What 2026 Trend Predictions Got Right and Wrong

As the lead author of ACSM's Fitness Trends report, Cayla R. McAvoy, Ph.D., ACSM-certified exercise physiologist, has a particularly useful vantage point: She can look beyond the enthusiasm surrounding individual workouts and technologies to examine how fitness practices develop over time.

For McAvoy, “one of the overarching themes of the 2026 trends was a more holistic approach to health and fitness.” Healthy aging, mental well-being, recovery, and social connection all remained important, alongside technology and strength training.

But the industry's evolving relationship with trends is just as revealing.

She points to HIIT as an example of how an established trend can change without disappearing. Although the ACSM ranking for HIIT has declined considerably since it topped the list in 2018, high-intensity training continues to influence other workout formats.

"I think that's an important distinction between a trend fizzling and evolving," she says.

Putting Pilates Into Perspective

The same historical perspective applies to Pilates and core training. Pilates appeared in ACSM's top 10 from 2008 through 2010, long before its current social media popularity, while core training was a regular top-10 entry from 2007 through 2013. Their renewed prominence may reflect a different presentation of the same needs consumers have had for years.

For McAvoy, the test is sustained participation.

"We also need to be careful not to confuse social media popularity with industry impact," she notes. "Viral workouts can introduce people to physical activity, but the real opportunity is turning that excitement into sustained participation."

Wearable technology provides another example of how enthusiasm must be weighed against outcomes. While research suggests activity trackers can produce modest increases in physical activity, McAvoy cautions that accuracy varies considerably depending on the device and what it measures. More information doesn't automatically translate into better decisions.

Looking to 2027

Looking ahead, McAvoy sees opportunity in programming that addresses healthy aging, mental well-being, and functional ability. She also believes clubs can do more to help older adults maintain strength, balance, independence, and quality of life rather than relying on generic senior fitness classes.

Her wild-card prediction for 2027 isn't a new workout craze, but rather a rise in activities that emphasize learning a skill while getting exercise. Dance, recreational sports, self-defense, and other beginner-friendly programs could attract people motivated as much by learning and enjoyment as by traditional fitness goals.

The appeal is straightforward. People don't always need another reason to exercise. Sometimes they need a reason to participate in something they enjoy.

Few people have witnessed as many fitness trends come and go as Phillip Mills, founder and executive director of Les Mills International and a member of the HFA Hall of Fame.

His perspective is shaped by decades of developing group exercise programs and watching how training formats move across countries, cultures, and generations. The lessons of 2026, he believes, reinforce some fundamentals.

"Strength, holistic wellness, and social fitness have shown genuine staying power because they address fundamental human needs: to feel capable, healthy, and connected," Mills says.

The strength boom is particularly significant because the category has expanded well beyond traditional weightlifting. Consumers are embracing heavier lifting, functional training, athletic conditioning, and strength-based Pilates, often combining several approaches.

For operators, that creates opportunities to serve more members through group programming while easing congestion on crowded strength floors.

Les Mills responded in 2026 with the introduction of BODYPUMP HEAVY, CEREMONY HYROX, and LES MILLS REFORMER, programs designed to address different aspects of strength, performance, and controlled movement.

More Emphasis on Mental Wellness and Longevity

Reformer Pilates is especially interesting to Mills because he believes it is moving beyond boutique and premium clubs into the mainstream. But he cautions that popularity alone isn't sufficient reason to introduce a new format.

"We look for more than social-media momentum before scaling a modality," he says.

A successful program needs sustained demand, credible benefits, consistent instruction, and an operating model that works for clubs.

Mills also sees growing interest in exercise as a tool for mental well-being and longevity. Les Mills research found that motivation to exercise for mental well-being has increased 29% since 2021, while motivation related to stress reduction has risen 17%.

That doesn't mean consumers have abandoned intense workouts. The popularity of HYROX suggests that many still want challenging training, measurable progress, and opportunities to compete. What has changed is the desire for variety and experiences that connect different fitness goals.

