December 17, 2008

Marathoning Will Still Be "Trendy" In 2009

If you are like me and planning on waiting to get back into shape until "next year", perhaps you might want to partake in one of the top 10 fitness trends for 2009? These are supposedly the trends in fitness for 2009 according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE):

Boot Camp-Style Workouts

Budget-Friendly Workouts
Cutting costs to stay in shape - ie less gym memberships & use of personal trainiers and more using existing resources as a gym/equipment.

Specialty Classes
Yoga and Pilates will stay strong, but "dance-based classes will be all the rage in 2009". Isn't that what was trendy in the 80's? Dancersize anyone?

Getting Back to Basics
"Even though many exercises and equipment are becoming more advanced and trendy, trainers will continue to focus on basic movements and techniques with their clients again."

Circuit Training
"Studies have shown that interval training that combines strength training and cardio at different intensities is more time-efficient than doing the traditional aerobic and weight training sessions. As circuit training gets more popular, many gyms are even setting up their own circuits for their members."

Kettlebells
I know I havent been working out, but am I really out of the loop here? What the heck is a kettlebell? Did you have to google "kettlebell" like I did? It looks like the claim is that they're popular in the gym ... are people out there using these?

Boomer Fitness
Fitness for the 50+ audience like AARP’s fitness initiative aimed at providing a wide range of affordable fitness services to its 39 million members.

Technology-Based Fitness
"In 2009, look for more interactive video games that have fitness benefits, as well as new inventions to make exercising a more engaging experience." (Think Wii Fit from 2008)

Event or Sport-Specific Exercises
"Even with all the new and trendy workouts, sports or recreational activities will still be a popular way to stay in shape. Playing a friendly game of basketball or volleyball, training for a marathon, or taking a day-long bike ride are just a few examples."

Mixing It Up
"Research shows you’ll get similar if not better results if you mix things up. For example, do low-intensity cardio with intervals on some days, then switch to high-volume, low- intensity weight training with low-volume, high-intensity training on other days.

1 comment:

Sarah Jo Austin said...

OK, your picture of the 50+ woman is definitely not 50+. Try 80+.

50+ is my mom, who definitely does not look like that!

And yes, I am going to train for a marathon in 2009. And yes, I'm waiting for the New Year to start training again. (OK, I'm waiting for there to not be ice on the ground. I'll go for a run as soon as I can safely do so--even if it's before Christmas).