Wearables top ACSM fitness trend third year

The American College of Sports Medicine’s annual fitness forecast put wearable technology at No. 1 for 2026, marking the third straight year the category has led the list. ACSM said the ranking came from its 20th annual worldwide survey of 2,000 clinicians, researchers and exercise professionals, published in the November/December issue of *ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal*. (recmanagement.com) That matters because the ACSM list is not a consumer popularity chart. (recmanagement.com) The organization describes it as a professional survey meant to identify trends shaping the health and fitness industry rather than short-lived fads. (acsm.org) ### How unusual is a three-year run at No. 1? The 2026 report said wearable technology had “reclaimed” the top spot for a third consecutive year and has ranked No. 1 nine times in the survey’s history. ACSM’s 2025 report also put wearable technology first, and its 2024 report did the same. The 2024 ACSM materials said wearable technology had stayed in the top three since 2016, except for a dip to No. 2 in 2021 and No. 3 in 2018. (recmanagement.com) That gives the current streak more context: wearables are not newly fashionable, but repeatedly endorsed by fitness professionals. ### What does ACSM mean by “wearable technology”? (acsm.org) ACSM’s 2024 description defined wearable technology broadly: fitness trackers, smartwatches, heart-rate monitors and GPS tracking devices that can monitor metrics such as heart rate, calories, sitting time and sleep. The 2025 report said technology applications continued to build momentum, with mobile exercise apps and data-driven training technology also appearing in the top 10. (manelvalcarce.com) The 2026 top-10 list, as summarized by ACSM-linked releases, kept that technology emphasis intact. After wearable technology, the next leading items included fitness programs for older adults, exercise for weight management, mobile exercise apps and balance, flow and core strength. (rexon.net) ### Where does HRV fit into the wearable story? Heart-rate variability, or HRV, refers to variation in the time interval between heartbeats. A 2024 review in the *Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology* said HRV has become an increasingly measured variable by wearable technology for use in fitness and sport applications. (acsm.org) A 2026 review in *Sensors* said HRV is a non-invasive biomarker that can offer insight into physiological adaptation, stress and recovery in athletes. The paper said one metric, RMSSD, has emerged as a practical measure because of its association with parasympathetic activity and its reliability in short recordings. (recmanagement.com) ### Are athletes and trainers actually using HRV to guide training? The research literature says HRV is being used for training adaptation and recovery monitoring, but it also warns against treating a single score as a complete answer. The 2024 strength-and-conditioning review said a gap has opened between research and real-world application as wearables spread, while a 2026 *Frontiers* perspective argued HRV is often used alone when it works better alongside other signals. (mdpi.com) That means the social-media shorthand is directionally right but incomplete. HRV is part of the current wearable toolkit for athletes, coaches and trainers, especially around fatigue and recovery, yet the published research describes it as one input among several rather than a standalone performance verdict. (mdpi.com) ### Where can readers find the source material? ACSM’s fitness trends archive links its 2026 materials and earlier annual reports. The organization’s 2026 conference site also highlights the convergence of physical activity, exercise and technology, including sessions on wearables and advanced diagnostics. (acsm.org) (mdpi.com 1) (mdpi.com 2)