Fitness and wellness trends are constantly evolving and improving. With each passing year of technology and knowledge progress we find ourselves spoiled for choice on ways to become fitter, stronger and healthier.
The American College Of Medicine is a leading expert on sports medicine and exercise science. For the past 14 years, they conducted a comprehensive global fitness trends survey asking thousands of fitness experts (e.g. personal trainers, medical professionals, wellness coaches and clinical exercise specialists) what they think will be the trends of the year. These trends are rated accordingly and with some being improvements of last year’s trends to new concepts.
Here are some interesting trends that we can follow to ensure 2020 is the year we achieve our fitness goals based on the survey and what people in the industry are predicting.
Outdoor training: Training in a gym isn’t for everyone. Being outdoors cycling, running, walking, hiking or swimming, can be more fun and gets you out of the house and office. These can be done solo or with a group and can last for as little as an hour-long bike ride to a weekend of hiking and climbing.
Get the kids fit: If you’re a parent, getting your children to do a sport or be active can be challenging. Child and teen obesity is a real problem and it’s been proven that many of these children end up with serious health issues as adults. Start them young and make them understand that keeping fit and at a healthy weight through a wholesome diet is necessary for their future wellbeing.
Beat that middle-age spread: It’s not only the children that need to keep in shape. The world’s population is ageing and we are living and working longer than previous generations. The fitness industry has realised this and offers a wide variety of exercise options for seniors.
Workout from home: There are many reasons why people don’t want to hit the gym or go outside for a run / cycle. It could be a question of time or logistics; but there are now so many choices for live connected workouts that can be done in the comfort of your living room. A great example of this is the indoor cycling classes by Peloton are live streamed and on-demand, and can get very competitive! Here are some of our favourite at-home workouts.
Free weights: Free weight training is increasing in popularity and is based on using kettlebells / barbells / medicine balls correctly and gradually upping resistance to improve strength.
HILIT: Everyone knows what HIIT is and it has been proven to be an extremely effective way of getting fit. High-intensity low impact training (HILIT) is becoming more prevalent and is about doing high intensity exercises without putting stress on your joints. It’s the ideal option for those who have injuries and need to take it down a notch.
Rowing: The rowing machine is enjoying a renaissance and there has been a steady increase in rowing classes. This is an exercise that uses over 80% of your muscles and is relatively low impact, great for upper body strength and improves posture.
High-tech fitness: Working out at home used to mean using weights or a resistance band and following a programme on a screen. This is old-school because fitness at home has entered another dimension with the introduction of systems like Mirror, which touts itself as the ‘nearly invisible home gym’, and is a full length mirror that streams live and on-demand workouts when switched on. These type of home fitness options aren’t cheap but neither are personal trainers and gym memberships, and there’s something very enticing about exercising in the comfort of your living room.
This article has been republished with permission from PurelyB