The Fitness Business Podcast with Erin Dimond and Jordan Dugger EP | 695 - 2026 Fitness Industry Forecast: 10 Trends That Will Define The Year
If the coaching space feels different right now — heavier, slower, more discerning — you're not imagining it.
The market is shifting.
And it's not shifting in the way most coaches think. It's not that people don't want coaching. It's not that the economy is bad. It's not that Instagram is "over-saturated."
It's that people are no longer buying information.
They're buying identity.
And because of that — the strategies that worked in 2021, 2022, even early 2024… they simply don't hold the same weight today.
If you want to be relevant in 2026, you need to understand the deeper shift that's happening underneath the tactics — the cultural shift shaping how people choose mentors, how they commit to transformation, and who they trust with their future.
Today, I'm going to walk you through the 10 coaching industry trends that we think will define the next year — and exactly what to do about them now.
Time Stamps:
(0:20) The Future of Online Fitness Coaching
(3:26) DM Us For More Information
(4:02) #1: Rise of The Hybrid Coach
(5:20) #2: Niche Depth > Niche Category
(6:54) #3: Coaches Are Becoming Media Personalities
(8:36) #4: AI Becomes Invisible
(10:03) #5: Identity and Behavior Coaching Goes Mainstream
(11:00) #6: Lifestyle Optimization
(11:50) #7: Death To $200 A Month Coach
(13:28) #8: Community and Belonging
(13:49) #9: Immersive Experiences
(15:13) #10: Coaches Who Can Speak Win
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