By Sahar Aker, FatFighterTV.com - Fitness. Food. Fun.
When it comes to exercise, I like to try new things and mix it up so I don’t get bored. And as the new year gets underway, it looks like there will be plenty of interesting choices to get us all moving. From Latin dancing to water aerobics, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) predicts 2008 will be filled with fitness that focuses on fun.
Here is ACE’s list of the top 10 fitness trends for 2008:
1. Out of the Box Workouts – Gyms are not for everyone. The popularity of TV shows like Dancing With The Stars has dance studios popping up across the country. Hip hop, ballroom, Latin and country line dancing combine high energy music with unique moves that let you get your groove on as you get fit. Outdoor boot camps are also getting more popular. And local boxing clubs have classes filled with people of all ages. These fun activities can make you forget you are really exercising.
2. Body Weight and Equipment-Free Workouts – Equipment can intimidate some people. Others want to add options and flexibility to their workouts. These full-body exercises focus on movement patterns, repetitions, and Plyometrics to target multiple muscle groups. They are perfect for traveling - you don’t need any equipment so you can do them anywhere.
3. Event or Sports-Specific Programming – Millions of Americans participate in charity runs and walks every year, and even train for months to get ready. For many people it is a great social event and a chance to help their favorite charity. Health clubs are offering training for surfboarding, golf, football, etc. and at the same time helping members build the strength, endurance, and stamina they need for real-life activities and sports.
4. Boomer Fitness Focus – The 50+ age group is redefining our expectations about age, vitality, and the importance of physical activity as we get older. For the aging population, regular exercise is critical in keeping the body limber, injury-free, and more youthful. The nonprofit group, AARP, launched a major fitness initiative in September of 2007 aimed at providing a wide range of affordable fitness services to its 39 million members.
5. Focused Express Workouts– These are group classes lasting 30 minutes or less that focus on one element of fitness or training a specific part of the body - for example, core training, upper-body strength, balance and agility, aerobics/fat burning. You can target a specific goal with little time commitment. Many gyms piggy-back these classes so you can go to two in a row.
6. Total Wellness Programming – More and more people will focus on injury and disease prevention and understanding how food, exercise, weight and a healthier mindset must interact for the body to have balance and total wellness. Maintaining a healthy mind and body from the inside with less focus on physical appearance is steadily becoming a new ideal.
7. Hybrid Programming – Fusion of mind-body techniques like breath work and meditation into traditional exercise continues to be popular. Workouts like Spin-Yoga and Pilates Fusion combine strength, flexibility and endurance - an all-in-one exercise experience.
8. Personal Training - 93% of ACE fitness professionals surveyed say personal training will be more accessible in 2008. Consumers are demanding competent personal trainers to offer them expert guidance and motivation. Many clients view it as a wise investment in their long-term health.
9. Technology-Based Workouts - Consumers are downloading exercise programs that feature illustrations and/or video to their iPods, PDAs etc. And advances in technology makes it possible to more precisely measure your performance and keep track of your results. This helps improve weight management.
10. Functional Strength Training – Whether it’s walking, hiking or lifting weights, you need functional strength. More people will be looking for workout programs to help improve their endurance, balance, and coordination. This will in turn help them more safely and effectively perform their daily living activities, work-related tasks, and recreational or sports-specific exercises. Health clubs and trainers offer functional training programs and classes for virtually all levels and types of participants.
I definitely like the focus on fun in the 2008 predictions. Sounds like my kind of workout!
Comments