6 Top Fitness Trends for 2014
Written by Shawn Radcliffe | Published on December 27, 2013
|
Learn
what's going to be hot in fitness next year. From high-intensity interval
training to boot camps, this list of top trends has something for everyone.
Get
ready to sweat in the New Year. Topping the list of fitness trends for 2014 are
two of the most active workouts available—high-intensity interval training and
body weight training.
But if
maximum effort isn’t your idea of fun, the rest of the list—pulled from an
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) survey of over 3,800 fitness
professionals worldwide—has something for everyone. Just don't expect any
Zumba, Pilates, or barefoot running—sadly, these hot trends of recent years
seem to be on the decline.
High-Intensity
Interval Training (HIIT)
The
biggest surprise on the ACSM list was high-intensity interval training, which
showed up for the first time this year and took the top spot. This type of
exercise alternates short bursts of maximum activity with brief periods of rest
or recovery. Most of these super-intense workouts are under 30 minutes, which
is about all most people can handle.
Although
it has been around for decades, HIIT has been surging in popularity thanks to
the fitness industry's ability to repackage it into programs such as P90X and
CrossFit. HIIT is well suited to young people who have been going to the gym
for a long time and are looking for a challenge, but it’s not for everyone.
“For
older people or those who are not accustomed to exercise—who think they can
jump into a high-intensity interval training program—it’s probably not a good
idea,” says Walter R. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, the author of the ACSM study.
Strength
Training
Along with aerobic exercise and
flexibility, strength training—number four on the ACSM list—is an integral part
of a complete physical activity program. According to the 2008
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should do muscle-strengthening
exercises at least two days each week.
With
the wide range of free weights and resistance exercise machines available,
strength training is very popular in gyms, helping people to build and tone
their muscles. But strength training is not just for young people. Increasingly,
programs for seniors or people living with chronic conditions include some form
of weight lifting.
Small
Group Classes
Small
group classes are “good for clients who are looking for personal training
sessions but don’t have the money to continue with their personal training,”
says Thompson. Several fitness trends in ACSM's list fall into this realm
between one-on-one personal training sessions and overpopulated classes.
At
number two is body weight training, a back-to-basics workout that requires
minimal equipment, but now includes more interesting moves like Spiderman
push-ups and lunge-to-dragon squats. Further down the list are small-group
personal training and the military-inspired boot camp, both heavy on motivation
and light on cost.
Exercise
for the Rest of Us
Walk
into most commercial fitness clubs, and you’ll see the typical gym demographic—20-
to 30-year-olds. What you don’t see are people 55 years or older. And you don’t
see children. This may change in the near future, says Thompson, as smarter
fitness clubs tap into these segments of the population.
Already,
specialized programs targeting these groups have popped up among the top
fitness trends—such as fitness programs for older adults and functional fitness
classes, which focus on exercises to help people accomplish everyday
activities. Also included on the list are fitness classes for children—with an
eye toward obesity prevention—and exercise incorporated into weight-loss
programs for adults.
Qualified
Fitness Professionals
While
not an exercise by itself, this entry on ACSM's list highlights the importance
of educated and experienced fitness professionals in helping people achieve
their goals. Several states recognize this, as well, and are looking at
licensing personal trainers, a move that should standardize their training.
“Whenever
you’re talking about licenses for personal trainers,” says Thompson, “you have
to talk about education—what are the requirements for education, what are the
requirements for certification, and what are the requirements for experience?”
Although the number of fitness
instructors is expected to increase 24 percent by 2020, according
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, finding qualified professionals
will take a little more research. The ACSM suggests looking for instructors
certified through programs that are accredited by the National Commission for
Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Many
Kinds of Yoga
Unlike
Pilates, the stability ball, and Zumba—which dropped off ACSM’s list in
previous years and have yet to return—yoga's influence remains strong. Thompson
credits this to the yoga industry's ability to reinvent itself. Yoga is based
on an ancient tradition of postures, breathing, and meditation, but has
exploded into a wide range of styles—flow yoga, hot yoga, power yoga, yoga for
athletes…even naked yoga and marijuana yoga.
“The
point is, they change yoga so it retains its customer base,” says Thompson.
“Where if you go into a Zumba class today, it’s the same as it was five years
ago.”
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