How 2020 will influence the fitness trends of 2021

Photo by Luke Chesser on Unsplash

Well, January was a long month. Many people have both made and broken their New Years’ resolutions by now. Don’t feel bad about it though. January can be a difficult month, and trying to completely overhaul your lifestyle can be a bit overwhelming. Hopefully, you’ve made a few positive changes and are ready to keep on making progress. 

The last year has had a profound impact on people, both mentally and physically and in some cases has completely altered the way we think about our own health. 2021 will undoubtedly be impacted to an extent as well, but there’s no time like the present to put your health first. 

Here are some fitness trends that we’ll likely see in the coming year. 

Family fitness will take precedence 

The overall health and wellbeing of your family are important to you, but rather than just letting kids get on with their own thing and you do something else, there has been an increase of families keeping active together. Walking, cycling, playing games. Many facilities are also making themselves more family-friendly, like the Mountainside Fitness healthcare & wellness programs that have a range of options suitable for kids while you are exercising.

Getting into the great outdoors

There’s nothing like having to stay indoors for almost a year that makes you appreciate the outdoors. More people than ever are taking up running, cycling and walking outdoors as a way to get healthy. There are a lot of benefits to exercising outside including lower blood pressure and better mood. 

Using tech to get and stay healthy

Health trackers have been around for a few years now, but this goes far beyond counting your steps on your Apple Watch. From heart rate to sleep patterns to the menstrual cycle, you can now monitor pretty much every aspect of your health from a series of devices. Wearable fitness trackers such as an Apple Watch or Fitbit are amongst the most popular, but smart scales are also finding their place, measuring much more than just your weight. 

Bodyweight training

During lockdown, many people found themselves unable to access a gym and exercise equipment became difficult to get hold of without having to remortgage your house to buy it. Many people discovered bodyweight training for the first time. All but the heaviest of lifters found they were getting great results at home, with no equipment but themselves. It really has been a turning point. 

Even the biggest fitness apps realised this, with Centr and Les Mills apps promoting ‘no equipment’ exercise plans during lockdown. Many people are now bodyweight converts. 

A focus on health, not just fitness

For a lot of people, fitness is about what they see in the mirror, which is only one aspect. Going forward, fitness will be more about overall health, longevity and resilience to illness. 

Final thoughts 

Many of 2021’s fitness trends are as a direct result of the events of 2020. One of the few good things to come out of this whole situation is people’s realisation that they need to look after themselves and that their health should be a priority.