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Top 4 Fitness Industry Predictions for 2010

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Published: 21Jan2010
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First and foremost, HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2010 is going to be an incredible year and the fitness industry is going to continue to explode. Today I want to share my Top 4 Fitness Industry Predictions for 2010, but let's start with an interesting study:

A recent study was done assessing whether clients got better results with or without professional supervision.

Reference: Supervised exercise versus non-supervised exercise for reducing weight in obese adults. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2009 Mar;49(1):85-90.

This research study looked at the effects of training with supervision/instruction (i.e. a qualified personal trainer) versus "advice" (i.e. "Can you just give me a program to follow?"). There were two groups:

1. Group one met a trainer twice a week for 4 months (as a group).

2. Group two received basic advice to increase physical activity and access to a fully equipped gym (any exercise they did was unsupervised).

Results: The group with supervision lost almost 10 pounds more over a 4-month period with a total fat loss of 13.4lbs in the coached group, and only 3.7lbs in the advice only group.

The bottom line here is pretty clear... if you are SERIOUS about getting rapid and lasting results then you NEED to hire a true fitness professional.

Of course, that comes with a BIG BUT doesn't it? For many, hiring a personal trainer is just too expensive. And with that, let me share my 2010 Fitness Industry Predictions...

Prediction #1: Weight loss and fitness boot camps will be popping up all over the place.

A quality boot camp is far more cost effective than hiring a one-on-one personal trainer. In fact, that's one of the major reasons I switched to running a boot camp business when I left my career as a health club personal training manager. In addition, more studies are showing that people get better results when working out in a group environment.

There is, however, a BIG concern that goes along with this prediction. My fear, and I know it will happen, is there will be a flood of copycat boot camp programs run by unqualified "trainers" who are simply jumping on the bandwagon to make money. It's simply the nature of the beast. When an opportunity comes up to make money, people will jump on it. There are multiple fitness business "gurus" on the Internet who sell their done-for-you boot camp systems. As unseasoned trainers fail in the health club training world they will be relying on these "boot camp in a box" programs.

So, how do you know how to choose a good boot camp from a poorly run one or one run by an unqualified instructor? Make sure you check the credentials of the person running the program. Look for a fitness related degree and national certification like the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

My next 2 predictions are direct results of Prediction #1.

Prediction #2: More people will get injured while attempting to get fit.

Because of the increase in copycat boot camps run by unqualified "trainers" fitness related injuries will go through the roof. We'll see overweight and out of shape people performing exercises that are way out of their league. The ever-increasing popularity of The Biggest Loser will also be a major contributor to fitness related injuries. Viewers don't realize that Biggest Loser participants are very closely supervised and go through professional athlete level testing and rehabilitation on a regular basis. In addition, the workouts you see on TV are not what they do most of the week.

Please be smart and safe when choosing your weight loss & fitness program.

Prediction #3: People will lose more weight than ever before.

Here's the positive effect of prediction #1. There will be great weight loss and fitness boot camps like Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp that open up in your town. You will be able to find qualified trainers running highly effective boot camp programs. I'm personally part of an association with over 150 boot camp owners around the world. We strive to provide the highest quality programs to our communities. We have regular conferences and constantly communicate in an online forum sharing ideas and success stories.

These boot camp owners will deliver incredible results to their members and change the way their communities view fitness.

Prediction #4: Online personal training will become more popular.

Let's face it; the economy has taken its toll on a lot of people. I personally think it's a mindset, but that's for another post. Online programs can offer a very inexpensive alternative to gym memberships and even boot camp memberships. The key is, of course, finding the right one.

I've experimented with a few, and have been less than impressed. The biggest issue I've found is most of them are computer generated. You answer a few questions and supposedly it spits out a custom program. The truth is, programs don't need to be as customized for most people as many "professionals" would try to lead you to believe. However, these computer generated and some so called personal trainer generated programs often provide exercise and routines that are very inappropriate; oftentimes leading to under-training, over-training and/or injuries.

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT is a local Chanhassen and Online weight loss & fitness boot camp instructor and personal trainer. . He is also the author of The Science of Getting Fit: 6 Proven Steps to Achieve Your Weight Loss & Fitness Goals. For a FREE Video Series on The Science of Getting Fit visit www.tinyurl.com/6StepsToWeightLoss For more great weight loss & fitness related articles and information visit www.JustinYule.com.

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