The survey was compiled of over 3800 respondents who ranged from commercial trainers, gym owners and medical fitness professionals who were asked to differentiate between what is a trend and a fad. Here are top 10 TRENDS for the upcoming year:
High-Intensity Interval Training
This is one of my favorite types of workouts. It’s quick, effective and I’m happy to see is no fad. If you have been reading my blog you will be familiar with it. If not, it involves short bursts of high-intensity reps of exercise followed by a short period of rest or recovery. Because they yield good results in short periods of time, they have grown in popularity. The downside is that some moves can be high impact or too intense for some so there may be high injury rates may be involved, especially with individuals not in the best shape to begin with.
This is the type of workout I teach in my personal bootcamp classes and one day a week at our local Y. We may include Tabatas which are 20 second bursts of a cardio move like jump rope, jump squats or burpees, followed by 10 second recovery of simple squats and then repeat the sequence. I always show modifications during this type of workout and encourage members to modify when needed.
Strength Training
Strength training is another of my favorites and I’m glad it’s importance is shown here. This is exercise using some form of weight lifting in the routine to gain strength. It is so important for women, especially, to realize the importance and benefits of strength training. Many medical professionals are prescribing it as a way to heal and become stronger after ailments and illnesses including cardiovascular disease and arthritis.
Educated, Certified, and Experienced Fitness Professionals
It seems that many individuals are seeking the help of certified professionals to guide them into the best shape of their life. I think folks have gotten to the point of realizing that health and wellness is an important part of our lives and well worth the cost of getting professional help. The small tweaks a professional can make to a routine, the variation they can give and proper instruction can make a huge difference to someone who has been struggling in the gym or at home alone with no results. This trend has grown in strength because of the vast offering, not just at huge gyms, but at small community centers, colleges and personalized studios and park bootcamps.
Body Weight Training
This form of exercise uses your own body weight as a form of resistance training, and it involves much more than just pushups and pull-ups – think squats, lunges, planks, side planks, step ups, plie’ squats and the list goes on. Body weight training uses minimal equipment, which makes it an inexpensive way to exercise effectively, making it a popular choice in classes, outdoor workouts, traveling or in the living room.
Exercise and Weight Loss Programs That Involve Nutritional and Diet Coaching
I love that this trend has come and seems to be staying. Exercise and diet go hand in hand, and one cannot be successful without the other. Thank heavens we are smarter than to still be in the trap of of just dieting to be skinny. Many gyms and exercise facilities now have nutrition counseling and education to go along with the exercise instruction so that participants can learn healthy choices, how to shop and cook in a healthy way and can be more successful in their fitness journey.
Fitness Programs for Older Adults
During law school I had to take a break from teaching the high impact classes on my schedule due to a knee injury. I began teaching water aerobics to a group of older participants and it was such a lovely experience. After I moved to Atlanta I also substituted a water class at a local church and still am in awe at the energy and vitality of that dedicated group! They say a body in motion stays in motion and I will say I have seen many examples of this as folks get older. It’s so important for us to continue to be active, nimble, strong and balanced as we age. Programs geared for the older participants are predicted to grow in popularity and availability, as educators and medical professionals continue to see the importance of keeping adults active as they age into retirement and beyond.
Children and Exercise for the Treatment/Prevention of Obesity
How sad is it that this has to be a new trend? It is predicted that this new generation will be the first to not outlive its parents. Due to all the overly processed junk food and fast food and the lack of physical activity today’s children face exercise and dietary challenges no other generation has ever faced. Programs that foster an excitement and love for exercise will help with the treatment and prevention of childhood obesity, as well as the increasing numbers of children with Type 2 diabetes.
Functional Fitness
This is another of my favorites that I try to incorporate into classes I teach. This is defined as using strength training to improve balance, coordination, force, power, and endurance to improve someone’s ability to perform activities of daily living. Functional Fitness programs replicate actual activities someone might do as a function of their daily living. Some of the survey respondents said that there is a relationship between Functional Fitness and fitness programs for older adults (see trend no. 7). Many exercise programs for the older age group are often composed of Functional Fitness activities. Functional Fitness also is used in clinical programs to imitate activities done around the home.
Group Personal Training
I must confess that I was personally happy to see this in the top ten. As I began my bootcamp classes years ago from a small group and still meet with some small groups for training. This trend lets the personal trainer continue to provide the personal service clients expect but now in a small group of two to four, offering potentially deep discounts to each member of the group. In these continuing challenging economic times when discretionary spending may be down, personal trainers have become creative in the way they package sessions, which benefits all involved. The participanats get a good workout with personal attention at a much reduced rate. Also, I always say it’s much more fun to schedule a workout with a friend!
Yoga
Yoga seems to be making a comeback in 2014. Yoga appeared in the top 10 in this survey in 2008, fell out of the top 20 in 2009, and in 2012, Yoga was no. 11 on the list, falling to no. 14 in 2013. Seemingly reinventing itself every year, Yoga comes in a variety of forms, including Power Yoga, Yogalates, and Bikram Yoga (the one done in hot and humid environments). Other forms of Yoga include Iyengar Yoga, Ashtanga, Vinyasa Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Anuara Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Sivananda Yoga. Instructional tapes and books are abundant, as are the growing numbers of certifications for the many Yoga formats. It appears that there is a type of yoga for most anyone out there and most everyone can find a format that will help them work on the fitness aspect of flexibility and balance.
I was interested to see that missing from the list were Zumba, Spinning, Pilates, Stability Ball training and Balance Training. I’m not sure what that says about these forms of exercise. It would suggest that they are fads rather than trends and may be decreasing in popularity. Looking at all of the packed spinning classes at my gym and the growth of boutique spinning places liky SoulCylce and FlyWheel I find that hard to believed! The same with Zumba – that class is always jam packed and is so much fun! I think Balance Training is super important – especially as we age and I love all of the core work that can be done with a stability ball. So, I guess we will just wait and see how 2014 trends and what crops up for next year.
Are you surprised at anything on the list? Would you add anything? Take anything away?
Are there any fads you are happy to see gone? I’m thinking I’m so happy those thong leotards are gone!
Have fun!
Spinning isn’t a “trend” in 2014 because it has never declined. Still one of the best cardio workouts available- efficient and less impact on your body than running. 🙂
Definitely a mistake not including pilates on the list. It’s not a fad, it’s been around for a long time. Pilates is good for everyone and is strength and cardio training if you do it the right way!
Totally agree with both points on Spinning and Pilates! I don’t see either of them going anywhere anytime soon!