New trends in exercise
Exercise trends develop and change very often, and keeping up can be a challenge. If you want to stay fit, here are some new things you can try out!
Budget-friendly (or more bang for the buck) workouts with 2-on-1 or even 3-on-1 training sessions are a reflection of the current recession. Trainers are now working with couples or maybe a group of friends in the same session in lieu of training just one person. They may even opt to go for half-hour sessions instead of the full hour.
Dance-based classes are fast becoming very popular! Zumba—a fitness program inspired by Latin dance—combines South American rhythms with cardiovascular exercise. Ballroom, Bollywood, Afro-Cuban and other exotic dance styles are growing in popularity, too.
Mind-body fitness solutions combine what might seem like opposing exercises—like mind-body movements, plus aerobics. Among these new workouts are Cy-Yo, a 1-hour workout combining 10 minutes of yoga, 40 minutes of intense peddling on a stationary bike, then 10 more minutes of yoga to cool down and refocus your mind. YogaFit workouts merge traditional yoga with a variety of other things, including strength training, core muscle building and firming your glutes.
While not totally new, kettlebells are traditional Russian weights that have become very popular within the last year or so. Resembling a cannonball with a handle, kettlebells are great for increasing strength, endurance, agility and balance. They’re particularly effective for strengthening the core, since it requires those muscles to contract as a group.
Getting back to the basics—trainers are again focusing on basic movements and techniques to help their clients. Exercises like push-ups, chair dips, abdominal floor work, lunges or squats can manifest excellent results when done properly. They also can be a great way for someone to stick with an exercise program when they don’t always have access to a gym.
Boot camp-style workouts are very intense and provide a total-body workout that’s both varied and challenging. Participants can burn anywhere from 600-1,000 calories per session while strengthening large muscle groups with pushups, squats and lunges. The downside is that you get yelled at—drill sergeant style.
Exercise trends come and go, but in the end you must choose which fitness routine is best suitable for you and your goals. If you haven’t been exercising for awhile, just be sure to ask your physician before getting started, especially if you have any risk factors, like an injury or recent surgery.