There might be more than 45 days left till the New Year but the American College of Sports Medicine has released its yearly “Top Ten Fitness Trends for 2011”. I found the article to be quite interesting and you can read about the top ten trends here.

Although I find this interesting it is not shocking. The number one trend for next year is the demand for experienced and educated trainers. Even though we might be in a recession and people are tightening their spending, people realize the value of an experienced and educated personal trainer. Also, a fundamental shift in thinking has occurred as more and more people are realizing that healthcare costs are going to continue to rise, and one way for them to help reduce their costs, is to get healthy. To do this, they need an experienced expert, like you, to help them. So, this is great news for personal trainers and fitness professionals. I believe you are going to see this trend to continue and only grow.

The other area that I find interesting is, the number of physician referrals continues to grow. Doctors are prescribing exercise to their clients as means to getting them well. This is another huge shift for our industry and if you do not have a percentage of your business coming from doctor referrals then you are missing out. Find several doctors in your area and start building a relationship with them. Get them to have trust in your abilities and they will start sending business to you.

Well, that is it for now but I want to leave you with this. The health and wellness industry is only going to keep expanding. Find your niche within the industry and become the expert. If you are unsure of what areas are growing go read the list of the top ten trends and find one that interests you. Make 2011 your best year ever!

Coach Dave