Fitness for 2006
The
New Year has brought with it some drastic shifts in the fitness industry.
What was hot and trendy in
2005
isn't necessarily still giving off the same steam in 2006. Fitness
in 2006 is no-nonsense! Functional fitness marks the return of many tied
and true fitness trends that are hardly worthy of the term "trend"
at
all. Rather, these fitness tactics have proven themselves time and time
again:
Functional Workouts – You're bound to hear a great deal of the term "functional
training" this year. This refers to any workout that transcends into our
everyday activities. Examples of functional exercise include
sport-specific training (for novice athletes or weekend warriors), core
training and multi-muscle moves that target the muscles we use regularly.
Short Effective Workouts – We’re demanding shorter total body workouts.
Examples include fitness classes
like
- cardio-pump and cardio-resistance training fusion workouts such as
Boxercise with weighted gloves. Total body circuits made up of
multi-muscle exercises like squats, lunges, push ups, and pull ups are
also popular.
Core Training –The core is specifically all of the muscles in your abs and
back that help strengthen your other muscles and better support your spine.
A happy spine will make simple daily tasks – such as reaching, bending and
lifting, chasing the kids, even sex - easier and more enjoyable. Get ready
to see more core training hit your gym in the form of stability ball
workouts, Pilates and yoga strength and stretch workouts, and
abdominal-specific workouts.
Common Sense Dieting - There has been a big shift away from low
carb - high protein "wonder diets".
The
vast majority of North Americans know that a healthy body needs
carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, fiber, colorful fruits and
leafy green vegetables for a complete diet. This shift towards intuitive
healthy eating recognizes that 6 healthful small meals a day is a
lifestyle and not a diet at all. Better yet, it’s an eating plan that
people can adopt for life.
Mind-Body Workouts – Fusion workouts with more spiritual origins (yoga and
Pilates) mixed with traditional weight training and cardio elements are
huge. With mounting stresses at home and work individuals want
a way
to get in shape physically and mentally.
Fun Workouts – Today fitness is considered a leisure activity, so it has
to be fun or people simply won’t do it. Fun workouts to hit the scene are
largely dance-inspired - belly dancing, cardio strip, pole dancing, and
salsa dance workouts. So we get our fun and workout too!
Workouts at Home – If you’ve decided to get into shape, do you want to
spend a ton of money on a piece of fitness equipment that might be a
clothes rack in a month? That’s why working out at home, in limited space
with small, economical pieces of equipment – like resistance bands,
dumbbells, stability balls and pure body weight exercises (push ups,
crunches, body squats, bench dips) is high on our priority lists and light
on our pocketbooks.
About the Author:
Anna Fleet
www.fitnessgear101.com
fitness &
health resources |
