Fitness Trends to Try This Year

Trends change with time and economy, and fitness is no different. From yoga to Zumba, the emerging popularity of slower fitness routines have taken over.

Updated: Tuesday 17 November 2020

Fitness Trends

Rowing

This type of exercise engages 85% of your muscles when done correctly and while it is intense, it has a low impact on the body. Rowing is perfect for those who have some injuries that would make other workouts difficult or painful.

Trampoline

A throwback to childhood, this instrument of simple fun has been given a slightly more serious edge in the world of fitness. Adding science to the equation, the trampoline requires simple physics to propel you in the air as you land on the elastic disc and bounce. It is a low impact sport that gets your heart pumping and blood circulating, in other words, cardio. Jumping pushes your muscles into activity and engages your core. It conserves energy and boosts your metabolism.

Jumping Rope

An all-time favorite with children, this humble tool’s status has been upgraded to a fitness regime must for both men and women. Working all the muscles in the body, this workout can burn calories fast if done correctly and explosively, like HIIT. The only downside to this exercise is the stress on the knees as your body weight comes down upon them repeatedly, not unlike that caused by running.

As an adult workout apparatus, there are some things you need to consider when buying a jumping rope. You have to think about the weight of the rope (more weight would give you more resistance and therefore more of a strain on your muscles), the length (which would be appropriate to your height), the handles’ length, and the material of the rope are factors which can all affect the speed and resistance of the rope and so the quality of your workout.

Pole Workouts

More than an entertainment tool, pole dancing increases your flexibility and works your major muscles as you pull your body around the pole.

Air Movements

Back in 2016, strengthening your core through water aerobics such as working through yoga positions as you balance your floating mattress on water was all the rage. But this year, the industry has introduced something even more taxing: maintaining your balance and support up in the air. Sounds dangerous, but the instructors supervise your ascent and aerial gymnastics as you move through the air on ribbons.

Functional training

It helps that it can be an activity more engaging than a workout and yet, depending of the form of training, works the muscles as well as cardio. More than that, it is fun and you can learn from it, unlike a generic routine on the treadmill, where the most you can change is the speed and the incline.

Crawling

Moving on your hands and knees like a toddler has become hugely popular with adults in the past few months. Hailed as the ‘new plank’ in the fitness world, it engages the core muscles and increases balance.

Fitness Apps

Although recent evidence suggests that these apps are not as productive as their marketing advertises, their popularity has not waned since their creation. Whether it is measuring the amount of calories consumed, encouraging your recommended 10,000 steps a day, or monitoring your heart rate, people seem to love seeing the result of the effort they are putting in.

Meditation

Short bursts of exertion has been extremely popular for the past few years, but now the increasing trend is to slow down the exercise so that is it regular and shapes the mind as well as the body. It allows you to relax and unwind during your workout by taking your time as you move through the actions of yoga or slower movement than your regular session of HIIT.

Iris Barbier

Written by: Iris Barbier

Pharmacy Assistant

Born in France, Iris moved to the UK to study Biological Sciences at London Metropolitan University. Upon graduating, Iris moved up north, where she completed an MA in Science Journalism at the University of Lincoln.

As a qualified science journalist, Iris uses her expertise to write content for Pharmica’s online Health Centre. She ensures our patients get specialist knowledge on medical conditions and how to treat them.


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