Contrary to what most people may think, the UK personal training industry is not dying– rather, it has been on steady growth. The market is worth over £600 million with over 2.5% growth.
With more people in the UK, both young and old, becoming more aware of the importance of health and fitness, the demand for personal trainers has never been more prominent. The UK personal training industry is projected to grow by over 10% by 2029, showing a bright future.
Are you a fitness enthusiast or a potential personal trainer wondering what the next trends in the industry will be? Keep reading.
While a few trends, like personalisation, wearable technology, connected fitness, and virtual training, will remain, the future of personal training will offer new technological trends and development in the coming years, like virtual reality software development and augmented reality.
This article will discuss these trends, highlighting the sector’s potential growth and technological advancements, as well as jobs in the fitness and personal training industry.
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the rapid adoption of online coaching and virtual training, and this trend isn’t going anywhere in the future. Online coaching platforms are accessible and convenient, and personal trainers can use them to reach a wider audience – even worldwide. Plus, clients benefit greatly as online coaching is very flexible, and trainers can offer real-time guidance and support to their clients remotely.
The major thing the pandemic taught a lot of businesses is the Importance of moving your business online. As a personal trainer, virtual coaching allows you to expand your client base and offer services to clients who cannot have in-person training from anywhere in the world.
Augmented and virtual reality fitness is one trend we expect to see in the personal training industry in the coming years, as it can potentially transform the entire fitness industry. For one, Apple recently announced its Vision Pro, which is an augmented and virtual reality headset. Also, users already say several VR and AR workouts in the Metaverse, like Holoball and Supernatural, are fun, engaging, and accessible to people with disabilities.
With this trend, personal trainers have the opportunity to develop interactive and immersive fitness experiences where clients can transport to virtual environments to work out. It can also offer a new and engaging way for people to work out, as it can simulate real-world scenarios. Trainers can also virtually guide their clients through their workouts, even though they are not in the same location.
Workout personalisation is one trend that will become more important as the personal training industry progresses. Personal trainers can use advanced assessment tools and techniques with the help of artificial intelligence to provide tailored workouts and nutritional plans based on the client’s goals, lifestyles, personal interests, and limitations.
Clients can get personalised fitness recommendations using their unique differences in muscle mass, metabolism, and ideal diet type. Some AI-powered fitness apps, like ArtiFit and Gymfitty, already offer tailored workout recommendations.
The apps will get even better as advancements are made in the industry.
Wearable technology, like fitness trackers, heart rate monitors, and smartwatches, have been an essential part of personal training, and they have no plans to stop anytime soon. However, another set of wearables, smart shoes and socks, which will debut in the coming years, are more advanced, as they can collect data on distance travelled, body movement, and heart rhythm.
Personal trainers can use the data to track their clients’ progress and adjust their training programs when needed. Personal trainers can integrate wearable technology with their coaching platforms for a seamless training experience.
As more people become aware of the importance of mental health, the future of personal training will focus more on a holistic tactic to wellness rather than traditional workouts.
Personal trainers will highlight the importance of exercise, nutrition, sleep optimisation, stress management and mental well-being, enabling clients to achieve overall balance and wellness.
As more fitness wearables can track sleep patterns and other health indicators, trainers can use their clients’ data to provide tailored recommendations. Personal trainers may also collaborate with other wellness professionals like nutritionists and psychologists to fully support their clients.
As more people become aware of the importance of fitness in different life stages, the UK personal training industry will see an increased demand for specialised training for specific populations.
For example, personal trainers will need extra knowledge and expertise to deal with clients in different demographics, like senior citizens, pregnant women, and injured people.
Thus, there will be a need for continued education to meet the unique needs of the different client groups.
In recent years, we have seen the popularity of group training grow, and it is projected to have continuous growth in the future. Group workouts give people the motivation, accountability, and community they need to keep going. Personal trainers can use this trend to increase their client base by organising boot camps and group fitness classes.
Developing a community for your clients through online forums, boot camps, challenges, and social events fosters client retention and long-term engagement.
In recent years, many companies have been investing in different ways to help the older generations stay fit and healthy, and this offers an essential opportunity for personal trainers to offer their services. With the continuous advancement in health and fitness, there will be a growing demand for personal training programs for seniors as the years go by.
Personal trainers specialising in senior fitness must create workouts that will address age-related issues like arthritis, osteoporosis, and mobility problems. Virtual and augmented reality and wearable technology offer a unique opportunity for trainers to monitor their senior clients. This way, the older UK generation will maintain independence and increase their quality of life.
More companies are becoming aware of the importance of employee well-being, and with the increasing focus, corporate wellness programs will play a major role in the future.
Companies will invest in their employees’ health and fitness by engaging personal trainers to create personalised wellness programs, lunchtime exercises, and fitness classes. This way, they can improve the company’s employee morale, productivity, and overall growth.
This kind of corporate incentive is usually regarded as a gesture of honouring successes with custom rewards.
Short, optimised workouts have become quite popular recently, and their popularity will continue as more and more people have less time to work out. Personal trainers will focus on creating short and optimised workouts that are effective.
Some common exercises in these workouts include high-intensity interval training and circuit training. Additionally, personal trainers can utilise virtual reality and wearable technology to create time-optimised workouts.
Personal training in the future will utilise more sustainable fitness practices as environmental consciousness increases. Personal trainers will encourage clients to implement eco-friendly workout programs, like outdoor training, using renewable energy for gym equipment, and encouraging eco-conscious food choices.
Plus, trainers will organise fitness events to advocate for environmental conservation and other environmental initiatives.
Personal trainers must stay updated on the latest trends and techniques in the personal training industry, especially as the industry is continuously evolving. They will invest heavily in their continued education to ensure they have the skills and expertise to stay competitive. In the future, personal trainers will engage in more networking and collaboration with other health and wellness professionals.
Personal trainers can also invest in learning specific skills, like prenatal fitness, post-natal fitness, and seniors’ fitness.
Gamified Fitness uses technology to develop interactive and engaging fitness experiences to motivate people to stay active. They usually involve challenges, competition, and rewards, making working out fun and interesting. The popularity of Gamified fitness is expected to grow in the UK as more people seek out alternate ways to stay fit.
Personal trainers will leverage gamification technology to develop engaging workouts through multiple channels like fitness apps, VR experiences, or interactive equipment. They will also be able to create tailored fitness games and challenges for their clients, fostering competitiveness and dedication.
This trend involves lifestyle modifications, data analysis, and technology-optimising fitness and wellness. It combines techniques like wearable technology, personalised supplementation, genetic testing, and others. In the future, this trend will play a major role in how people seek ways to maximise their fitness and health.
Personal trainers will combine biohacking methods into their workout programs by using the data from wearable devices to track sleep patterns and biometrics. Biohacking will require personal trainers to collaborate with other professionals like genetic experts and nutritionists to offer their clients a well-rounded program.
The future of personal training in the UK holds great potential for growth and technological advancement. These trends, like biohacking, virtual reality, sustainable practices, and others, will shape the industry.
Personal trainers can embrace these trends and opportunities and utilise the opportunity to position themselves as industry leaders to impact their clients’ lives positively.
With the personal training industry on the rise, this is a great time to get qualified and start on a new career as a Personal Trainer. At Future Fit, we have been delivering industry-leading personal training courses for 30 years, setting us up to help you to launch a new career. Discover our Personal Training Courses today.