WHAT WILL BE SEEN IN 2019?
Jonathan
Goodman
Industry trends and predictions By Lindsay Vastola
We asked colleagues from all corners of the industry what trends they anticipate in 2019. From social media and technology to business management and self-development, it is obvious that there is no shortage of opportunities for fitness professionals to make significant leaps in their careers and businesses over the next year.
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ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL BRANDING…
ON ONLINE VS. HANDS-ON EDUCATION…
The wall between business and personal is going to continue to come down, in both virtual and in-person coaching. Personal branding is far more effective in today’s world and given that people want to know what you’re about in order to spend money with you, coaches are going to have to find ways to connect on a more meaningful level with their clients and audience. Kourtney Thomas, www.kourtneythomas.com
Online education is a convenient and efficient option to grow a personal trainer’s knowledge base however, hands-on training is still vital to the application of proper movement. Robert Linkul, www.TrainingTheOlderAdult.com
ON CRITICAL SKILLS BEYOND FITNESS… Fitness marketing was too easy for too long. As social media gets increasingly busy and competition rampant, it will continue to get harder for fit pros to stand out. Those who recognize the need to build business skills in order to complement fitness and nutrition will stand out. Those who don’t will become disenfranchised, frustrated, and, unfortunately, perish. Jonathan Goodman, www.onlinetrainer.com
ON THE LARGEST DEMOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITY… Personal trainers will recognize the aging demographic (baby boomer generation) is the largest demographic utilizing our services and will begin to educate themselves on how to train them safely and efficiently. Robert Linkul, www.TrainingTheOlderAdult.com
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| WWW.PERSONALFITNESSPROFESSIONAL.COM | LOOKING AHEAD 2019
ON COMPETITION FROM OUTSIDE INDUSTRIES… Fitness is seeing a significant amount of dollars being spent on fitness experiences (both by the consumers and major brands outside the industry). In today’s day and age, our research is proving that health is the new wealth and the experiences consumers receive are social currency. The proliferation of fitness studios can target a specific consumer and give them the best workout possible through high-touch, results-driven experiences. However, there is A LOT of new money coming into the industry from major brands, showcasing new tech such as AI, AR, VR and more, which means these tech companies, not fitness companies, are threatening to make personal trainers obsolete. But while information is power, it’s only powerful if people are able to access, understand and apply it! Josh Leve, www.afsfitness.com