This is not a list of current fitness trends. It is a year entry in our series on the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends. In 2016 something new happened: wearable technology entered at number 1. Smartwatches, activity trackers and heart-rate monitors changed how athletes tracked training, steps and sometimes sleep.

We keep the original English terms so you can compare 2016 with other years in the series. See the full timeline via fitness trends by year.

Top 10 fitness trends in 2016 (ACSM)

  1. Wearable technology
  2. Body weight training
  3. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
  4. Strength training
  5. Educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals
  6. Personal training
  7. Functional fitness
  8. Fitness programs for older adults
  9. Exercise and weight loss
  10. Yoga

What stood out in 2016?

Wearables jumping to first place mattered more than gadget fashion. Fitness stopped being only something you did in a gym and became something you could measure all day. At the same time, bodyweight training and HIIT stayed high. Technology did not automatically mean complex training: measuring and training simply could coexist.

Functional fitness, programs for older adults and weight loss showed the market was broadening beyond performance or looks alone. Certified professionals and personal training stayed firmly in the top 10, a signal that coaching did not disappear because of apps and trackers.

What 2016 meant for athletes

Wearables offered more feedback on steps, heart rate, sleep and estimated calorie burn. That feedback helps only when you know which numbers fit your goal. Without a plan, data quickly becomes noise. A heart-rate zone or step target helps when it connects to recovery, progression or energy balance.

Bodyweight and HIIT near the top remind you that you do not need a full gym floor to train hard. Strength training at number 4 underlines that strength stays foundational, even in a year dominated by gadgets.

What 2016 meant for gyms and coaches

Clubs gained a new hook: linking sessions to measurable progress via heart rate, challenges and app connections. The trap was too many numbers without explanation. Data without coaching does not automatically improve a session. Clients needed to understand what a heart-rate spike or a low sleep score meant for the next workout.

Demand for qualified professionals in the top 10 still feels familiar in 2026. Technology scales reach; people scale context. That tension became clearly visible in 2016.

What still matters

Wearables are no longer hype; they are standard. What still holds from 2016:

  • Measuring without coaching context delivers little.
  • Simple formats (bodyweight, HIIT, strength) stay relevant alongside tech.
  • Programs for older adults and weight management are no longer niche.
  • Professional quality remains a buying reason.

Continue the series: Fitness trends 2015, the year overview, and Fitness trends 2017. From 2016 onward, technology kept a leading role almost every year.

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