These Fitness Trends Will Rule in 2023

We're getting out of our living rooms and back into lifting heavy weights.

By Cori Ritchey

It can be difficult to decipher which fitness trends are here to stay, and which will pass in the time it takes to get through a video on TikTok.

In the ever-changing world that is the fitness industry, you would be hard pressed to predict exactly what’s around the corner to being the next big thing, especially at the reset point that is the New Year. Will at-home spin still be in? What about CrossFit or newer competitions like Hyrox? Will people still shell out major cash for advanced, next-gen recovery modalities like pro athletes?

To shed some light on what's next, we asked a handful of Men’s Health fitness advisors and expert trainers to tell us what they think the top fitness trends we be in 2023. You might not believe it now, but you'll probably find yourself sweating like this later this year.

Gyms Will Be the Focus for Communities

People are sick of the 10-pound dumbbells in their living rooms and the at-home workouts While bodyweight and light-equipment workouts had their time, exercisers who haven't rejoined gyms are itching to be back to the grind.

“We're seeing that consistently there's another person showing up who you haven't seen [in] a gym in over two years,” says Mike Boyle, strength coach and Men’s Health fitness advisor.

Micro-gyms, as Boyle calls them, will also make a comeback. Small places, strategically equipped with turf, sleds, and tires that offer group fitness classes will see more and more popularity.

People are ready to embrace the community aspect of fitness, says David Jack, fitness coach and Men’s Health fitness advisor

Gyms that emphasize community, and “really establish themselves again as a place for people to feel like they're part of something,” will find success in 2023, says Jack

As the 10 pound dumbbells are pushed further into the closet, gym guides will be replacing the YouTube follow-along workouts that had us buy them in the first place, says Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S., founder of Le Sweat TV. “People learned and mastered the basic lifts during at-home workout training and are ready to take their knowledge to the next level,” says Atkins. Think old school workout PDFs, detailing form cues and rep ranges.

The at-home experience may be minimized, but it won’t die down completely. Jack believes the online-only coaching industry will attempt to stay afloat with new hybrid plans. “I think we're gonna see a lot of new very creative digital offerings,” says Jack, blending at-home and in-gym workouts together. People still appreciate the convenience of home workouts, while still wanting to get into the gym.

Training Efficient Will Be the Goal

For lots of people, the focus on gym workouts will come with a time crunch. Even if some aspects of home workouts have lost their luster, you can’t deny the benefit of the five second commute.

With that in mind, trainers are becoming more efficient with the way they’re programming for their clients, says Alwyn Cosgrove, fitness coach and Men’s Health fitness advisor.

Trainers are getting to know their clients daily routines better to make their limited time together more productive just like a doctor might ask a patient for their medical history and other questions to provide more context.

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