Technology will help support that variety, Mills believes, but he is skeptical of predictions that AI will replace human coaching. The company's 2026 Global Fitness Report found that only 10% of respondents preferred an AI-created workout to a human-led experience.

"A great instructor reads the room, adapts their coaching, creates emotional energy, and helps people believe they can achieve more than they expected," he adds.

Looking to 2027

For 2027, Mills expects more programs that combine experiences traditionally offered separately, including strength and mindfulness, competition and community, or athletic conditioning and recovery.

He also points to immersive cycling experiences such as THE TRIP, which uses cinematic visuals and music to transform group cycling, as an example of how established formats can find new appeal.

The next breakthrough, he suggests, may come from making familiar activities more engaging rather than inventing entirely new exercises.

For Bryan Myers, 2026 reinforced a shift in how consumers think about exercise. Rather than chasing the newest workout, he sees more people asking what a particular form of training can do for their bodies over the long term.

Strength is central to that conversation, although the definition has broadened considerably.

"It's not just about lifting heavier weights," Myers contends. "It's about building stability, endurance, resilience, and the confidence that comes from feeling stronger in your everyday life."

The popularity of Pilates and reformer-based training illustrates both the opportunity and the challenge for boutique operators. Social media can introduce consumers to a new workout, but it cannot guarantee they'll remain committed.

Myers also makes an important distinction about [solidcore]'s identity. Although the company uses a reformer, its signature workout is high-intensity, low-impact strength training rather than Pilates.

"Trends can introduce someone to a workout, but results, consistency, and community are what turn that initial curiosity into a long-term relationship," he says.

These Days, Consumers Build Fitness Portfolios

Increasingly, that relationship exists alongside other activities. Myers sees consumers developing what he describes as fitness portfolios, combining running, strength training, yoga, and recovery based on their individual goals.

Rather than attempting to become every workout a member needs, he believes boutique brands should focus on becoming an indispensable part of that broader routine.

"The future of boutique fitness is less about owning someone's entire routine, and more about earning a meaningful place in it," he says.

That thinking helped shape [solidcore] Ascend, a new floor-based strength-training experience featuring heavier weights, structured repetitions, dynamic tempos, and infrared heat.

The concept grew out of member feedback. According to Myers, 42% of [solidcore] clients already incorporate weightlifting into their routines. During pilot testing, 83% of participants say [solidcore] Ascend filled a genuine gap in their fitness experience.

The company also experimented with connecting strength training to running through its Run Stronger initiative. More than 170 studios participated in themed classes, while 56 joined a combined workout and community run event.

Those experiences have reinforced Myers' belief that members increasingly want fitness brands to understand how their preferred activities fit together.

Looking to 2027

Looking toward 2027, Myers expects continued growth in complementary training formats and greater emphasis on measurable progress.

His wild-card prediction is what he calls the "HYROXization" of boutique fitness. Borrowing from the appeal of organized competitions, he envisions more boutique brands developing ways for members to benchmark their performance, pursue personal goals, and celebrate improvements over time.

That doesn't necessarily mean turning every class into a competition. Rather, it means giving participants more tangible evidence of what their commitment is accomplishing.

For Myers, that could help boutique fitness move beyond the excitement of an individual workout toward something more enduring: an experience members enjoy, progress they can measure, and a community that gives them reasons to return.

Obesity medications can be effective for weight loss, but they don’t develop muscular strength or improve cardiovascular fitness, says Bryant. He emphasizes resistance training, aerobic activity, and customized programming for people taking GLP-1s. Professionals also need to understand medication side effects that can affect exercise tolerance and must collaborate with physicians and registered dietitians.

“I don’t view obesity medications as a threat to our profession,” he says. “They underscore why exercise and qualified fitness professionals should be part of obesity care.”

Although wearable technology adoption continues to grow, integrating its data into coaching has lagged behind.

