At this time of year, many people take up a renewed approach to their fitness regime. After the holidays, some are happy just to be back in the gym, back to eating sensibly, and back to their schedule. Others may seek to expand their fitness horizons by trying new approaches or the use of technology to help them get fit and stay interested.
Others who are novice exercisers might like to sample a great many classes and approaches to find what resonates with them. Here are some ideas of what’s new and exciting in fitness for the coming year.
Some of the mainstays of years gone by are increasingly taking a center stage. This is clearly as a result of the aging population. Classes in functional fitness (basically fitness to improve your everyday living needs such as strength, balance and flexibility), fitness classes specifically designed for Boomers and personal fitness training are not new concepts but are prominent in the fitness scene because of their relevance and importance.
Various innovative types of yoga have emerged. Some of them a little outside of the box, such as practicing yoga among goats, which is purported to be freeing and fun as the creatures seem to enjoy the presence of humans among them. Other new types of yoga are aerial yoga wherein participants are suspended as they perform their poses, and floating yoga.
Strength training will always be important, but a recent emergence of two particular forms of strength training are taking precedence.
The HIIT form (High Intensity Interval Training) wherein the workouts are paced with participants going all out for brief periods of time, followed by short active recovery, is becoming increasingly popular.
Body weight training using TRX suspension gear, or gymnastic rings, or simple moves like push-ups and leg ups, also are gaining in popularity. These training methods can be faster than ordinary workouts, and can temporarily spike your metabolism using very little equipment.
Team-based workouts where you compete for points on a team might remind you of high school days and this type of training can be fun, social and motivating because of it.
Another way of getting into a group training climate is to get a personal fitness trainer who is wiling and capable of training you and group of your pals. This works well if everyone in the group has the same basic goals and the same basic level of fitness. It doesn’t work so well if everyone has a different focus and different starting level.
Something that is becoming more and more at the forefront of fitness is the acknowledgment that all fitness trainers are not created equal.
National certification, extensive education and experience are becoming more important especially for the emerging more knowledgeable client base. Anyone can throw some “information” or show some “moves” on the internet and pass themselves off as an expert.
Do your due diligence and ask about the certification, the ongoing education, the numbers of years your prospective trainer has had, if they have dealt with other people with your conditions, and perhaps even references.
Word of mouth about a perspective trainer is a good way to determine other people’s satisfaction with their services. Also, observation of the interaction between the trainer and their clients and the longevity of the client with their trainer. Do people keep coming back to work out with that particular trainer?
Although athletic wear is everyday wear any more, a newer trend is evolving with respect to technology. The newer technology is less bulky and more discreet. Rather than a big bulky bracelet tracker, you will see your fitness stats activity and calories compiled on a pinky ring.
2018 is looking like a great year for you to have fun, make new friends, and really get in great shape. There’s no time like the present. Aloha!
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Dr. Jane Riley, EdD., is a certified personal fitness trainer, nutritional adviser, and behavior change specialist. She can be reached at janerileyfitness@gmail.com, 212-8119 cell/text and www.janerileyfitness.com.
