Fitness trends come in waves, and some are worth trying, while others are best avoided. Many of us remember going all in with one diet or fitness fad or another and ending up feeling like our time and energy could have been better spent elsewhere. It can also feel difficult to navigate the conflicting dietary and fitness advice out there.
I tried the 75 Hard Challenge for two days before deciding it was more trouble than it was worth because it felt overly stringent and time-consuming. Taking a single rest day off during the 75-day challenge is considered a failure and requires starting from the beginning. Keep reading for some expert tips on 2025 fitness trends.
2025 fitness trends
On the other hand, some fitness trends like plogging and remote personal training have a long lifespan or become timeless because there’s merit behind them. We asked expert dietitian and strength and conditioning specialist Marie Spano to share tips on how to set realistic fitness and nutrition goals as well as the best and worst 2025 fitness trends, so we know what to get behind and what to steer clear of.
As a Dymatize sports nutrition expert, Spano has worked with several national sports teams and understands how to optimize fitness and nutrition to fine-tune athletic performance.
Interview with sports nutrition expert Marie Spano
The Manual (TM): How long have you been interested in fitness and nutrition?
Marie Spano: I first became interested in fitness and nutrition when I was in middle school. My initial interest was piqued by the desire to improve athletic performance, which then led to an interest in disease prevention. For example, understanding how a person can fuel their body and train for optimal performance on the field and in life.
TM: What are the worst 2025 fitness trends we should limit or avoid?
Marie Spano: 75 Hard Challenge: This challenge requires people to work out twice a day for 45 minutes each time and drink at least 1 gallon of water while maintaining a strict diet for 75 days. For many, it’s a recipe for failure and injuries. In addition, many people don’t need 1 gallon of water per day — this may be excessive. Also, diving into strict programs like 75 Hard doesn’t teach a person anything about behavior changes in the long term.
A more sustainable way to build lifelong habits is to add a new habit one at a time and stack them on top of one another. I advise my patients to try pairing a new habit with an existing one.
AI workouts: AI can be very beneficial for many people. It helps provide access to fitness tips to those who may not be able to afford or have time to see a fitness professional. Additionally, advanced AI can analyze a number of metrics to create highly individualized fitness programs, including from wearable technology. However, AI cannot replace a good trainer or strength coach.
In addition to watching your form and ensuring you follow a plan that allows for consistent progress, a good fitness professional will encourage and motivate you while also recognizing when you need to alter your workouts to prevent injuries.
TM: What do you feel are the best 2025 fitness trends?
Marie Spano: Wearable technology will continue to evolve and provide individualized feedback on everything from sleep and calories burned to health markers such as blood sugar. This constant feedback can help motivate people and give them more insight into what workouts do or don’t work for them.
TM: Could you share your top tips about how to achieve our fitness resolutions as we continue into the new year?
Marie Spano: Make SMART goals. It’s a good idea to identify your goals, write them down on paper, and make them specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-sensitive. Additionally, people benefit from the buddy system — having somebody who can keep you on track and accountable. This could be a friend or colleague, or better yet, a coach. Top athletes rely on a variety of coaches and sports nutrition experts to ensure they’re making progress toward their goals.
TM: How can we set realistic fitness-based goals?
Marie Spano: You can make realistic fitness-based goals by considering your past history, available time, resources (including financial resources), and what you enjoy doing. If you don’t enjoy lifting weights on your own, don’t put that in your plan. Instead, hire a personal trainer or schedule group classes. Many people fail because they don’t enjoy the process, and because they don’t enjoy the process, they don’t stick with it long enough to see changes.
TM: As a strength and conditioning specialist, how have you applied your scientific knowledge to help athletes enhance athletic performance?
Marie Spano: I utilize my knowledge of strength and conditioning and exercise science to match my nutrition programming with each athlete’s training program and goals. In addition, having this background enables me to better communicate with strength coaches I work with.
