Boston Fitness Pros Agree: This Is the Biggest Fitness Trend of 2020

As we head into the New Year, the mentality won't be "hustling" and "no days off."


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Break out the foam rollers and grab your protein shakes—2020 is all about performance recovery. While you’re busy dialing in your nutrition and taking care of your mental health, give your body the TLC it deserves this year. These Boston-based fitness experts all unanimously agree: The theme for this year is slowing down. After all, we can only perform at our best when we feel our best.

1. Jaylee Oberg and Rachael Junard on: The wellness industry shift 

The founders of You Good, Sis?, a collective for black and brown women looking for a mental, spiritual, and physical check-in by way of fitness events and community yoga classes, both agree: The wellness industry is shifting. “As people struggle to keep up with the fast-paced and demanding approaches to fitness, I see more of an emphasis on overall wellbeing that fits into any lifestyle,” Oberg says. “I am so happy to see a wider range of fitness options at traditional gyms where walking clubs are being introduced by the same places that run bootcamps and high impact classes.” She also anticipates dance classes will gain in popularity as a way for people to shake stress away and just be themselves. Junard adds that classes to stretch, roll, and realign the body are a great thing to see as people begin to understand the importance of cross training.

2. Cameron Ahouse on: Boston-based recovery services 

It may not seem like it from his Instagram page, but EverybodyFights trainer Cameron Ahouse is all about rest and relaxation. “I think people are realizing that you can train as hard as you want, but if you’re not taking the time for proper recovery, then you’re most likely not going to see the gains you want and you risk the chance of becoming injured,” he says. “This is something I have had to learn the hard way.” He goes on to add that he utilizes the services offered by the stretch studio BdySqd, wearable technology Whoop, and CBD company Beam to support his active lifestyle.

3. Kenny Vertus on: Wearable technology 

Boston-based personal trainer Kenny Vertus says wearable fitness devices have revolutionized the fitness industry, and he only expects them to continue to pop up. “Fitness trackers, smart watches, heart rate monitors, and many more devices offer a degree of transparency about our health/fitness,” he says. “We’re starting to see fitness studios like BKBX and Orangetheory incorporate devices into their routine allowing visitors to measure their fitness level.” These devices are also able to measure your recovery level as well as sleep, making users more aware of how hard they should push it on any given day.

4. Michael McKinney on: Mindful workouts 

Certified personal trainer Michael McKinney is calling the biggest trend he’s predicting for 2020 “mindful workouts,” and he doesn’t just mean yoga. “Exercise is many people’s go-to stress reliever,” he says. “In 2020, we will see an increase in emphasizing the stress-relieving component of workouts. The amount of time we spend recovering from exercise is just as important as the amount of time spent training, and this has a direct effect on our movement and performance. This includes productive sleep, proper warm-ups and cool downs, pliability, and mobility.” He adds that Boston is already seeing a lot of these options for fitness consumers, which include compression therapy boots, percussive therapy guns, and standalone assisted stretch studios.

5. Christie Wang on: Convenient fitness options

You’ve probably heard of Peloton and you might even have a few dumbbells at home for those days when you just don’t want to go to the gym. Pilates instructor Christie Wang says ‘at home’ fitness subscriptions are only going to become more popular. “As people grow more and more strapped for time, at home products like Boston’s own Hydrow make fitness even more convenient,” she says. Hydrow, she explains, brings the feel of outdoor rowing to your living room and also offers a plethora of mat workouts like strength training, yoga, and pilates. Even she can’t ignore the shift to recovery and mindfulness though, too. “Studios like BdySqd and BKBX give people opportunities to recover in state-of-the-art equipment and more workouts than ever are shifting to emphasize the mind-body connection, mindfulness, and body awareness rather than going as hard as you can.”