Sports and fitness trends 2020 – report from ISPO

On January 26th and 27th I was at the ISPO, the international trade fair for sporting goods and sportswear in Munich. There I found out about the current sports and fitness trends in 2020, met other bloggers and influencers and made contacts with companies from the industry.

I’m always asked about current trends in the sport and fitness industry. After all, as a blogger, I should be up to date like no other. 😉

Anyone who knows me and has followed me for a long time knows that I’m not someone who chases trends. I’m more of a friend of things that have been tried and tested and have been proven to help you effectively to achieve your fitness goals in the least possible time. Regardless of whether you run longer and faster , build up some muscle mass , lose weight and define your muscles or just get sporty want.

Goals, motivation and habits usually play a bigger role than the latest trends. My aim is to lay the foundations for sustainable change. It’s not for nothing that my two books are called Muscle Building Basics and the Bastard Killer .

That doesn’t mean I live in a cave, however. Whenever there are new findings, I deal with them and integrate them into my fitness worldview. When I find out about new tools that can make strength or running training easier and / or more effective for you, I will add them to my repertoire and report on them.

After my visit to the ISPO, I have now decided to write this article in which I would like to give you an overview of where I currently see the trends in the sports and fitness industry as I perceived them at the ISPO have.

What is ISPO actually?

ISPO is the annual international trade fair for sporting goods and sportswear that takes place in Munich. In the meantime there is no longer just one big trade fair in Munich. There is also an ISPO in Beijing, one in Shanghai and the ISPO OutDoor, which will also take place in Munich this summer.

In addition, there are a number of events that take place throughout the year in different locations and deal with various special topics of the industry.

Why I was at ISPO 2020

In the past few years, for various reasons, I have never been to ISPO, although I have been invited again and again. That was mainly because I never saw the big points of contact for myself and other events, such as Fibo, were just more interesting for me. For example, large parts of the ISPO are dedicated to mountain and winter sports. These are two areas that I just have very little to do with.

However, this year I decided to go see the spectacle. On the one hand, I did that to see where the trends in the industry are going. Above all, however, I wanted to use the opportunity to meet a few interesting people and make contacts.

Some campaigns for bloggers and influencers were organized at the fair. There I met some like-minded people and was able to exchange ideas with them. Of course I also told you about the FiBloKo and I hope that one or the other of them may be there in November.

I have also made some contacts with companies in the industry. Getting to know each other personally creates a completely different basis for possible future cooperation. We currently also need sponsors so that FiBloKo 2020 can take place as we imagine.

I noticed some industry trends that I would like to share with you below.

My top 6 sport and fitness trends 2020 from ISPO

Overall, in addition to the cool people I was able to meet, I discovered many interesting products at ISPO. Many products were new collections with some smaller, new features and extensions to the product ranges of the respective companies. However, there were also some (I think) pretty innovative things.

I have tried to cluster everything that I’ve seen and that has stayed in my head in trends that I currently see in the industry. I have to say that I didn’t really look at a lot of things at the fair because they just weren’t that interesting for me (winter sports).

Here you come, my top 6 sport and fitness trends 2020 from ISPO. By the way, everything is much less tech-heavy than you might expect.

1) Sustainability megatrend

In general, sustainability is a megatrend that has recently been combined more and more with the megatrend health. Many manufacturers are now placing increasing emphasis on leaving the smallest possible footprint behind in the production of their products. That means that they place more value on not polluting the environment through production.

Some manufacturers also consciously rely on the use of recycled materials. Other companies are increasingly relying on renewable raw materials. I met a manufacturer of sportswear who makes their products from (almost) 100% recycled plastic waste.

At one point or another I found it a bit exaggerated when reference was made to an admixture of 10% recycled material or the use of 5% renewable raw materials. Overall, however, I am very much in favor of this development.

A very cool and innovative product that I would like to highlight in this context is the Infinite Running Shoe that Nico Russ invented.

With these shoes, the modules in the sole can be exchanged and the shoe can be used much longer than a conventional running shoe. In addition, they can be individually adjusted to the needs of the runner thanks to different module hardnesses. That in turn brings me straight to the next trend.

2) Megatrend individuality

The pursuit of individuality is certainly not a new phenomenon in our society. So far, however, I had the impression that athletes give their individuality sufficient expression by choosing certain brands and products. One or the other might have helped here and there with an individual accessory.

However, the demand for customization seems to be perceived as so great that it is currently being devoted to it. Technical and organizational advances also play a role here, making this possible in the first place.

