A trend is not simply a fad that is short-lived but rather, a trend is something that increases in popularity and can be long term in its impact on the way people think or behave. So the fitness trends that
A trend is not simply a fad that is short-lived but rather, a trend is something that increases in popularity and can be long term in its impact on the way people think or behave. So the fitness trends that I’ll be letting you know about are phenomena that are likely to be around for a good long time. These trends are released from the American College of Sports Medicine for the upcoming year.
Wearable technology such as fitness trackers, smart watches and heart-rate monitors are the biggest trends for the upcoming year. Some industry experts are predicting that wearable technology will approach $6 billion by 2016. Wearables also include smart fabrics and textiles as well as smart glasses.
Body weight training, while not new to 2016, is certainly continuing strong. Doing push-ups, burpees, pull-ups, squat jumps and the like are a functional way to get in great shape with little or no equipment other than your own body weight. Variations of body weight training uses hanging or suspension training using the TRX or similar equipment or using gymnastic bars.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves short bursts of high intensity followed by short periods of lower intensity training. This style of training has been around a long time but seems to be increasingly appreciated over the last few years and rightly so. The cardio and the anaerobic qualities of a high intensity workout does the whole workout fast and effectively.
Another modality that has been around forever is strength training. Strength training not only increases your strength but also increases your metabolism, your balance, your muscle and bone density and joint stability if correctly performed.
The need for educated and experienced fitness professionals is acute. Sure, there are lots of people in the gym who either set themselves up as authorities on fitness because they have been hanging around gyms for a while, or there are many who have “cracker-jack” certifications. If you are contemplating working with a trainer, make sure that they are nationally certified by a respected body such as the National Academy of Sports Medicine or the American College of Sports Medicine. Many of the other “certifications” are either online with no practical component or ability to test the candidate’s teaching ability. Some other certifications are offered after attending a weekend seminar.
You want a trainer who has a degree in physical education, is certified by a large and accredited agency, and who can teach and has extensive experience in training. The numbers of students enrolled in universities specializing in kinesiology is expanding, which demons- trates the increased interest in becoming an educated professional fitness trainer.
Functional fitness is fitness that enhances the everyday tasks of living. This type of training focuses on strength training to increase balance, co-ordination, force, power and endurance as well as including a component of flexibility to ensure smooth fluid movement. Using weights and moving in three dimensions is an important aspect of this type of training since life doesn’t just happen in two dimensions.
The fitness requirements of older adults is high on the list of trend for 2016. People’s expectations to live longer and healthier is a reality. Fitness approaches to ensure healthy aging are not only important at any age, they are popular with retirees and the soon-to-be-retired.
Complete nutrition and fitness programs to help people lose weight will likely always be with us. I’ve often told clients you can exercise till you’re blue in the face, but if you want to lose weight you need to get the food under control, too. It is extremely difficult to lose weight with exercise alone. The nutritional piece is fundamental to health and to weight loss.
Yoga has been around for over 5,000 years. It still hits the top trends in fitness because it is diverse, it works, it is relaxing yet strengthening, and provides many fitness and health benefits that would be difficult to achieve otherwise.
So there you have the top trenders for this year. Hope something captured your attention and that you will make 2016 your year to really get into top form.
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Jane Riley is a certified personal trainer and certified nutritional adviser. She can be reached at janerileyfitness@gmail.com, 212-1451 or www.janerileyfitness.com.
