Garmin's latest report indicates that racket sports will be the hottest trend in Asia next year. In-depth data reveals that women are engaging more in muscle building than men, contradicting previous assumptions.
Garmin, the smart watch manufacturer, has released its year-end fitness report highlighting exercise trends for 2025 based on real user data worldwide. The findings show notable changes, especially in Thailand, where exercise habits are shifting toward greater balance.
The most notable trend in Thailand is the growth of muscle strength training, which has increased by 30 percent, making it the third most popular sport, surpassing cycling for the first time. This aligns with the global trend of this activity growing steadily for the fourth consecutive year. Insights also show women engage in muscle training 6 percent more frequently than men.
Regarding walking, a basic human activity, data shows that the average Thai takes 7,120 steps per day. Hong Kong leads the world with an average of 10,663 steps daily, followed by South Korea and Spain.
Another rising trend across Asia is racket sports, including badminton, pickleball, table tennis, and padel, which have seen participation more than double. Vietnam has the highest proportion of players among these countries.
Looking ahead to 2026, the report states that wearable technology will remain the number one fitness trend. People will increasingly focus on advanced health metrics such as heart rate variability (HRV) and oxygen capacity (VO2 Max), along with the growing trend of senior fitness driven by global demographic changes.