Green Queen 2020 Trend Predictions: Nature-Based Fitness Takes Over

After years of every fitness trend under the sun, the industry is set for a serious U-turn, back to nature. Fitness enthusiasts of today are looking for more than just optimising their physical bodies, they are seeking deeper connection and meaning from their daily workout. Our prediction for 2020: fitness will go outdoors.

You might have already noticed the growing numbers of trail runners, avid mountaineers and hikers. People don’t want to be locked in an indoor gym or one-room studio – they want to be experiencing the world around them, going on a journey with their senses and building a story while they challenge their bodies to new milestones. This is partly driven by the rise of urban living, with its city bustle, daily stressors, crowded streets and lack of green spaces, which has left many of us feeling disconnected from our natural environments. Many busy professionals are looking for a body and mind release when they workout, and they’re taking their movement and activities out into the open air to get it. 

We’ll likely see the continued growth in popularity of outdoor training gyms. People will opt for community based, group led workouts that are based in open areas such as beaches, parks and street corners throughout cities instead of conventional air-conditioned indoor gyms. Outdoor obstacle courses, hill walking, kayaking, dinghy sailing- all are niche fitness activities on the rise, with concepts like the November Project (regular free workouts in neighbourhood parks) and the Green Race (trail running with an eco spin) continuing to find success as 2020 defines itself as the year of everything nature-based fitness.

Lead image courtesy of Maxpro / Shutterstock.