NFLA

The Manitoba Fitness Council along with the following provincial contacts creates the National Fitness Leaders Alliance (NFLA).

British Columbia Parks and Recreation Association (BCRPA)
The Alberta Fitness Leaders Alliance(AFLCA)
The Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA)
The Ontario Fitness Council (OFC)
Fitness New Brunswick
Nova Scotia Fitness Association

NFLA CANADA is committed to improving the health of Canadians through active living by supporting the fitness and exercise professional industry, with a standardized registration program that is transparent and unbiased. Its main focus is on the development and stewardship of national standards for fitness leader registration across Canada, and acting as an advocate for fitness leadership at the National level. Our involvement with ICREPs will further these goals, providing international recognition for our Canadian fitness professionals, and allowing for the sharing of best practices internationally.

http://www.nflacanada.ca/

Canadian Fitness Industry Trends 2019

The National Fitness Leadership Alliance of Canada has surveyed its members in partnership with the Manitoba Fitness Council and here are the top trends for 2019.

Trend #1 – HIIT is still HOT

In 2018, we continued to see, an explosion of high-intensity interval training (otherwise known as HIIT) many new chains and gyms that are basing their programs on wearable technology. As we head into 2019 this is not expected to change much.

Trend #2 – 60 is still the norm

People are short on time, but most are still choosing either the 60- or 45-minute classes over the 30-minute fitness snacking programs. As much as the 30-minute classes are good, they don’t leave participants with the same feeling as the longer versions.

Trend #3 – Yoga is not going anywhere anytime soon

While yoga has been a top discipline for a very long time (thousands of years before). It has mostly been something that people feel they really need, not just to work and stretch tired muscles, but to give them a mental break each week. There has however been a trend in 2018 towards more experiential yoga classes to participate in unique settings, outside in winter, with farm animals or even at iconic locations and times. Lunchtime yoga classes continue to be well attended. Fitness enthusiasts strive to find opportunities anytime, anywhere.

Trend #4 – Using Fitness Technology is SMART

Working with groups of people at various fitness levels can be a challenge, by using group wearable technology, individual members can see their personal progress during the class. Everyone is short on time and this can ensure that everyone is working at their perfect exertion rate.

Trend #5 – Certified Fitness Leaders Always

One might think that all gyms use certified instructors, this is not the case, but we’re happy to report that every year more gyms see the value in the training and education of leaders and are ensuring that the people they are hiring are certified with a national fitness association like the NFLA.

Trend #6 – Personal trainers report equal weight loss and strength training goals

While healthy living is always on trend, as we approach 2019, we surveyed our personal trainers and it seems the top two reasons why people visit them is still an equal distribution of those looking to lose weight and those who are looking to increase their individual strength.

Trend #7 – Dumbbells, dumbbells, dumbbells 

There have been so many innovative products released in the past 20 years BUT, most strength training classes are still using dumbbells in their strength training classes regularly.

Trend #8 – Fascial Fitness

Many of our participants are dealing with muscle imbalance and using foam rollers and other techniques can help them self-manage. Only recently, we have come to understand that the muscular connective tissue – the fascia – is one of the most underestimated tissues of our body.

The National Fitness Leadership Alliance of Canada is a partnership of not-for profit organizations dedicated to the advancement of exercise accreditation and leadership. The NFLA currently has over 10,000 certified fitness leaders in Canada.

Together we develop, promote and implement national standards for the accreditation, training and registration of exercise professionals in Canada.

For more information on our partners, programs and services please visit http://nfla.ca/

Stephanie Jeffrey
NFLA Chair