The fitness industry has experienced many trends over the past number of years. Some exercise modalities have been popularised over others for a period of time. Other decades have seen a specific type of exercise outfit being more popular than others. Despite this, there are a number of fitness trends that have – and will continue to – stand the test of time. Here are a few.
Cardiovascular exercise
Cardiovascular exercise – or cardio, at its more popular known as – is one of the most popular ways of losing weight. For example, a person who weighs 155 pounds and sprints at a pace of 7.65 miles per hour can burn 465 calories. That’s huge! Other types of cardiovascular exercise that burn upwards of 400 calories include swimming and rock climbing. And as long as people want to lose weight (which – we wager – there will always be someone who wants to weigh a bit less than they do) cardiovascular exercise will be popular.
Weight training
About 30-odd years ago, women were not encouraged to take part in weight training. This is because there was a commonly held notion that lifting weights would cause women to bulk up as many men do when they are engaged in a weight lifting programme.
However, in recent times it’s been proven that it’s physiologically impossible for a woman to develop the same physique as a man’s after lifting weights. This is because a man’s body responds very differently, as opposed to a woman’s, to resistance training. This has led to many women deciding to frequent the free weights section of the gym as opposed to merely opting for the treadmill to stay fit.
There are a number of other reasons why weight training has remained so popular. One of these is that training with weights promotes the development of lean muscle mass in people. The more of this type of muscle mass that you have the more calories you’ll burn when you’re at rest. Another reason why weight training has become so popular is that this type of training helps in to ward off age-related bone disease such as osteoporosis.
Pilates
Pilates was developed in the early 20th century by Josef Pilates and was originally called Contrology. This is because movements in this type of exercise are so slight and controlled, however, the movements of the muscles are concentrated on minutely and participants are encouraged to feel the appropriate muscles working during the class and even if they do half the required number of repetitions. As long as they do the exercise perfectly this is good.
It is essential to develop the core powerhouse as the core muscles are engaged in most activities in your daily life – from sitting upright in a chair to working out at the gym. Strong core muscles also help to alleviate lower back pain.
The discipline of Pilates concentrates on developing your core muscles. It doesn’t just help you to get a six pack so that you can look good without your shirt on the beach. Pilates works on the muscles deep in your abdominal cavity which will help you streamline your body.
Yoga
Yoga is by far one of the longest-lasting fitness trends. Termed as ‘mind-body’ exercise, Yoga works on harmonizing the body and the mind so that you will ultimately become more at peace.
The basis of Yoga practice is the asanas or poses, with downward dog being perhaps one of the most popular and most frequently practiced. Yogis make use of their breath to help them progress through the asanas and sequences during the class.
In this frenetic world that we live in, where stress is piling up on us daily, the practice of Yoga has become more popular. This is because it gives us a temporary respite from the fast-paced life of today. It allows us an opportunity to quieten our minds and rid ourselves of the miscellaneous thoughts that we have running through our brains constantly so allowing us the freedom to dedicate our thoughts to what actually matters.
The fitness industry is definitely prone to a lot of new trends and fads. Some are just passing fancies but others – such as those that we’ve picked out in this article – feature significantly in our daily lives and will do so for many more years to come.
