The Future of Fitness: Must-Know 2024 Trends for Business Owners

The last few years have taught us that the world can move quickly. One minute, you think an up-and-coming trend like AI is moving too slowly to have a significant impact — and the next thing you know, it’s affecting just about every industry around. As a business owner, it’s your job to stay on top of what’s happening in the world and what people are thinking so you can stay at the top of your game.

Whether you’re a yoga instructor, personal trainer, or run another fitness-related venture, we’ve listed some of the top trends in the industry for 2024 below. Ignore them at your own peril!

Digital products 

Love or loathe it, online content creation is thriving, and it’s likely to boom even further in 2024. 

For a case study, just look at personal trainer Kayla Itsines. After finding success creating fitness content, she launched her own workout app called Sweat with Kayla in 2016, and it has since generated more revenue than any other fitness app. The success of Itsines and countless more instructors like her has meant people increasingly turn to online tutorials or courses when approaching fitness and wellness. It’s an option that allows them to work out on their own schedule and from the comfort of their homes.

Even if you’re happy working with people in the “real world” and have no desire to become an influencer, digital products can be a way to provide more value. For instance, providing clients with complementary videos of at-home workouts or tutorials of key movements they can review could put you ahead of the competition.

Automated outreach and client management 

Just because fitness and wellness instruction isn’t a digital business at its heart, it doesn’t mean that you can't use software and technology to improve your services or operations.

You might have noticed your dentist or hairdresser sending out automatic text messages to confirm your appointments or remind you to attend them. You can do the same thing for your training sessions to give clients a better experience and more peace of mind.

Software can also be a useful way to automate some of the tasks involved in running your business by giving you a virtual dashboard to track your clients’ progress and sessions, with all the metrics you need at your fingertips.

My Session Tracker is a client management tool that allows you to send reminders, record sessions, and even analyze your business in one place. As well as reminding clients about upcoming sessions, My Session Tracker also lets you send a summary to clients after a session finishes — giving them a chance to review what they did. Plus, the dashboard provides analytics about your business so you can review how many clients are opting for repeat sessions, your schedule for the weeks ahead, and more.

Longevity

Longevity has been rising in popularity for a while now, and 2024 may be the year they well and truly explode. For instance, Bryan Johnson and his “Blueprint Protocol” went viral for the multimillionaire’s attempts to reverse his aging process through extreme lifestyle changes. Other biohacking figures include Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia, who provide their audience with tips for optimizing their health.

What does this mean for you, as a personal trainer or another professional in the fitness industry? A chance to attract more customers if you can capitalize on the trend. Consider adding a longevity aspect to your marketing efforts by highlighting the links between the activities you’re offering and relevant research.

Wearable tech 

Devices like Fitbit and Apple Watch are nothing new, and every year they increasingly go from a luxury or specialist item to an everyday essential. The number of smartwatch owners across the globe is expected to reach over 230 million by 2028, representing an increase of more than 5%.

Yet most professionals aren’t incorporating them into their services. If you’re training a client who uses wearable technology, they have a wealth of data on their wrist. Why not use that to give them tailored advice, analyze which sessions have been the most effective for them, or figure out where their limits lie? Doing so will help you appeal to an ever-growing market.

Wearable tech is no longer limited to how many steps you walk or how many calories you burn, either. Most devices now also include metrics related to stress and sleep, which can help people analyze the efficacy of activities like yoga. If your clients realize that your yoga sessions are helping them to get better-quality sleep, they’re more likely to keep coming back for more, so ensure they make the link between their scores and your sessions.

Relationship-focused sessions

Exercise is no longer just about, well, exercise. People increasingly want to use fitness as a way to connect with others, whether that means joining a like-minded community or spending quality time with the friends and family they already have. You can appeal to this demographic and give your services a competitive edge by offering sessions that facilitate these types of relationships.

For instance, you could offer a special price for people who want to hire you to train them as a duo or a small group. Alternatively, consider running small group sessions that are intimate enough to facilitate relationships between the participants. This will help you to stand out from the crowd among customers who want to kill two birds in one stone.

Stay ahead of the curve

People have always wanted to stay fit and in shape, but the industry is transforming significantly over time. Increased use of fitness wearables, digital products, interest in longevity, and desire to facilitate relationships through exercise are key trends among customers for 2024, while automated outreach offers entrepreneurs a way to take their fitness businesses to the next level.

Don’t forget to check out MySessionTracker for help automating and digitizing your venture. If you’re unsure whether it’s right for you, try it out for free for up to three clients.