New Year, new you! What’s hot when it comes to 2018 fitness trends? And we’re not just talking about a sweaty brow from getting the heart rate pumping!
Move Over High Intensity
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been dominating our workouts for a while. You know what we’re talking about – those blasts of raising your heart rate. However, we know that you don’t have to take the no-pain-no-gain route to exercise. In 2018 we’re going to see a greater focus on LIIT – Low-Intensity Interval Training.
The idea with LIIT is that you burn the same amount of energy in a more gentle method, even though it still entails intervals. This is on the back of the results of a study from 2015 finally filtering into mainstream fitness programmes. This study by Ohio State University found that simply changing the direction, or even walking around a curve, uses 20% more energy than walking in straight line. Furthermore, 8% of the energy used in walking is used merely on starting and stopping.
Having Fun
We’re starting to see a bit of a backlash against fitness modalities which exist only with fitness in sight. We realise that our leisure time is limited yet we want healthy living. Therefore, fitness needs to be playful, and it needs to be fun. The result is that we’re getting some interesting fitness-based hobbies springing up – whether that’s free-running and parkour, adult-only fitness classes at trampoline centres, or even pole-dancing. We want our fitness regimes to be effective and fun.
Here Comes VR
In that vein, 2018 is going to be the year we see Virtual Reality (VR) and fitness really become bedfellows. Without leaving your lounge you can fly, run, jump, box, crouch and duck – all bringing you vital exercise. The VR and fitness mix is exciting and still unfolding, but it’s already available at various levels from the fun fruit-slashing fun of VR Fruit Ninja on PlayStation VR, HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. If you’re after the complete VR fitness experience, what about Omni or ICAROS.
Or Consider Live-Streaming
Life seems only to get busier, so we need to work out more ways of participating in our fitness regimes around our schedules and without wasting time commuting to the gym. That, combined with the technology to make it possible, is meaning we see a massive boom in the number of live-streaming exercise possibilities. Check out Yogaia for yoga classes, BarreCore for personal training and classes, and even Joe Wicks’ The Body Coach YouTube channel if you want to train for free.
Staying on the Theme of Technology
We’re confident in our use of fitness apps, and this looks like a trend set to continue through 2018. We’ve got more choice, and our fitness apps can do more. We want them to track and report while keeping us motivated. Whether we wish to use a mindfulness app to destress, or a food tracking app to help us lose weight, there are a plethora of apps to choose from.
Getting the Family in on the Act
The final significant fitness trend of 2018 that is anticipated is a rise in the number of family-friendly fitness classes. The generation of mums who’ve done everything from Aqua Bump to Yoga Babies now have active and interested kids. Busy families need fitness solutions that still allow quality time. Therefore we’re seeing everything from the Buggy Runs in the park to army-style boot camps with the 8-year-olds. The trick is to find which fitness activity works for your family. It may just be a family swim, or it might be signing up for the local cycling club. All that matters is that you’re doing it together and having fun.
