Andy Devaney
If you’ve been wondering which fitness trends will actually shape the year ahead—not the usual glossy predictions but the ones rooted in how people really live—2026 is already sending a clear signal: strength, longevity and genuine human connection are back in charge.
According to Pilates Instructor & Founder of East of Eden Abby McLachlan, we’re stepping away from aesthetic-driven quick fixes and marching toward movement that actually means something.
Consumers are waking up to the idea that training shouldn’t be a vanity project; it should help you stay upright, mobile, and surrounded by people who lift you up—sometimes literally.
The coming year sees Pilates evolve again, multidisciplinary training landing centre stage, and recovery practices moving from the fringes to the weekly rota. It’s a shift driven by a public determined to live well for longer, fuelled by resilience, community and a bit more self-respect.
McLachlan sees the direction of travel clearly, and she doesn’t mince her words. “There has already been a big shift towards including strength training as part of the ideal fitness mix, and I have no doubt this will continue, with even more of a focus on the bone density questions specifically, and the importance of lifting weights from your 20s onwards.
For perimenopausal women and beyond, this becomes even more essential – it’s never too late to start. I also think that this focus will expand to look at mobility and flexibility too, so strength with purpose, looking not only at longevity, but how we live well for as long as possible.
I think people will start to see the benefits of multi-disciplinary training, moving their bodies in as many ways as possible. I also see that there will be a focus on older people, who often still have disposable income, and maybe haven’t really explored group fitness and exercise to date. I see there being an emphasis on programmes that include low-impact cardio, strength training and mobility and functional fitness.”
That focus on strength won’t just be about barbells and sweat-soaked determination. 2026 looks like the year we stop treating mobility as optional and acknowledge that stiff joints aren’t a personality trait—they’re a warning sign. This next phase of fitness trends leans toward training smart, not punishing yourself into oblivion.
And then there’s Pilates. The reformer boom has been roaring long enough to feel like a permanent fixture, but McLachlan predicts the obsession is maturing. “I think the massive interest in reformer Pilates won’t be going anywhere; however, I think people are going to start wanting more.
With some studios having up to 30 reformer beds, I think that we will see a trend of people also wanting a more in-depth a personal Pilates experience, true to the original Pilates principles. So I think we will start to see more use of equipment such as the Cadillac and the barrel.
I can see the popularity of Tower Pilates growing in popularity, and these classes have to be smaller as they require more precision. And then I think because the cost of living challenges that so many people are experiencing are unlikely to get significantly better next year, I think we will start to see a trend around wall Pilates, using sliders and resistance bands, so using the wall and inexpensive props to create additional balance and resistance challenges that you cannot get from just a mat alone.”
In other words, Pilates is heading back to its roots, with smaller classes, more precision, and less of the “factory line on reformers” effect that’s crept in. And for those feeling the pinch, wall Pilates is about to become the people’s champion. Affordable, accessible, and no need to sell a kidney for studio membership.
But perhaps the clearest sign of where the industry is headed arrived with a thud: this week’s news that Peloton profits have tumbled. For McLachlan, the message is simple—the at-home boom birthed by COVID has finally burned out.
“News this week that Peloton profits are way down tells me that the at-home exercise boom created by COVID is over, and I think real-life community is going to become more and more important, especially centred around movement and exercise.
People want to be part of a tribe. whether that’s HYROX, or being a member at a boutique studio and meeting people through challenges and group events, but there will be an increasing call for communities to feel authentic, not created as a tick box exercise.”
Strip away the marketing gloss and McLachlan is pointing at something most of us already feel: people are tired of sweating alone in their living rooms. They want teammates, banter, someone to groan with through the last set. Authentic communities—not manufactured ones—are set to define the next generation of fitness spaces.
And after the year many have had, it’s no surprise we’re craving a bit of calm too. The final piece of the 2026 picture sits firmly in the recovery camp.
“Finally, I think people are getting to the end of this year and feeling tired… tired of the awful news, the relentless march of capitalism, the pressure on their energy and wallets, and I think practices that enable recovery and rest will become ever more important – breathwork, contrast therapy, meditation, restorative yoga.”
So, 2026 isn’t about chasing shortcuts or sculpting a body for Instagram. It’s about becoming sturdier, moving with intent, plugging into real communities and treating rest as something you’ve earned, not a luxury.
A year built on strength, mobility and connection? That’s a trend worth sticking with.
