Top Fitness Trends to Get You in Shape

Have you been looking for inspiration to kick start your fitness routine in 2018? When it comes to exercise, we can often be creatures of habit. Running the same route, attending the same fitness class or hitting up the same training session at the gym. But changing your exercise comes with huge benefits. It stimulates new muscle groups, prevents overuse injuries and keeps your brain healthy. Here are the biggest fitness trends to get you in shape this year.

1. HIIT training

High Intensity Interval Training has been top of radar since 2014 and is showing no signs of letting up. Through quick and intense short exercise bursts and short recovery times, it yields results faster than any other workout. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise published research showing that thrice weekly HIIT workouts over an 8 week period resulted in a 10% improvement in aerobic fitness than long distance running at a slow speed, with exercisers continuing to burn more energy throughout the day. 

2. Strength Training

When it comes to the male population, classic strength training stands the test of time. But the rise of weight training amongst women has been a long time coming and we believe it’s here to stay. With ‘strong’ being dubbed as the new ‘skinny,’ more and more people are choosing to lift weights to build lean muscle, shred fat and boost confidence. Weight training encourages you to focus on how lean you look and feel, instead of your weight. 

3. Wearable Technology

Showing no signs of letting up in terms of popularity, the trend continues this year and promotes healthy fitness habits. Many studios and gyms have made it a staple to allow you to quantify your workouts. You can even have the stats displayed on a big screen live to give you further motivation.

4. Yoga Fusion

You no longer need to choose between HIIT and Pilates or yoga and boxing, a growing number of gyms and studios are offering fusion classes that 'mash-up' fitness activities to create a brand-new workout, merging 2 types of exercise to achieve maximum results. Boxingyoga is already proving popular at the Movement Clinic London, this year is set to see more combined workout classes being introduced across the UK. themovementcliniclondon.co.uk

5. Body Weight Training

These are great strength building exercises such as pushups, body weight squats, pull-ups, rollouts and bench presses among others aimed at building strength. Many people are choosing to steer away from exercise equipment and gym membership fees in favour of body weight training, which can be practiced freely in any environment.

6. Ballet Barre

Inspired by ballet, Barre classes focus on a combination of movements to give you a powerful lower body workout. Barre postures improve strength and flexibility by forcing one of your legs to move gracefully and precise, while the other leg stabilises you. While it may sound like a new fitness trend, barre training has been helping men and women alike, tone up and tighten for decades. barrecore.co.uk/classes

 

7. Group Training 

Although not a new trend, fitness classes are making their mark in 2018. Group training is defined as a workout of five or more people, led by a Fitness Instructor. Popular classes this year will include boxing, bootcamps, cycling, rowing and dance classes. Group training is designed to push you harder, motivate you, teach you something new and help you reach your fitness goals.

8. Dance

When you are in the mood for fun and an unstructured way of getting fit, why not take part in a dance class? Dance is a great way to move your body to a tune, shed calories and tone up simultaneously. Dance classes to look out for this year include Street, Groove, Bokwa and Bollywood.

9. Virtual Boxing

The digital fever is also catching up with fitness routines as boxing exercises now gain a virtual aspect in 2018. The Boxx Method, an online workout, will feature videos choreographed to include shadow-boxing, high intensity intervals and a knockout round each video lasting half an hour. It is a trend that is touted to improve strength, coordination, speed while burning calories.

10.  Rowing Classes

In 2018, group rowing classes are set to hit the fitness scene in a big way. A rowing machine works the biceps, hamstrings, calves, gluteal muscles and lower and middle back. Virgin Active have just launched their new RO class, while other group rowing classes are set to pop up in London soon, which will give exercisers an entire body workout with the motivation-boost of group fitness training.

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