Fewer gyms, more boot camps in 2011

We've seen a huge shift in how people like to exercise through the decades, from independent gyms to "all under one roof" health clubs (which brought with them the lurid-Lycra-wearing aerobics class — let's not go back there — and the "feel the burn" mentality). Following this, variations of aerobics classes, strength and conditioning groups, dance, yoga and Pilates were born and that leads us to now, when you can do a combination of just about anything. But people's mind-sets are changing and the fitness industry will need to change to reflect that.

Here are my predictions for 2011:

You'll see more outdoor boot camp, high-intensity-style fitness groups. People don't want to be crammed into gyms any more.

Smaller, more niche studios will appear, with a greater expertise in their chosen field.

Pay-as-you-go instead of memberships — why pay for a service when you're not using it?

A growing demand for properly qualified fitness professionals. People want trainers who really know their stuff and don't just talk a good talk.
Yoga.

Core and strength training using traditional techniques such as sit-ups and free weights will become increasingly popular.

Obesity is front of mind at the moment, and rightly so. But with an ageing population and our sedentary lifestyles, we're going to be seeing musculoskeletal issues becoming increasingly important, and a growing focus on prehab (preventative maintenance) to help keep them in check.

The reasons for my predictions are simple. We are generally more aware of our bodies and diet, we don't want to be paying for a service we aren't using, and we certainly don't want to pay for something that doesn't give us results.

David Higgins is a co-founder of TenPilates (tenpilates.com)