As with most things in life – fashion, food, jobs and celebrities - trends also exist in the world of health and fitness. Fitness programs, experts, workouts and theories are never-ending and part of a billion dollar industry. Yes, admit it, there probably was a time when Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda and Billy Blanks burned up your TV by dancing, leg-lifting or kicking your booty into shape. Or at least attempted to.

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Then there’s the rise in popularity of hot yoga, dance Zumba classes, spinning, Jillian Michaels’ DVD’s, and, is it just me or does it seem like everyone is out to run a half-marathon or marathon these days?! All great varied workouts and goals no doubt.

Recently I stumbled upon an article by Fit Sugar that predicted some of the top fitness trends for 2011 (as predicted per the American College of  Sports Medicine, ACSM).

Let’s take a look at 3 of their predictions and see just how “on-trend” these  guys were now that 2011 is 3/4′s of the way through (how is time flying by the way?!).

1) Using technology as a fitness resource and support. (CHECK).

I guess we can never really argue against technology can we? It seems to be taking over the world – for good and sad. But, yes, online weight-loss tools, programs and support groups are convenient and can be motivating, especially to fitness newbies who may not know where to start, are unable to afford a gym or even possibly fear humiliation or being the “outsider” (not so!) at a fitness or weight-control center. Nowadays, even programs such as Weight-Watchers offer online tools to help you get started.

2) Increased gym and fitness memberships. (NOT SURE).

Well, it seems kind of a paradox that there would be an upswing in memberships if more people are using online support. But, people could and would obviously use both – or go online more for additional info and support perhaps. With the increasing popularity of fitness classes, yoga-fusion type classes and interval training/boot-camp like workouts, more and more people are getting out of the house and socializing more as well. Working on the bod and stimulating the mind right?! However, the ACSM believed an improved economy would lead people to shell out more money for fees…the economy certainly isn’t roaring yet.

3) Getting a workout partner or buddy. (Check…depends on the individual). The ACSM predicted that people would be more likely to develop a buddy system to help them follow through on fitness efforts. To capitalize on this, gyms would also offer increased classes and peer groups. There is certainly a rise in the number of running groups, cycling teams and new fitness trends such as TRX and group personal training sessions. All in all, I think this is the best one yet and should stick around for all the years to come …unless your buddy is more likely to drag you out for happy hour appetizers and drinks after work vs. the trails.

In that case, send them to me

What do you think?

I think many of these “trends” are predictable obviously because they are common-sense. But I like the hope that there is potential and gains in the fitness industry especially with rising rates of obesity.

What trend would you like to see for the coming years?

Personally, I’d like to see a trend that emphasizes a more “back to nature” approach. Less emphasis on body appearances and cellulite. Less killing yourself. Getting more done in less time. And feeling good about yourself.

Not too much to ask for is it?