Stronger, Not Smaller: The New Era Of Women’s Fitness

Physical activity is one of the best ways you can support your health. Similar to other wellness industries, there have been shifts in fitness trends for women. Here’s what’s popular now and likely to continue to be big in 2025.

Shifting fitness goals

In recent years, more women have become more interested in building strength and boosting their overall well-being rather than on getting as skinny as possible

Rachel Vaziralli, Director of Fitness Design for Orangetheory Fitness, says, “One of the biggest trends we’ve seen over the past decade is the growing embrace of strength training among women, and this momentum is only expected to accelerate as we head into 2025. More women are gravitating toward heavy lifting, moving away from the idea that they should stick to lighter weights. This shift shows that the fitness industry has successfully communicated the wide-ranging health benefits of building muscle, from improved strength and metabolism to enhanced overall wellness.”

She adds that with increased awareness of the changes in women’s fitness needs that come up as they transition into perimenopause and menopause, “we’re seeing an increasing number of fitness programs designed specifically for this population, offering tailored workout regimens to support hormonal changes and overall health during these transitions.”

Dana M. Anello, MS, a fitness consultant and founder of Jersey Women Strong, a running, walking and multisport community based in Northern NJ works primarily with women in their 40s to 60’s. She says she has seen an increased interest in strength, mobility and longevity. “Women are more focused on getting out, getting moving and getting stronger and enjoying their lives.”

A part of where these shifts may have originated from, explains Vaziralli, are movements like body positivity and body acceptance. “They have played a significant role in encouraging women to prioritize health, mental wellness, and self-confidence over chasing a particular body ideal. This has sparked a more holistic approach to fitness, where women pay attention to sleep quality, stress management, and cognitive health. Many also set performance-based goals, like improving their running times or hitting new personal bests in the gym.”

Today’s most popular workouts

Both Vaziralli and Anellio have noticed increased interest in strength-focused activities. For example, smaller group strength classes have become more popular as more women move away from doing HIIT classes five days a week, explains Anello. “You’re seeing more classes that are small groups getting in there for 30 minutes, working the big muscle groups. In a small group format, the instructor can give each person individual attention.”

She has noticed her clients have become especially interested in rucking, walking with a weighted vest. “I think it’s a great and welcome change that’s getting women outside, walking and engaging. I also love that you can have two people who are at different fitness levels carrying different weights walking together, and I think that is very appealing to people because they can have workout partners and community.”

For those interested in trying rucking, Anello shares that it’s generally recommended to start with about 10 percent of your body weight. “If that feels heavy, I like a 10-12 pond vest to start with. For most women that’s going to be a good place to start. You can even start by throwing a weight in a backpack.” However, when you’re carrying weight on your back, she adds, “you want it to be higher, so I recommend that people roll up a towel or stick a yoga block in there and then put the weight on top of that in the backpack.”

Strength and sculpting-focused fitness businesses like F45 and PVOLVE have continued to gain popularity, and boutique studios have added more strengthening classes to their schedules. For example PureBarre has increased the brand’s strength-oriented Define classes. In keeping with these evolving motivations, says Vaziralli, Orangetheory combines cardio and strength training in every session while using technology to track performance. “This combination of efficiency, variety and data-driven insights makes these formats so appealing.” She adds that the company has responded to this shift in consumer interest “by introducing dedicated strength classes like Strength 50, which focuses entirely on resistance training. Members can choose from total body, upper body, or lower body workouts to target specific areas. We’ve also enhanced our traditional Orange 60 classes by maximizing the time spent lifting weights, ensuring that members get the most out of the strength portion of their workout.”

Leveraging technology to boost fitness

Technology has allowed consumers to track their fitness and wellness over time and note progress. Today, people can plan out and track their workouts, metrics related to many aspects of health, such as heart rate, sleep quality, menstrual cycle, and more.

While studios like Orangetheory have been utilizing technology from the beginning, they’re stepped it up in the personalization department. Vaziralli explains, “Our heart rate monitoring system tracks time spent in various heart rate zones, ensuring that each workout is as effective as possible. These zones are personalized using our proprietary algorithm and displayed on large screens throughout the class, helping coaches guide participants. After class, members can check their performance in the mobile app, where they’ll find detailed data like calories burned, time in each heart rate zone and total splat points—points earned for time spent in the orange and red zones. It’s a data-driven approach that keeps members motivated and informed about their progress.”

If nothing else, says Anello, there’s a lot of value in tracking your steps. “Starting to bring awareness to your movement (or lack of movement) throughout the day is so important. I want my clients to understand that it’s awesome that they’re coming and doing their 45 minutes of strength training but I also want them to be moving through the day. The research supports this. If you don’t currently have a tracker, get one and start tracking your steps.”

While the research is varied on how many steps is ideal, says Anello, ten to twelve thousand tends to be a sweet spot for her clients. She acknowledges that it will require you to be intentional if you have a sedentary job. “I tell people to track themselves to track for a week or two, see where they’re at, and then gradually increase.”

Don’t forget overall balance

While trends in fitness will come and go, it’s important not to hyperfocus on just one type of activity. “While the shift toward strength training is incredible,” says “Vaziralli, “I want to emphasize that heart health remains essential. It’s all about balance and ensuring you’re taking care of your strength and cardiovascular fitness.” Additionally, as we get older, it’s important not to overlook mobility or flexibility, as these become increasingly important over time.

Beyond exercise, remember that nutrition, stress management, and sleep are all important as well. You can have a great fitness routine in place, but if you’re not properly fueled, aren’t resting or have poor stress management, it will be hard to reap those benefits fully. If you feel overwhelmed, start small and focus on building sustainable healthy habits.

Anello adds that if you’re new to exercise, not to let that hold you back. “I can’t emphasize this enough: It is never too late.”