Feature Article - March 2011
Fit To Be Tried
Top Trends in Fitness Programming
By Deborah L. Vence
Group Exercise/The Buddy System
Based on IHRSA's member census of 3,024 clubs in the United States and Canada, Poppler said, the 10 most commonly offered group exercise-related programs are:
- Step/bench aerobics
- High-impact aerobics
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Group cycling
- Group strength training
- Low-impact aerobics
- Aquatic exercise
- Cardio-kickboxing or similar
- Dance
"Successful group exercise programming strikes a balance between the 'tried and true' and 'hot and new' classes. Incorporate aerobics and group strength along with self-defense, dance and music-inspired classes into your group exercise schedule," Poppler said.
"Group exercise programming is popular again due to the fact that there are some great providers of specific programming that builds in more excitement, isn't so dependent on the club's instructor, and because people are moving back to socially based forms of exercise, not just running mindlessly on a treadmill," she said.
According to IHRSA's survey, group exercise programming is experiencing phenomenal growth. The survey indicated that group exercise—both traditional aerobics and unconventional new classes—are as popular as ever among health club members. Group exercise classes with the largest growth rates are cardio-kickboxing, yoga, high-impact aerobics, dance style classes and strength training classes.

Categories
Articles
Web Exclusive - November 2020
The health and fitness industry is aligning with medical, science and health experts to help communicate the importance of exercise to overall well-being. Learn more about the new council that will advise IHRSA.
Web Exclusive - October 2020
The CDC has recognized that young people are becoming increasingly sedentary—and that was before COVID-19. The American Council on Exercise brought fitness and health experts together to offer some guidance.
A Look at What's Happening in Recreation, Sports & Fitness Facilities
Feature Article - June 2020
More than 1,300 professionals responded to our call for information about their facilities, budgets, construction plans, operations, programming, staffing and more. Plus, hundreds of readers responded to our COVID-19 Update Survey in early May to discuss the impact of the pandemic on their facilities. Here, we summarize the responses.
A Look at Trends in Health, Fitness & Sports Clubs
Feature Article - June 2020
From neighborhood fitness clubs to medical fitness facilities, there's a lot of ways for people to focus on their wellness. Here is an overview of the trends in health, fitness and sports clubs.
Fitness Trends in Rising Generations
Guest Column - March 2020
For millennials and even generation Z, things like eco-friendly workouts and socializing with others while staying fit are important.