TM: You’ve worked with national sports teams. Could you tell us more about that?
Marie Spano: I’ve worked for teams in the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, and MMA. As a sports dietitian nutritionist, my role is to optimize athletes’ performance, health, and recovery while helping them reduce their injury risk and expedite their return to play through tailored nutrition strategies.
I start by evaluating an athlete’s dietary habits, body composition, bone density, anthropometrics, performance goals, sleep, blood biomarkers, daily hydration balance, electrolyte losses through sweat, and medical history. After that I come up with a customized plan to help them meet their goals and the team’s goals.
Every plan is individualized and changes over time to ensure an athlete has enough energy and maximizes their endurance, strength, power, and mental focus. Throughout the season and off-season, I monitor body composition and blood biomarkers and use this combination with feedback from each athlete to adjust their plan. It’s an honor to work with the highest-level athletes in their respective sports.
TM: As a dietitian, do you often see people setting unattainable or unmanageable nutrition objectives? How can we set realistic nutrition-based goals?
Marie Spano: Absolutely. People like the idea of cutting everything out of their diet or following trendy diets they find on social media. The best way to set realistic nutrition-based goals is to work with a registered dietitian who can guide you toward making sustainable behavior changes that last a lifetime.
TM: Could you share an example of what you might eat in a day to fuel an intense workout?
Marie Spano: Here is an example of what I might eat in a day to fuel an intense strength training and speed workout:
Breakfast:
Oatmeal with blueberries and high-protein yogurt
Pre-workout:
100% orange juice with collagen. If you’re someone who enjoys a boost of caffeine pre-workout, this is also where you can enjoy a pre-workout product. I enjoy Dymatize Energyze Pre-Workout, which helps decrease fatigue and improve focus.
During my workout:
If I’m sweating a good bit, I will drink a sports drink or I take electrolytes, especially if I’m outside in the heat.
Post-workout:
Shake with 1% milk, vanilla Dymatize ISO100, frozen mango, and frozen strawberries to fuel my body and jumpstart muscle recovery.
Lunch:
Turkey burger with a mixed green salad, cucumbers, carrots and red onions, feta cheese + balsamic dressing and salt and pepper pistachios
Afternoon snack:
String cheese and fruit
Dinner:
Roasted vegetables, salmon, roasted potato wedges, and milk
TM: What can you share to help our readers enhance muscle growth and strength and improve body composition?
Marie Spano: Aside from a well-designed strength training program, our bodies need a higher protein diet and sufficient calories for maximum muscle growth and strength. Protein is important because it provides the building blocks to turn on muscle growth and keeps the muscle machinery running.
I recommend those looking to enhance muscle growth and strength consume a minimum of 1.6 grams of protein per kg of body weight (0.73 grams per pound of body weight) per day. And for anyone who is trying to lose body fat at the same time they are gaining muscle, consume at least 2 grams of protein per kg body weight per day (0.91 grams per pound of body weight per day).
In addition to helping you build muscle, protein keeps you full for a longer period of time. So, if you overload your body with protein, then you’re less likely to gain body fat compared to overconsuming fat or carbohydrates. If you find it hard to wrap up the protein in your diet, reach for quick and convenient sources of protein, including Dymatize ISO100. As a protein that contains hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, ISO100 is filtered to remove excess lactose, carbs, and sugars, which helps with fast absorption, muscle growth, and recovery.
I also recommend a higher-fiber diet. Women benefit from consuming at least 25 grams of fiber per day, and men at least 38 grams of fiber per day. Some types of fiber also enhance feelings of fullness. If you’re looking for more fiber in your diet, you can try a fiber supplement or add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet.
It’s tough to get enough dietary fiber with fruits and vegetables alone, and that’s why I recommend adding whole grains, including oats, whole wheat or whole grain bread, quinoa, and brown rice. Other sources of fiber include nuts and seeds, specifically chia seeds.
