2015 Fitness Trends: The Latest and Greatest in Gadgets and Classes

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Imagine working out with a certified trainer and never having to leave the comfort of your own home while using the equipment that you already own. Online sessions allow trainers to provide live instruction to anyone with a webcam, laptop and internet connection.

 

You’ve opened every last gift, rung in the New Year with a band and packed away the tinsel, but you might have also packed on a few extra pounds over the holiday season. Don’t worry, though; with the start of a new year, most of us are ready to get back on track with our health and wellbeing, and the fitness industry always provides us with an array of popular exercise choices. The latest fitness trends will keep you on your toes well into the months ahead.

HIITS: High Intensity Interval Training

High intensity interval training was a big hit last year and is still a winner for 2015! HIIT is exercising in short, intense bursts combined with either less intense exercise for recovery or complete rest in between. HIIT is ideal for busy people, as you can get an extremely effective workout in 20 minutes or less. One example is running as hard as you can for one minute and then walking for one minute. HIIT can be done with boot camp-style workouts, cycling classes or your own equipment—or no equipment at all. Going really hard for a set amount of time and then recovering for a set amount of time gets your heart rate elevated and sends your body into fat-burning overdrive!

Tabata

One form of HIIT training is Tabata. Typical Tabata training is four minutes of intense interval exercise, in which participants exercise for 20 seconds at absolute maximum effort, follow it with 10 seconds of rest, and then repeat the sequence seven times for a total of eight sets. All fitness levels can benefit from Tabata, since you exercise at your own level. Workouts can be completed with simple equipment or your own body weight, which it makes it easy to do in class or at home. Count the loads of calories you burn in a brief length of time and Tabata might turn into your go-to workout.

Training Via the Virtual Web

Imagine working out with a certified trainer and never having to leave the comfort of your own home while using the equipment that you already own. Online sessions allow trainers to provide live instruction to anyone with a webcam, laptop and internet connection. Participants can choose from one-on-one personal training sessions to group personal training sessions. While private or one-on-one sessions offer a little more flexibility and customization, group sessions enable people to participate in exercise classes at their convenience (with friends or strangers), and provide a budget-friendly option to private sessions.

On most online training sites, customers can search for either a one-on-one session or group workout and then browse a range of exercise types that include everything from beginner workouts, strength training and yoga to Pilates, boot camps and kickboxing. When it’s time for the session or class, the instructor and the participants are displayed live on the screen. Instructors demonstrate exercises and watch the participant as they complete their repetitions. This way, instructors can correct any form or posture issues and provide feedback right on the spot. Check the web for more online fitness options in the coming year.

Telemetry

Gadgets are the go-to in 2015. If you’re into tech toys and fitness, then this is the year for you. Everything from wristbands and apps to heart rate monitors and running watches are tracking daily activity and monitoring results.

And if you are into winning, then Competition Based Exercise may be your workout of choice. Group classes use data from these tech gadgets to display performance metrics on a board in the room and everyone can see where they stand in comparison to their classmates.

Over the next five years or so, experts are predicting that this industry will skyrocket as many of these wearable devices sync up with apps on our phones and integrate personal health data. With valuable personal data such as heart rate and blood pressure at our fingertips, people tend to become more engaged in trying to live a healthier lifestyle.

Combination Classes

You see them all over—group fitness classes that combine two different fitness formats for an ultimate workout. There’s nothing like joining kickboxing with strengthening or yoga with cardio to utilize muscles differently. Everyone is busy, and this time-saving, multi-tasking workout can get you into shape quicker while allowing your muscles to recover, giving less chance of injury for your workouts ahead.

Everything Old Becomes New Again

Of course, just as in the fashion world, popular fitness trends come and go…and sometimes they come back again. Tried and true equipment such as treadmills and elliptical trainers will never go out of style; kettle bells and dumbbells are seeing more exercise time since they are being used for new workouts. Who knows, you may be back in a step aerobics class very soon. Now get out there and exercise!

Sources: acefitness.org and huffingtonpost.com.