Motivation

The Biggest Fitness Trends For 2018

Every year brings with it new and exciting trends in the way we keep fit and 2018 is no different. We’ve studied Google search data and sales data from 2017 to predict what will become the biggest fitness trends of 2018. Take a look at the below trends, and think about how you could incorporate them into your own training plan, you may already be doing some of them already!

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COMBAT TRAINING

Combat sports have been enjoying a steady growth in interest over the last few years, no doubt kick-started by the nine medals Team GB won in the London 2012 Olympics for Judo, Taekwondo and Boxing. During this past year the headlines and hype around super-high profile boxing matches has proven to inspire people to get in the ring themselves. Google searches for ‘boxing club’ were at a five year high during the first week of May 2017, the week right after the Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko fight on April 29th.

It's not just the professionals that are inspiring people to take up combat training as exercise. Superstars who use combat training to stay fit have continued to keep this fitness trend front of mind. A-list model Gigi Hadid fronted Reebok’s #PerfectNever combat sportswear campaign back in October 2016, but her love of the sport is more than skin deep. She’s been sharing her boxing workouts on her Instagram for years and continues to inspire fans with her combat approach to fitness.

If you’re looking to get into combat sports, professional boxer and Sportsshoes ambassador, Charlie Schofield recommends wasting no time: “The advice that I would give to someone who wants to get involved in a combat sport is don’t think about doing it, just go and do it. You never know, you might end up catching the contagious bug as well. Go to your local amateur boxing/MMA club and enquire about times for sessions/classes and work your way up”

You’ll also need the right equipment to get started, and it’s always a good idea to look to the professionals to help guide your decisions. We asked professional boxer Conor Benn to share some of his go to apparel for stepping into the boxing gym. He recommended the following kit from Reebok; SS18 Boxing Boot, Combat Glory Hoodie and Epic Endure Training Short all of which he personally wears to train.

If you’re considering getting into combat sports in the next year, or just want to take some inspiration for your own workouts, it’s also worth checking out our guide on how to train like a MMA fighter where you can find more information on how to train like a pro.

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SWIMRUN

Google searches for ‘swimrun’ were virtually non-existent before the summer of 2015, but interest in the activity has increased steadily over the last two years, with over 3.7k searches for the term in the UK during 2017. If you haven’t already heard of it, Swimrun is a multi-stage endurance sport which sees participants frequently alternate between cross country running and open water swimming. A swimrun must take place outdoors and include a route that has at least two swim sections and two run sections. All the equipment that a participant starts with has to be carried all the way to the finish line.

The nature of the sport means the equipment needed is highly specialised, with shoes designed to go from water to land in a secure and comfortable way, and specially designed wetsuits which are worn on land. In 2017 we’ve actually seen sales of our swimrun products double year on year, showing the rise in popularity of this sport.

The UK’s first swimrun race was due to take place at Loch Ness in June 2015, but was cancelled due to lack of participants; in 2017 however, swimrun event listings were much healthier with the likes of the Great North swimrun, the ÖTILLÖ swimrun in the Isles of Scilly, the Fritton Lake swimrun, the Glencoe Skyfall swimrun, the Breca Gower swimrun and the Loch Lomond swimrun all successfully taking place this year. As more people continue to become interested in being connected to the natural world, and more research is shared around the mental benefits of ‘green exercise’, exercising outdoors has never been more popular. With nearly 90,000 Instagram posts now tagged with #swimrun, it looks like this innovative approach to outdoor exercise is here to stay.

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THE RUN COMMUTE

Whilst running to work is by no means a new phenomenon, it’s a trend that is becoming more and more established as a standard lifestyle choice. It’s especially increasing in popularity with city dwellers, with Google showing London as being the most popular place in the UK for people searching for ‘run to work’. Google’s search data from 2017 also shows a fresh demand for people looking for accessories that will help them fit exercise into their daily routine more easily; specifically, there has been an increase in the number of Google searches for backpacks exclusively designed for the office run commute. If ‘the run commute’ is something that you’re considering Nike has a great collection of backpacks to choose from, but, if you’re struggling to decide which one you need, we’ve also made a handy guide to picking the best running back pack for you. Just don’t forget you may need a shower when you get to work!

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2018 is shaping up to be a great year for fitness and we’re excited to see how the above trends will take off over the next 12 months. Why don’t you make it your goal to try at least one of the above next year, you never know, you may find a new favourite way to keep fit!

Are you feeling inspired? Then join our SportsShoes Strava Run Club and become part of our inclusive community.
And for more inspirational tips to become stronger, better and happier, then check out our Motivation category. Because it’s no fun standing still.