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For immediate release
November 9, 2007

ACSM SURVEY PREDICTS 2008 FITNESS TRENDS
Second-annual survey names top 20 predictions for next year

INDIANAPOLIS – Educated and experienced fitness professionals are predicted to be the number one fitness trend in 2008 based on the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) second-annual Fitness Trends survey. The survey, administered to health and fitness professionals worldwide, published this month in ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal^®.

This is the second year for the survey, which was designed to reveal trends in commercial, corporate, clinical, and community fitness program environments. The potential trends in the survey were scored by expert respondents from all over the world including Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, North American, and South America. This year's response rate nearly doubled that of last year. The trends were ranked from highest to lowest based on the scores given by the respondents and only the top 20 trends are included in the article.

According to the survey, the availability of more "educated and experienced fitness professionals" will be the biggest fitness trend, offering exercisers even more options when choosing a trainer to complement their fitness routines.

The fitness professionals trend was listed at number three last year. Exercise programs for children to fight childhood and adolescent obesity ranked in the top spot in 2007, and remains high on the list for 2008, at number two. 

"The survey revealed a few surprises, and also confirmed what has been on the landscape this year in the health and fitness industry," said Walter R. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, and lead author of the article.  "We were interested to find that the top three predictions for next year were statistically close, but they all support the idea that the health professional is going to be held to a higher level in education and certification.  Overall, we're seeing these themes develop now that will help the fitness professional design specialty programs for their clients.  It also creates an expectation for the public, who can glean new ideas to improve and build upon their workouts."

1. Educated and experienced fitness professionals. More organizations are seeking accreditation for academic and certification programs for fitness professionals, including personal trainers, which will contribute to industry regulation.  ACSM currently has one of the nation's largest certification programs, and is widely considered the industry's standard.

2. Programs to fight childhood obesity. The high ranking of this trend matches the country's concern about childhood obesity and health. An influx of fitness programs designed specifically for children and adolescents is expected to help combat this problem.

3. Personal training. This trend moved up four spots from last year's survey, signaling that the profession of personal training is becoming more realistic and accessible to the public.

The full list (Top 20 trends) is available in the article "Worldwide Survey Reveals Fitness Trends for 2008."

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About the American College of Sports Medicine

The  American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world.  More than 20,000 international, national, and regional members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.