Looking for fit-spiration? Read on.

Every year, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) publishes a list of their top global exercise trends, and we’ve selected four of the most impactful ones. Read on to learn how Vitality can motivate your clients and employees to get more active, more often – driving higher engagement, improved health and greater productivity.

Remember: the World Health Organisation recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity – or a mixture of both – each week.

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1.????? WEARABLE TECH

Top spot again this year (in fact, for 9 years running!) is the role of wearable tech to help us set, track and achieve our fitness goals. This includes devices like fitness trackers, heart rate monitors and smartwatches which give immediate, real-time feedback on our workouts to help encourage us to build healthy exercise habits.

How Vitality helps

With Vitality, members get access to a range of fitness devices at discounted rates, plus earn Vitality points – and get rewarded – by linking their fitness device to their Vitality app. “We’re proud to have published the world’s largest behavioural change study on physical activity and much of this research focuses on wearables”, says Mari Leach, Vitality Biokineticist. The study showed that Vitality incentives combined with an Apple Watch led to significant and sustained increases in activity levels. The average increase in activity? 34% – nearly 5 extra days of activity per month! “We are also seeing that wearable tech is becoming more and more popular with older generations, not just among our younger Vitality members,” adds Mari.

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2.???? MOBILE EXERCISE APPS

Closely linked to fitness devices, mobile fitness apps have gained traction reaching the top of the trends list for 2025. These help people to get active wherever they are, even if this is in an office car park, home or neighbourhood. These apps offer flexible, customisable exercise programmes and, when paired with a linked fitness device, are easy to track so that you can monitor your progress. ?

How Vitality helps

“A key part to any long-term habit is to make this fun,” says Mari. “And exercise apps or health and fitness programmes like what we offer through Vitality have fun, game-like elements so that members stay engaged”. Vitality Active Rewards (VAR) is a great example here. VAR is a benefit that encourages and celebrates members for reaching weekly exercise goals with personalised rewards that are tailored to individual’s level of engagement.

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3.???? EXERCISE FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health and physical health are closely linked and we’re starting to see a shift in the reasons why people choose to exercise. Fitness is now not just about building physical strength or losing weight, it’s become increasingly important to help people better manage their stress, reduce feelings of anxiety and to sleep better.

How Vitality helps

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve mental wellbeing. Benefits here include better self-esteem, stronger levels of resilience and being better able to manage depression and anxiety. “There is a wealth of information on the positive link between exercise and improved mental health,” says Mari. “Research continues to show that people who exercise regularly have better emotional wellbeing and lower rates of mental illness. In fact, in our own Vitality research we’ve seen that increasing steps just once a week, from 5 000 to 10 000, can reduce the risk of depression by up to 19% in some population cohorts.”

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4.???? OUTDOOR FITNESS ACTIVITIES

The trend of outdoor exercise first appeared on ACSM’s list in 2010 and it has continued to rise in rank as people – globally – enjoy activities that are more easily accessible and affordable. Outdoor fitness activities including walking, running, skiing or hiking as well as outdoor gyms or fitness equipment in public spaces have helped to make this a stand-out fitness trend.

How Vitality helps

One of the simplest and most effective ways to increase your physical activity is to incorporate outdoor walks into your daily routine. By linking a device, Vitality members can earn points for steps – which translate to exciting rewards. So grab your family, friends, pets – or even just a pair of earphones – and get walking!

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From wearable tech to outdoor fitness activities, pick a trend and let Vitality help enhance your clients’ and employees’ overall health and wellness, while adding significant value for your organisation.

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REFERENCES

American College of Sports Medicine. 2024. Top Fitness Trends for 2025. LINK.

RAND Europe. 2018. Incentives and physical activity: An assessment of the association between Vitality’s Active Rewards with Apple Watch benefit and sustained physical activity improvements. LINK.

Vitality Global. 2024. Vitality Habit Index: How to create habits for a longer, healthier life. LINK.

Vitality South Africa. 2022. Physical activity and the prevention of depression. Working paper.