ACSM Partners with China Fitness Leadership to Develop Fitness Trends Survey for China The Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends by ACSM, now in its 11th year, is an annual report that strategically determines trends and changes in the health and fitness industry as reflected in survey responses by a network of fitness professionals around the world. The fitness trends survey report will now become even more internationally focused as ACSM will be partnering with fitness leadership in China to produce a version of the survey targeted specifically to the growing health and fitness industry in China. ACSM President-elect Walt Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, who has led the survey initiative with a team of ACSM members and staff, stated, “ACSM has a substantial commitment to global collaboration, and we hope this is the first of many more countries we can work with to customize surveying and reporting even more specific to the trends and changes of nations around the world.” China represents many important directions for the world’s future. But why this interest in fitness and why now? According to Dr. Yongming Li, an associate professor of the Shanghai University of Sport, a researcher on energetics in exercise and sports and consultant to the fitness industry in China, there are many compelling reasons. A foremost reason is the world-wide scientific recognition of the importance of exercise for health promotion and health care. There are other key factors, as Dr. Li summarized. “With the economic development in China during the past decades, there is a clear rise in health awareness and health needs in China,” and “In order to promote nationwide health, the Chinese government established the national strategy known as the Healthy China 2030 Program. As the fitness industry enlarges, there is an urgent need of guidance for the practitioners in the China fitness industry to better establish their exercise programs based on a scientific and evidence-based indicator of major directions, patterns and trends, which we sometimes call a ‘weathervane’ as an analogy.” The ACSM Annual Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends has been popular with the Chinese fitness industry, especially when they determined their future exercise programs. Dr. Li noted the key role of the overall global fitness trends, but also a growing importance on specific trends in China. The establishment of the Fitness Trends Survey in China, in partnership with ACSM, is going to provide key answers and, most importantly, will give the Chinese fitness industry-specific direction in the market.