Fitness Trends Stress Balance and Practicality

Just like politics and fashion, fitness trends also evolve.

A dozen years ago it was all about going for the burn. Then pumping up became the focus. Now, workouts are taking a harmonious turn as we strive for balance in body and mind.

While it’s natural for exercise trends and activities to change and grow over time, it’s also not unusual for them to make a repeat performance.

“Exercise trends tend to change and go through cycles, often showing up in a slightly different version after disappearing for years,” says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. “Look at today’s functional training. Much of it’s the same thing they did back in the ’40s and ’50s. Only then they called it calisthenics.”

Activities also have changed as we have gained more knowledge about fitness and how the body responds to it. Although high-impact aerobics classes dominated most fitness center schedules in the ’80s, you’d be hard pressed to find one today. And for good reason. Old aerobicizers’ joints are still aching as a result of all that jumping, bouncing and high kicking.

“It’s only been in the last 25 years or so that people have gone from exercising only for competition to exercising to feel good and be healthy,” says Patricia Ryan, spokeswoman for the Idea Health and Fitness Association, which conducts an annual survey of fitness programs and equipment among fitness professionals.

“We’re still learning and we still have a lot to learn. And as we learn, activities expand and exercise gets smarter,” she continued. “It used to be that there were just 10 activities (in a fitness center) to choose from. Now, it’s maybe 60. In another few years it’ll probably change again.”

Mind-body activities

Once offered only in private studios, mind-body classes such as yoga, Pilates and tai chi are now part of the daily schedule at fitness centers. “I think these continue to increase in popularity because they appeal to people of all different ages, physical capabilities and body types,” says Ryan. “Plus, they work. These activities can improve your flexibility and strength.”

Not too long ago, a hard body was the chief goal of most exercisers. Today, more are using exercise to help unwind and relax.

“People are trying to manage stress, and things like yoga, Pilates and tai chi are giving them a very positive outcome,” says Bryant.

Functional fitness

Instead of just being concerned about getting your heart rate up or toning your abs, a lot of folks are looking to exercise to help them with everyday movements, such as carrying groceries, lifting a child or working in the garden. “People are now beginning to ask how exercise can make them better at their sport or activity. They also want exercise that will help them live their daily lives with less discomfort and risk of injury as they age,” Bryant says.

Functional fitness, which incorporates core conditioning (focusing on the area from the lower chest to the upper thighs), balance training and strength work, “helps the body to move the way it’s supposed to naturally move,” says Todd Durkin, exercise physiologist and personal trainer and owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego.

Core and balance training often use a variety of small equipment, such as foam rollers, medicine balls, stability balls, Bosu trainers and balance boards, and practice rotating, twisting and bending motions.

Fusion classes

To alleviate boredom and make the most of limited time, many gyms are offering combinations of two or three exercise modalities in one class. A strength-step-balance class, for example, fuses the three exercise formats together, giving participants a full-body workout in a 60-minute class. Other combos might be cycling and yoga or kickboxing and strength.

A high-intensity fusion format that’s been around awhile but is still very popular is circuit training, which alternates resistance training with cardio exercise.

Boot camp

Although boot camp is not offered at a large number of facilities, those that do offer the hard-core indoor-outdoor workout say the enthusiasm for it is overwhelming.

Most boot camps, which are usually offered on an extra-fee basis, include military-drill type running, jumping, climbing and calisthenics. “The boot camps are our version of high-impact exercise,” says Amy Boone, personal trainer and regional fitness manager for Frog’s Club One in San Diego, who notes that the workout is a sampling of various exercise programs offered by the gym. “It attracts a very athletic group of people who want a high-intensity class.”

Elliptical trainers

Forget the stair climber, the elliptical trainer is today’s exercise equipment of choice. Ranked right up there with the treadmill, it works the arms and legs simultaneously and is easier on the joints.

“The elliptical trainer gives you an overall body workout with nice, smooth movements,” says Ryan, noting that unlike some of the other cardio equipment that is often used in the wrong way, the elliptical trainer “is almost impossible to use incorrectly.”

Small classes

When it comes to group exercise classes, the smaller the better.

“With only a few people in a class, you have a high level of accountability. It’s a way to experience almost private training [at] a lesser price,” Boone says.

Small-group classes can range from four or five people sharing a session with a personal trainer to small special-interest classes of eight to 10 people at a health club.

At fitness centers, short-term small classes often cost an additional fee and are frequently centered on special equipment such as the Bosu trainer or Pilates reformers, or sports conditioning sessions preparing people for an athletic event.

Shorter classes or workouts

The gym rat is becoming more of a workout mouse, as busy people try to fit fitness into a busy schedule. The days of 90-minute cardio classes are giving way to 60- or 45-minute classes. At some gyms, 30-minute, high-intensity workouts have become very popular.

“Because of people’s hectic schedules, more people are looking for a comprehensive, shorter workout that gives them reasonable results with minimum time investment,” Bryant says.