fitness trends · fitness trends 2023 · Dec 15, 2022

The 10 Biggest Fitness Trends For 2023

by Priya Samuel

2023 is here!

And if you’re a fitness freak (just like all of us here at Burnlab), you’re dying to know what the current trends in fitness are.

Lucky for you, we’re here to tell you just what they are!

From exercising for mental health to HIIT, and wearable tech to Virtual Reality workouts, here is a round-up of all the fastest-growing fitness trends that are set to rule in 2023.

Shall we begin?

10 Fitness Trends to look out for in 2023

1. Focus on Mental health

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on the way we look at exercise.

More people now exercise not just to shed pounds or build muscle, but also to reduce stress, boost their mood, and clear their minds. And this is a trend that will continue in 2023.

During the 2020 lockdown in India, 42% of respondents in a pan-India survey reported using meditation and mindfulness apps due to anxiety and sadness.

Here are a few key findings as per the latest research from the John W Brick Foundation:

89% of all published peer-reviewed research between 1990 and 2022 found a direct relationship between exercise and mental health.

Three to five 30-45-minute moderate to vigorous exercise sessions per week is the sweet spot for deriving optimal mental health benefits.

2. Wearable technology

If the numbers are anything to go by, wearables are not going anywhere soon. The Indian wearable market recorded a 56.4% growth (YoY) with 37.2 million units shipped between July and September 2022.

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Wearables have come a long way from tracking step counts to now a dizzying number of metrics including sleep quality, stress levels, movement, heart rate variability, post-exercise and recovery insights, blood sugar levels, ECG, and much more. All this data makes it convenient to understand how your body responds to various exercises and how it impacts your overall health.

Other reasons why wearables will remain popular in 2023 are that they are getting cheaper (you can get decent fitness bands for <INR 2000), smaller (think fitness rings), and more comfortable due to advancements in technology.

3. HIIT

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) will be going strong in 2023 as well.

And for good reason. HIIT is time-efficient, burns 25 to 30% more calories than other types of exercise, improves your VO2 max (the maximum rate at which your body can effectively use oxygen during exercise), and more.

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Do it with or without equipment, at your home or the gym, in 4 minutes or 30 minutes! Any way you choose, the benefits are plenty!

Wanna do HIIT workouts at home? Check out our blog post on 10 Super-effective HIIT workouts.

4. Strength training

Strength training will be one of the top trends that take center stage in 2023. And the numbers prove it; weight training classes were one of the top 3 popular workout types on the mindbodygreen platform in 2022.

One thing is clear – Building muscle is not just about aesthetics anymore. A 2022 review suggests that muscle-strengthening activities can decrease your mortality risk by 10-17%!

Regular resistance training also helps boost metabolism (and thus helps in weight loss), improve bone mineral density, lower your risk of sarcopenia, manage your blood sugar, and many more.

With benefits like these, we hope to see more people turn to weights and resistance bands this year.

5. Mini workouts

There are a lot of reasons why mini-workouts will continue to be popular in 2023.

They are flexible (it’s simpler to squeeze in 2-3 mini workout sessions into your busy day than one 45-minute session), it’s easier to exercise at a higher intensity, and as a bonus, you get an endorphin rush after each bout of exercise.

Research shows that you get the same health benefits whether you do a single 30-minute workout or three 10-minute mini-workouts of the same intensity. As a matter of fact, mini workouts are more effective than a single session in reducing your body fat and bad cholesterol!

6. Functional training

Functional training (exercises that mirror everyday movement patterns) will continue to dominate in 2023.

Functional training generally involves compound exercises that recruit more than one muscle group and can be done either using your bodyweight, free weights including dumbbells and kettlebells, or versatile equipment such as resistance bands. Think regular and weighted/banded versions of squats, push-ups, lunges, etc.

Functional training helps prevent injuries, enhances athletic performance, boosts mobility, and improves strength among other benefits.

You can easily incorporate functional training into your fitness routine at home with just a few simple tools. Take a look at our fabulous fitness gear right here.

7. Virtual Reality (VR) workouts

Virtual reality workouts will become increasingly popular in 2023 and the years to come. The global augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) market size is estimated to grow by USD 125.19 billion during 2020-2024.

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Recent research shows that VR workouts can burn as many calories as their traditional exercise counterparts and help improve physical fitness, muscle strength, and balance.

All you need to do is slip on a VR headset and immerse yourself in everything from rock climbing and boxing to dancing, meditation, and more!

Other factors that make VR workouts so appealing:

Having your very own virtual personal trainer
Suitable for fitness users of all levels
Helps you virtually connect with other fitness enthusiasts
No ‘gymtimidation’
No real-world restrictions

8. Demand for personal trainers

In 2023, more people would prefer working out under the guidance of skilled personal trainers.

The global personal fitness trainer market size is estimated to be valued at USD 39,740 million in 2022 and is projected to surpass a valuation of USD 63,800 million by 2032.

Personal trainers can tailor workouts that are specially designed per your fitness levels. They can help you set realistic goals, guide you through the proper form for each exercise, motivate you and keep you accountable, help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, etc.

So, if you’re having trouble achieving your fitness goals, a personal trainer might be your best bet.

9. Minimizing Inactivity

There is a slew of research out there that shows that sitting for prolonged hours causes several health conditions such as increased blood sugar and blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and more.

This is why in 2023, more people will focus on minimizing their sitting time even if they can’t set aside a chunk of time for a proper workout. We’re talking setting inactivity alerts on your fitness trackers to remind you to move/stretch, standing up while taking calls, investing in treadmill desks, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.

In short, we urge you to sit less to live more.

10. Omnichannel training

Omnichannel training i.e., a combination of in-gym and at-home workouts, is a trend that has been popular ever since the pandemic struck and will continue to be so in 2023.

Thanks to the multiple lockdowns in the past couple of years, a lot of individuals have started working out at home and even setting up home gyms.

And now even though gyms have reopened, people still want to have the flexibility of working out from their gym, at home, or while on the move. This is backed up by The Les Mills 2021 Global Fitness Report, which shows that omnichannel fitness is on the rise, with 59% of exercisers favoring a 60:40 split between gym and home workouts.