FIBO 2025, the world’s leading fitness expo and trade show, offered a compelling preview of the latest emerging trends for gyms, members and wellness spaces everywhere.
After attending the expo, Mannee De Wet, Managing Director at Planet Fitness, unpacks the standout trends from FIBO 2025.
From smart glute training and mobility circuits to the rise of Reformer Pilates and recovery as a priority, he explores how fitness is becoming more inclusive, intentional and integrated with healthcare.
READ MORE | These 5 trends will shape the health sector in 2025
Holistic, personalised & human
If there’s one message the global fitness industry is sending loud and clear, it’s that fitness is no longer just about reps and results. It’s about how we feel, how we move, how we age — and how we bounce back.
This message rang through every corner of FIBO 2025, the world’s biggest fitness trade show, where the future of fitness was on full display. And, it’s more personalised, more holistic, and more human than ever.
We’re seeing a clear shift away from a one-size-fits-all gym experience. Today’s members want more than access to equipment.
They’re demanding tools and experiences that match their specific goals, bodies, and lifestyles. From hyper-targeted strength training to high-tech recovery, the future of fitness is being shaped not only by innovation, but by intention.
#1: Strong glutes are supporting strong bodies
Once a niche goal, glute training has moved into the mainstream, and it’s not just for aesthetic reasons. Strong glutes mean better posture, improved athletic performance, and fewer injuries.
Both men and women are now prioritising functional strength, and equipment manufacturers are taking notice. FIBO 2025 showcased a new generation of glute-specific machines designed to isolate, activate, and strengthen. The rise of this equipment speaks to a broader trend: training smarter, with a focus on longevity and performance.
#2: Stretching is no longer the warm-up act
Mobility and flexibility have long played second fiddle to cardio and strength, but that’s changing fast.
At FIBO, there was a surge in dedicated stretch concepts and mobility circuits, many of which are being treated as standalone training formats rather than afterthoughts.
This focus reflects a deeper understanding of what it means to move well for life. As more people come to see mobility as foundational rather than not optional, we can expect fitness clubs to prioritise spaces and programmes that support flexibility, balance, and long-term joint health.
#3: Recovery is the new hustle
In a culture that’s long glorified pushing through pain, there’s something refreshing about the rising status of recovery.
Infrared saunas, red light therapy, lymphatic drainage, cold plunges… What was once reserved for elite athletes is now pert of mainstream wellness.
Everyday people are asking how they can train hard and train for life, and the answer lies in recovery. It’s no longer a nice-to-have. It’s central to any serious training strategy.
#4: Reformer Pilates is redefining strength
Once confined to boutique studios, Reformer Pilates is now gaining mass appeal thanks to its low-impact, high-return approach to core strength, alignment, and injury prevention.
Its relevance lies in its ability to serve aesthetic, rehabilitative, and functional goals. It meets people where they want to be, which is exactly what modern fitness needs to do.
#5: Fitness is intersecting with healthcare
Perhaps the most surprising development at FIBO was the growing crossover between medical rehabilitation and gym training, with equipment designed for post-natal recovery, pelvic floor strengthening, elderly mobility, and more, starting to appear on gym floors.
While this tech may still feel specialist for now, it’s a glimpse of what’s coming: gyms that also serve as specialist health hubs.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
