Take a glimpse into the future and you'll find small workout centers in grocery stores, airports and laundromats, and high-tech gyms a standard feature in new houses. Increasing numbers of personal trainers will be online, virtually interacting with their clients to design programs, track progress and teach through real-time pictures. Workouts will be downloaded into hand held devices that will then program "smart" fitness equipment to tailor it to your personal regimen.
These insights into the future of fitness come from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) in its first look at the direction of the workout industry for the longterm future. As the baby boomer population ages and aims to stay (or get) in shape, more exercise will be personalized and available in everyday places. So you'll have fewer scheduled classes to get to and fewer excuses to avoid exercising.
More people will exercise to achieve better health instead of just to improve appearance, ACE says, and exercise will become a vital part of disease management.
Other key findings:
--Adventure workouts such as rock climbing, hiking and mountain biking will replace traditional treadmill and weight training. Sports-specific training such as golf and tennis also will become more mainstream.
--Mind-body exercise that can meet a wide range of fitness and health levels will grow, bringing more routines like yoga, Tai Chi and stretch-relaxation to fitness centers and personal training programs. --Exercise programs geared toward older adults such as water-based fitness will increase in popularity. --Martial arts-themed classes will decline in part because of a growing number of injuries. If you haven't undertaken a workout program yet, don't wait -- and don't think it's too late. It's never too late to reap the benefits of a regular exercise program, ACE says, even if you've never exercised a day in your life.
