general. Reverse running keeps on coming back as a fad occasionally but there are very few benefits to it.

Trapeze classes… well, we assume it’s good for shoulder mobility and forearm strength but not something a lot of people will try.

PERONALISED NUTRITION

Personalised nutrition is already big but it will keep getting bigger in 2022. Whether it’s based on lifestyle or DNA analysis, there are many benefits to tailoring your macronutrients to your needs. It can improve workout performance, cognitive function, help combat micronutrient deficiency and more.