Top 10 Fitness Trends to Grow Your Personal Training Business in 2025

The fitness industry is constantly changing, and for personal trainers, staying adaptable and forward-thinking is key to thriving.

Each year, the ACSM's fitness trends provide valuable insights into where the industry is heading.

By understanding and incorporating these trends, you can adapt your business to meet client demands, differentiate yourself in the market, and maximize growth opportunities.

Let's explore the top 10 fitness trends for 2025 and how you can leverage them to thrive in your personal training business.

Trend #1. Wearable Technology

Wearable devices like fitness trackers, smartwatches, and heart rate monitors dominate the fitness industry.

Clients expect personalized insights and data-driven progress tracking.

How to Leverage It:

• Integrate wearables into your training programs by offering data analysis and feedback sessions.
• Use wearable data to customize workouts, monitor progress, and celebrate milestones with your clients.
• Promote your tech-savvy approach in marketing materials to attract tech-conscious clients.

Trend #2. Mobile Exercise Applications (Apps)

Fitness apps are becoming an essential tool for tracking workouts, nutrition, and goals, especially for remote clients.

If you aspire to become an online trainer, offering personal trainer app access to the workouts and coaching materials is now paramount.

How to Leverage It:

• Recommend or create a branded app like PT Distinction to provide clients with workout plans, video tutorials, and progress tracking.
• Use apps to maintain engagement between sessions by setting reminders or offering in-app messaging.
• Highlight app-based support in your marketing to appeal to tech-friendly audiences.

Trend #3. Fitness Programs for Older Adults

The aging population increasingly prioritizes fitness for longevity, mobility, and quality of life.

They can be an ideal target audience for in-person trainers, mainly because they are flexible about their availability and can afford to work with a personal trainer.

How to Leverage It:

• Obtain certifications in senior fitness to position yourself as an expert.
• Develop specialized programs focusing on functional strength, balance, and joint mobility.
• Market your services to local communities, senior centers, and healthcare providers.

Trend #4. Exercise for Weight Loss

The latest obesity statistics from the CDC show that in 23 states 35% of the population is obese and in average at least 20% of the population in the whole of the US can be classed as obese.

No wonder weight loss remains a primary goal for many clients, with increasing emphasis on sustainable and holistic approaches.

How to Leverage It:

• Obesity, even being overweight for a prolonged time, has health risks, so acquire CPD qualifications in training adults living with obesity or other health conditions.
• Offer comprehensive packages that include exercise, nutritional guidance, and lifestyle coaching.
• Use progress-tracking tools to showcase measurable results.
• Share success stories and testimonials on social media to build credibility.

Trend #5. Traditional Strength Training

While strength training wasn't in the top 10 trends a year ago (17th), it shot back up quickly for 2025.

Working out with barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells, among other resistance, is back in fashion!

How to Leverage It:

• Create strength-focused programs tailored to different client needs (e.g., beginners, athletes, older adults).
• Offer small-group training sessions for strength enthusiasts.
• Highlight the long-term health benefits of strength training in your marketing campaigns.

Trend #6. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT has been among the top 10 trends for 7 years in a row for its efficiency and effectiveness in burning calories and improving fitness levels in all sections of the population.

Not to mention the time efficiency appreciated by busy professionals and parents.

How to Leverage It:

• Incorporate HIIT into your group classes or personal training sessions for time-strapped clients.
• Develop HIIT challenges to keep clients motivated and engaged.
• Promote HIIT's versatility and results-driven approach on social media.

Trend #7. Data-Driven Training Technology

Data-driven training technology, a rising trend in 2025, enables personal trainers to offer real-time insights into clients' physiological responses to exercise.

By incorporating data like heart rate variability and sleep patterns, trainers can adjust workouts for optimal recovery and performance, even in group settings with varying fitness levels.

This approach allows for highly personalized coaching, improving results and increasing client satisfaction.

How to Leverage It:

• Invest in software or platforms that track and analyze client progress by recording the result of everything (e.g., PT Distinction).
• Use data to set realistic goals and provide transparent progress updates.
• Incorporate data insights into marketing materials to showcase your results-oriented approach.

Trend #8. Exercise for Mental Health

The link between physical activity and mental well-being is more prominent than ever, attracting clients seeking stress relief and emotional resilience.

While supporting clients on their mental health journey is beyond the scope of practice of a personal trainer, you can cultivate relationships with mental health professionals to offer a holistic approach to clients.

‍How to Leverage It:

• Incorporate mindfulness practices, like breathwork or stretching, into sessions.
• Partner with mental health professionals to offer holistic wellness programs.
• Highlight the mental health benefits of exercise in your content marketing.

Trend #9. Functional Fitness Training

Functional fitness training focuses on exercises that mirror real-life movements, improving strength, balance, coordination, and endurance.

By enhancing skills used in daily activities, like bending, lifting, or climbing this training is invaluable for all populations, particularly older adults and those with clinical needs.

For personal trainers, it's a powerful tool to promote lifelong fitness and independence, helping clients build habits that enhance their quality of life across every stage.

This trend underscores the importance of designing programs that prioritize practicality and overall well-being.

How to Leverage It:

• Design programs that mimic real-life movements and enhance functional strength.
• Use tools like resistance bands, kettlebells, and bodyweight exercises.
• Promote functional fitness to clients recovering from injuries or seeking improved mobility, provided you have the required qualifications.

Trend #10. Health/Wellness Coaching

Health and wellness coaching has risen to the #10 spot in 2025, emphasizing the growing demand for holistic approaches to health.

These coaches use behavioral science principles to guide clients toward sustainable lifestyle changes, integrating fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being.

This trend highlights the importance of addressing physical goals and overall wellness, making it a valuable addition for personal trainers who want to offer comprehensive, client-centered programs that focus on lasting health improvements.

How to Leverage It:

• Obtain certifications in wellness coaching to broaden your expertise.
• Expand your services to include lifestyle coaching alongside fitness training.
• Market yourself as a one-stop solution for holistic health and wellness.

Conclusion

The ACSM's top fitness trends for 2025 highlight exciting opportunities for personal trainers to innovate and grow their businesses.

By aligning your services with ACSM's trends, you can attract new clients, retain existing ones, and position yourself as a leader in the industry.

Ready to elevate your business in 2025? Start your journey with PT Distinction and access the tools you need to succeed. Sign up for a free trial today!