The number of clubs offering body-weight leverage equipment, such as TRX, has more than doubled in the last two years. Photo courtesy of TRX.

’Tis the season for reflection on the past and to forecast the coming year, and the fitness industry is no exception. In looking ahead to health club programming trends, several industry associations say small fitness equipment and accessories will play a key role.

Sales of fitness accessories in general are growing and are outpacing the growth of larger equipment like strength and cardio machines, according to the 2011 “Fitness Programs & Equipment Trends” report published by IDEA Health & Fitness Association earlier this year. Kathie Davis, the association’s executive director, says she expects that trend to continue. Accessories are relatively inexpensive, take up less space and offer versatility, making them an attractive way for a club to update its programming and keep members engaged.

“People really like the opportunity to have new ‘toys,’” Davis says. “As long as clubs can afford these new toys, I think we’ll see the market grow. They not only keep the classes interesting, they keep personal training interesting. That’s what clients are asking for—they need a change-up.”

Based on the trend report, which tracks the equipment and programming that health clubs have reported offering during the past 10 years, one of the biggest increases in the small equipment market has been in body-weight leverage equipment. From 2009 to 2010, the number of clubs that reported offering this type of equipment more than doubled from 25 percent to 57 percent. Davis says the growth is due largely to systems such as TRX, San Francisco, which she expects will continue to increase in popularity.

“I think that word of mouth is a big part of its growth. But I also think that it’s really good programming,” Davis says. “You put together good training [of licensed instructors], with good programming, with a tool—like suspension training—that gets real results, and you have a winner.”

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