This weekend I was at a fitness convention in Manchester and being the chatty person I am, I got talking to a number of different fitness professionals, gym owners and health club managers.

This convention looks at future trends in fitness. Every year there are new or recycled trends from several years previous. According to those I spoke to this year, they anticipate two big trends and areas for personal trainers or other health professionals to focus on:

Sports Massage

It is anticipated that more and more gym goers, sports teams, individual athletes and even sedate people who suffer with lower back pain (which is increasing as inactivity also increases) will seek the services of a sports massage therapist. Over the years we have been big advocates of regular sports massage to help the recovery process, reduce injuries and to release stress. Check out a blog post from earlier this year by clicking here which outlines the of becoming a qualified sports massage therapist has.

Olympic Lifting

In 2015 and 2016 Olympic Lifting grew in popularity with the explosion of CrossFit and a ‘lifting culture’ which swept throughout the entire fitness sector in the UK. However, in 2017 this trend has somewhat started to pass. But, according to the fitness professionals I spoke to yesterday Olympic Lifting will soon start to become popular again with more and more CrossFit Boxes opening, Leisure Clubs installing lifting platforms and more fitness competitions launching with an emphasis on Olympic Lifting. At Fitness HQ we think this is great as we wholeheartedly endorse weight lifting for improved health, strength and wellbeing….. so long as your client’s technique is perfect!

Other predicted trends are virtual reality fitness, Yoga and wearable fitness technology which has grown in popularity for the last 2-3 years.

So, if you’re looking to make 2018 your best year to date or if you are looking to generate an extra income, two potential ways for you to achieve that is by becoming a Sports Massage Therapist or by improving your knowledge regarding Olympic Lifting as some professionals and leaders in our industry are tipping these to be two of the biggest trends in 2018.

I hope that has helped you  and if you have any questions regarding our courses or what we do, please don’t hesitate to contact me.