Huel Predicts: 7 Fitness Trends for 2023

Let’s face it, workout regimes can get a little… repetitive. Don’t get us wrong, there’s a reason fitness trackers, HIIT workouts and CrossFit classes have been ever-present in the fitness world over the past decade. But maybe it’s time for a shake-up?

Here’s some fitness trends we’re predicting to blow up in 2023 then, from unusual workouts just taking off, to things we saw growing in popularity last year (and expect to keep on booming).

Hyrox

CrossFit is a fitness behemoth with over 15,000 affiliated gyms and approximately 5 million people worldwide regularly working out the CrossFit way. TL;DR: CrossFit is here to stay.

It’s always nice to see some healthy competition though, and the newest, shiniest kid on the run-lift-HIIT block is Hyrox, a competition series first launched in the US in 2018. Each competition combines a 1km run with one functional exercise, repeated eight times.

It's functional fitness like CrossFit, but made more accessible with none of the complex Olympic movements and extreme reps that can put people off CF.

Google searches spiked for Hyrox at the tail end of 2022, and with a mighty schedule set for this year – including the first time its World Championship Race has been held in the UK – 2023 could be the year Hyrox really starts to challenge its rivals.

Pickleball

The world has been playing some form of tennis since the 12th century (according to historians), so it makes sense that sooner or later a new similar-ish sport would try and take the racquet sports mantle. That this rival would be called *checks notes* pickleball makes less sense. 

With absolutely nothing to do with vinegar, pickleball is billed as a combination of tennis, table tennis and badminton, and sees players hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a net with solid-faced paddles.

Invented in the 1960s by three dads bored with the usual summertime activities, pickleball had been growing steadily before really taking off at the end of 2022 with the announcement of a Major League Pickleball competition. 

Launching in 2023, it's already got an impressive roster of investors including LeBron James, Tom Brady, and tennis bad boy, Nick Kyrgios. A long read on the sport’s success in the New York Times has further fuelled the belief that pickleball will be the sport of 2023. 

The Treadmill Renaissance

Treadmill use at the gym had been on a bit of a decline until everyone woke up to the gym equipment’s potential in 2022, thanks in no small part to the viral 12-3-30 trend. For those still to be uninitiated, the 12-3-30 involves setting your treadmill incline to 12%, the speed to 3mph, and then walking for 30 minutes. 

It’s a good, low-impact workout for pretty much any and everyone, but, remember, it’s not the only thing the treadmill is good for. Treadmill workouts are seemingly going viral on TikTok every week – hello Taylor Swift workout – giving fresh ideas for those of us looking to stay active through the winter months, without having to brave the weights room, or the chill outside.

Shy Girl Workouts

From one TikTok trend to another, Shy Girl Workouts took off at the end of 2022 and involves working out using only dumbbells so as not to take up much space or attract attention in the gym. A pretty handy workout to have in your back pocket during those peak times. 

However, they’re also more than that. Shy Girl Workouts are a motivational rallying cry for women suffering from gymtimidation, with polls suggesting that around 65% of women report feelings of gym anxiety compared to 35% of men. They’re a way of encouraging people who feel they don’t have a place in fitness culture or the gym, to get involved. And that’s a workout trend we can get behind.

Standing Abs Workouts

Another – you guessed it – TikTok trend looking to extend its 15 minutes of fame, standing abs workouts are an interesting way of deviating from those not massively effective sit-ups and crunches. 

By trying to remain tall and stable through a standing abs workout your core will be more thoroughly engaged, while also testing your balance – great for those who play sports – and helping prevent the neck or hip flexor pain you might get from doing core work on the mat.

Sounds good huh? Have a go at a warrior balance or some standing oblique bends when you're next in the gym and be your own judge.

Primal Movement

A workout routine that’s been trending on Pinterest recently, Primal movement patterns basically follow the way your body moves every day, from lifting yourself out of bed to bending down to get your Huel out of the bottom cupboard.

Primal exercises work your body in different planes – push, pull, squat, lunge, bend, twist and travel – the theory is if you practice and repeat these primal movements at the gym (bodyweight squats, push-ups and dumbbell rows are all primal workout mainstays), it may lead to better everyday movement and help future-proof your body.  

Stroller Fitness

Some parents use what little free time they have to collapse on the sofa and catch up on some precious sleep. Others stuff their newborns into a buggy and smash out a 10k…

Google searches for “stroller fitness” increased by 88 percent last year, while running buggies are becoming more advanced with sturdy rubber tyres engineered for rocky terrains and all-wheel suspension. It's a great way for new parents to grab some vitamin D, connect with their child and get back into fitness without having to call on a babysitter every time they fancy a bit of fartlek.