Wearables top fitness trend
The American College of Sports Medicine named wearable tech the No.1 fitness trend for 2026 — CNET’s roundup also spotlights trackers that boost motivation and accuracy for everyday athletes. (medium.com) (cnet.com)
The ACSM Worldwide Fitness Trends report was published October 22, 2025 in the November/December issue of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, marks the survey’s 20th anniversary, and is based on responses from 2,000 clinicians, researchers and exercise professionals with Cayla R. McAvoy, PhD, listed as lead author. (acsm.org) Rounding out the top five after wearables, ACSM lists Fitness Programs for Older Adults at #2, Exercise for Weight Management at #3, Mobile Exercise Apps at #4, and Balance, Flow and Core Strength at #5. (acsm.org) The report explicitly states “Nearly half of U.S. adults now own a fitness tracker or smartwatch” and adds practical applications for each of the 20 trends to help translate findings into programming, policy and practice. (acsm.org) CNET’s roundup, updated February 18, 2026, awarded its heart‑rate accuracy lab prize to the Apple Watch Series 11 after comparing it to a Polar H10 chest strap, reporting an average heart‑rate error of 0.98% (about 1.40 beats per minute). (cnet.com) CNET named the Fitbit Charge 6 its best overall fitness tracker for 2026 and highlighted features such as SmartTrack activity detection, built‑in GPS and 50‑meter water resistance, while its lab tests included the Apple Watch Series 11, Garmin Venu 4, Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Amazfit Bip 6. (cnet.com)
