The health and fitness industry is dynamic in nature since new trends are being developed continually. Individuals are constantly searching for new and improved methods on how to achieve a more toned body, larger muscles, and slimmer body shape. Below are some of the most recent trends that are rapidly dominating the world of health and fitness.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Among the trends the high intensity interval training, or HIIT, remains a popular trend in health and fitness. These workouts include intervals of vigorous activity followed by intervals of moderate activity or of rest. HIIT can be described as a very effective and efficient method of fat and calories’ burning in rather short time. HIIT ranges from sprint intervals on the treadmill machine to kettlebell complexes and tabata routines, among many others.
Wearable Fitness Trackers
Wearable devices like, fitness trackers, smart watches and other monitoring devices are trending right now in the health industry. Other examples include Fitbit, Apple Watch and Garmin, which allow people to monitor steps, calories, heart rates, sleep and much more. The option to see the fitness progress and follow detailed analytics helps many people stay motivated to move more and achieve the goals. These devices make it easy to monitor the progress mere from your wrist.
Group Fitness Classes
People do not stop engaging in group workout sessions up to the present in gyms and studios. While some studios are specialized to cover certain types of exercising such as boxing, cycling or barre exercising, others are general fitness centers that incorporate thorough body workouts, the togetherness and liveliness promoted in group fitness classes keeps the members exercising. In terms of social aspect and team work, many people tend to dig deeper in themselves than when they are alone. A good teacher and upbeat music encourages participants to go one step further and challenge themselves during a workout.
Functional Strength Training
In the recent past, the fitness industry has slowly changed the approach from achieving cosmetic appearance of muscles or having six packs and big biceps to having functional strength to enhance performance, reduce the risk of injury and extend life span. Training that focuses on posture, mobility, balance and core stability together with areas such as hip, ankle and shoulder strength results in improved function for daily activities and sports. This change from the body part splits of isolated muscle development to full-body functional fitness training creates well-rounded athletes instead of bodybuilders in training. The former mainly consist of multi-plane multi-joint movements as typical representatives of this category.
Virtual Workouts
Streaming workouts, classes, and training programs grew in demand over 2020 and 2021 because gyms were closed due to the lockdown. Platforms such as Peloton, Daily Burn, Obé Fitness, and Nike Training Club enable customers to perform professionally recorded exercises at home at their convenience. Although most in-person gyms are back open, many members still have and appreciate the convenience of on-demand classes for days they cannot attend a live session. The trend of the mixture of in-studio and virtual classes should be expected to remain durable.
Personal Training
Consulting a qualified personal trainer is on the rise and especially among the baby boomers. One on one trainers are ideal for highly specialized support, exercise prescription, encouragement and motivation for people who prefer specific training. Modern trainers employ sophisticated software and wearable data and video analysis and periodic tests to increase accuracy and performance. Corrective exercise, injury prevention, and rehabilitation also widen the scope of the personal trainer’s skill-set.
That gives an overview of some of the current trends occurring in the fitness and health sector. And as we move forward to 2023 and beyond, expect more of such technology to blur the line between fitness and the physical realm. Innovations in wearable technology, computing AI, VR and computing, health and wellness, and personalization are only intensifying. The advancements in the future of resources used in enhancing the health, fitness, and human performance for more people cannot be doubted.