“Having more information doesn’t automatically mean we’re making better decisions,” Bryant points out. “It takes knowledgeable professionals to put those insights into context and help someone act on them.”

Fitness professionals need to recognize meaningful patterns, understand device limitations, and translate findings into practical recommendations. “But technology shouldn’t replace sound judgment or meaningful conversations,” he cautions. “Fitness professionals shouldn’t become so focused on data that they lose sight of the person in front of them.”

AI also offers opportunities to streamline scheduling, marketing, client communication, and programming while maintaining engagement between sessions.

“The most successful professionals will use AI to strengthen human connections, not replace them. People need guidance, encouragement, accountability, and someone who genuinely cares about them and their progress.”

From Appearance to Health Span

The growing focus on longevity is changing how results are defined. Rather than concentrating primarily on weight and body composition, professionals should emphasize independence, mobility, strength, and cardiovascular and metabolic health.

ACE’s “Pro-Aging” philosophy recognizes aging as a natural process, not a condition to reverse.

“Exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have to support aging, and we need fitness professionals who can speak knowledgeably about metabolic health, physical function, and the role of exercise in reducing chronic disease risk,” he says.

Looking to 2027

Bryant anticipates closer connections between fitness and healthcare, more specialized programming for older adults and people with chronic conditions, and greater integration of AI and personalized technology. Community and social connection will remain important.

“The role of fitness professionals is becoming broader, more sophisticated, and potentially more impactful than ever,” he says. “They need to keep expanding their knowledge, developing new skills, and becoming more comfortable working with people whose health needs are increasingly complex.”

Pilates expanded in 2026, but Ntiedo Etuk, co-founder & chairman of The BFS Network and founder and CEO of FitGrid, cautions against treating it as a single market. FitGrid Intelligence, Etuk’s analytics platform for studio businesses, identifies distinct Pilates sub-modalities: modern athletic, classical chain, and classical independent Pilates.

“While high level reviews of ‘Pilates’ might speak to saturation, within the sub-modalities there is room for growth in both capacity and breadth of offering,” he says.

But similar concepts are pressuring prices and instructor recruitment.

“The studios doing well aren't matching discounts,” he adds. “They know exactly who they serve, and they compete on experience and outcomes rather than price.”

Longevity also reshaped studio offerings.

“Longevity stopped being a marketing word in 2026 and started changing what studios sell,” says Julian Barnes, co-founder and CEO of The BFS Network. Studios are adding strength, muscle-preservation and health-span programming, along with recovery services. But the prediction that studios would become clinics did not play out.

“Rather than trying to provide medical care,” Barnes says, “studios should establish baselines, develop exercise plans, and retest, supported by referral relationships with clinicians.”

Profitability Takes Priority

Studio profitability remains a challenge, but operators are shifting their focus.

‘The anchor moved from revenue to profit in 2026,” Barnes says. “Utilization looks healthy, but discounting is heavy and many studios depend on aggregators and intro offers to fill classes.”

Operators are pruning schedules, tightening pricing, reassessing aggregators, investing in sales, and tying manager incentives to profit.

“The operators getting it right decide the margin the business needs first, and then design pricing, staffing and pay around it,” he adds. “They treat profit as something they design, not something they hope for.”

Personalization is expected, Etuk says, but members want more than customized interactions. “Members aren't buying classes anymore. They're buying confidence that it's working.”

Studios can command a premium through expert coaching, smaller classes, recovery, and measurable progress.

“A beautiful room and a good playlist are now the baseline,” he points out. “The premium is in being known, being guided, and seeing results.”

Looking to 2027

Barnes and Etuk anticipate more programming tailored to GLP-1 users and women at different life stages, regular assessments supported by clinical referral partners, and greater use of AI for back-office operations. They also predict more adoption of comparative performance benchmarks and increased visibility in AI-powered search.

“Longevity stopped being a marketing word in 2026 and started changing what studios sell.” • Julian Barnes

“Members aren't buying classes anymore. They're buying confidence that it's working.” • Ntiedo Etuk