Characteristics are diverse and range from an individual cut and color selection for sportswear to modular adaptability of various sports equipment to automatically mixed food supplements.

Perhaps you will soon get a protein shake in the studio that is individually tailored to you by the robot, or you can have a pair of running shoes customized for you in a specialized running shop and custom-made running socks for your feet.

3) Sports trend security

Ok, actually safety in sport is not a real new trend, but a topic that has been around for a long time. I am listing it here under the fitness trends 2020 at ISPO, however, because a few really useful and innovative products were presented at the fair. With some things I asked myself why they haven’t been around for much longer.

These include special airbags developed for winter or water sports, tiny, yet powerful emergency reporting systems, safety bindings and increasingly better protectors. I still remember my first back protector for snowboarding, which was basically just an uncomfortable, padded plastic shell. There are now protector shirts where you don’t even notice that you are wearing them and still protect much better.

In this picture Thomas, the founder of Dalion-Watersports, is introducing his new safety binding for kitesurfing. That was one of the products that made me wonder why it hadn’t been around for a long time, as popular as kitesurfing has become over the past few years. It was also particularly interesting for me because I started learning it last year.

For me as a heavy long-distance runner, it was also very interesting that some shoes were presented that were specially developed for trail running and ultra-long distances in order to reduce the risk of injury. Currently, my focus is on the half marathon distance, but when I dare to do the long distances again, I will deal with it more intensively.

4) Megatrend multiple use

Another fitness trend in 2020 that I noticed at ISPO is the topic of multi-use. Products should ideally be usable for several things. For example, a Tranzport roof mount can also be used as a sling trainer for training. Shoes are designed to be used in many different situations.

This is of course very practical when traveling because you don’t have unlimited space in your suitcase. The solution is either smaller or fewer things.

In addition to increasing specialization (a separate, individual shoe for every surface and running style), there is also a generalization (the shoe for every surface and running style). I find this interesting and also benefit from it, as I also travel a lot for work.

5) Fitness trend 2020 regeneration

In the sports field, regeneration is still a big screw that can be turned. In the hobby and amateur sector in particular, this important component of training is often not given enough attention. That seems to be changing more and more.

Tools like the self-massage roller by Blackroll * are already quite common. But more and more attention is also being paid to more passive regeneration components such as sleep. This happens in the form of nutritional supplements for better sleep and faster regeneration or through special sleeping clothes, bed linen, mattresses and pillows for optimal regeneration after hard training.

For me, the topic of regeneration is also about the warm-up, also particularly interesting because I’m slowly getting to an age where I quickly get the receipt for a bad regeneration. For example, I can no longer sleep on any surface without being in pain the next day. In addition, it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to increase performance and I am always looking for what screws I can still turn something without investing a lot more time.

Accordingly, I am currently looking for a new mattress and will try one of these special sports pillows.

I particularly liked the Reboots Recovery Boots. Who can afford a leg massage after every workout? I actually toy with the idea of ​​getting a pair. The relatively high price has kept me from it so far.

6) Sports trend VR and e-sports

At the end of my list of fitness trends for 2020, I will also briefly talk about the high-tech topics that one or the other has probably expected here.

Yes, virtual and augmented reality are also playing an increasingly important role here. It will certainly be used in some studios in the next few years. For private users, however, I can still hardly imagine this in the sports and fitness sector. All of this is still too complicated, expensive and not mature enough for that. Ultimately, it’s probably just a matter of time.

There are quite a few funny applications in gaming.

In general, the esports segment was very present at ISPO. I still find it a little difficult to recognize esports as a real sport. However, it definitely takes some training to be among the best here. In the meantime, a lot of money is undoubtedly being turned over. The best e-athletes earn more money than some Bundesliga professionals.

I also had the opportunity to speak to a few e-sports professionals and I noticed that they actually train hard in other ways to keep their body and mind in the best possible shape.

My conclusion from my first ISPO

All in all, ISPO was a pretty cool event and I’m glad I decided to visit. The contacts to other bloggers, influencers and companies in the industry are definitely worth the time. After such an event, I’m always a little more motivated to continue with Fitvolution and the FiBloKo .

It was also very exciting to get an overview of where the trends in the industry are going. I hope I was able to give you an interesting insight.

As I said, my focus is a bit more fitness-oriented and I am therefore particularly excited to see what will be happening at Fibo in April. If you will be there too, please contact me. Maybe we’ll meet there.