2027's fitness trends, from here.

Every year the American College of Sports Medicine surveys fitness professionals around the world about what's coming next. Their 2027 list is the closest thing the industry has to a forecast. I read it with a mix of nodding and wincing. Some of it is where I've been heading for years. Some of it is exactly what nearly broke me.

But a worldwide list only tells you so much. I live in County Down, so I wanted to see what it looks like from here too.

What we measure

Number one is wearable technology. Number eight is data-driven training. Number ten is influencer-led programmes. Watches, metrics, followers.

I understand the appeal. Numbers feel like control. But I spent ten years being run by them. Times, distances, splits, how much it hurt. The data never told me I was running on empty. It just told me to go again.

I'm not against a watch. I'm against handing it the steering wheel.

Use the numbers, but notice if you've stopped enjoying anything you can't measure.

Where the industry is catching up

Number three is balance, flow and core strength: yoga, Pilates, controlled movement. Number nine is exercise for mental health and well-being.

This is the stuff that actually changed my life. Not the marathons. The breath, the stillness, learning to move without fighting myself. I was writing about this back in 2016, when "go hard or go home" was everywhere. It's good to see it rising up the list.

The one that matters most to me

Number six is exercise for weight management, including for people using the new weight-loss medications.

I was around 27 stone. I know how much people want something that makes the hunger stop. If medication helps someone get their health back, I'm glad. That's between them and their GP.

But I'd say this, gently. The hunger I fought was never only in my stomach. It was in my head. Low self-esteem. Old hurts. The need for a hit to feel OK. No injection reaches that. If the weight changes and that doesn't, it can find somewhere else to go. Mine did.

So yes, move your body. Build strength. And alongside it, look at what's underneath.

What it looks like here

Here in the UK, gyms are busier than ever. According to ukactive's 2026 market report, there are now 12.2 million members, about 18% of the population and an all-time high. Almost half of people say making connections and friendships matters to them. That's the bit that gives me hope.

But one in four adults is still inactive. Trend lists rarely talk about them, and they're often the people who'd gain the most.

And the jabs are already here in a big way. In July 2025 alone, around 2.5 million packs of Mounjaro and Wegovy were bought in Britain, according to IQVIA estimates, with around 90% of users thought to be paying privately, online or at the chemist. The NHS is rolling them out slowly, to those who need them most. That's a lot of people going through a big change in their relationship with food, many of them largely on their own.

The rest

Programmes for older adults, strength training and group classes all make the list too. Here I'm simply glad. Keep moving for life. Get strong. Do it with other people. The miles matter, but the people beside you matter more.

Where I come in

What I care about is what most of this list doesn't measure: the relationship between the mind and what we do with our bodies. The cravings, the compulsions, the hit, and the steadier ways through.

I bring years of lived experience, training as an NLP practitioner, and a long time studying addiction, emotional eating and recovery. More and more, I want to put that to work helping other people, through writing, talks and one-to-one conversations. Deeper connections.

If any of this sounds like you, the contact form is at the bottom of this page. You don't have to tell me who you are.