Getting into a fitness program isn’t easy, but if you’ve done it I think you’ll agree it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do for your mind and body.
It doesn’t take long to get into the mindset where you work out because you want to, not because you have to. It helps that there are some great fitness trends to follow this year, so take a look and see which one could fit in with your lifestyle.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is still the most popular fitness trend
HIIT isn’t a new way to workout, and this type of exercise is steadily gaining steam for people who want to increase their strength and cardio while decreasing their workout time.
When you do a HIIT session you’ll work out for up to 90 seconds at a time, then rest. The rest interval isn’t long, and you’ll be back to a work interval really quickly. These types of workouts generally last 30 minutes, and trust me, that’s all you’ll want to do most days.
Trainers will recommend you do a HIIT training workout at few times per week, but definitely not every day. If you want to get the most out of your HIIT workouts, you’ll want to add a set of weights, resistance bands.
When you add weight or resistance you can keep on doing the same workouts, but they’ll get progressively harder.
Treadmills are even more popular
Treadmills are a solid way to get in a workout when the weather isn’t cooperating, but people are starting to turn to them even when the sun is blazing and the birds are singing outside. Why? It’s just so easy to jump on your treadmill, burn up the calories, and get on with your day.
The latest treadmills come in models you can fold and slide under your bed. They have built in fans and Bluetooth speaker connections, and some have programs you can use to vary your workout.
On Demand Fitness is the way to squeeze in a workout
Everyone has a different schedule. A morning workout could be great for one person, while another is used to working out at 10 pm. With people getting busier and busier, On Demand fitness is becoming more popular.
On Demand fitness can mean a few different things. If you’re traveling some airports offer workout facilities within the airport. Hotels may offer to bring you an exercise bike to workout with. There’s also tech options for On Demand fitness, including Mirror. Mirror is an nearly invisible interactive home gym that mounts on your wall or sits on a stand. Although this high tech mirror is just starting to become available, people are swearing it’s one of the best ways to get a versatile workout at home.
If you’re going to take advantage of late night workouts, make sure you’ve got your fitness tracker with you. It can track your all day steps and your workouts, giving you the motivation to squeeze an On Demand workout in if you’ve had a slow day.
Choose Tabata and take full advantage of a short workout
Tabata will continue to be a top fitness trend this year. It’s similar to HIIT but every exercise you perform will last four minutes max. You’ll go full stop for 20 seconds, rest of 10 seconds, then do another round of the same exercise. In a 30 minute session you’ll work out for 8 rounds, but you can burn a quick 100 calories and activate your metabolism for an all-day burn just by working out for 15 minutes.
Once you’ve mastered Tabata you can add a exercise ball to your workout. That extra weight will make all the difference in your strength training.
Wearable technology is still King
There’s no sign the popularity of wearable technology is going to slow down anytime soon. Fitness trackers and some smartwatches have heart rate monitors built right in, and when you can easily see your heart rate is in the zone, you know you’re making your workout count.
Beyond your heart rate activity trackers will also count your steps, monitor your calories burned, and even count your ZZZ’s along with you as you sleep. You can also use your fitness tracker to monitor your stress levels, and some are compatible with your voice assistant so you can check your stats without touching your wrist.
Yoga is still the best stress reliever
There is nothing so satisfying as the downward dog stretch after a long workout, but sometimes you just want to stretch your muscles and not work up a sweat doing cardio. That’s where Yoga comes in.
There’s so many different kinds of yoga available that you’ll never run out of workouts. You can choose Bikram, power, hot, or Iyengar yoga for strength, mobility and stability training. There’s even yoga classes offered in fields of goats and alpacas, and while I think that’s interesting as I have alpacas and goat of my own, they’re pretty curious creatures who might want to get into your post with you.
Some forms of yoga will give you a relaxing stretch, while others will really work up a sweat while you tone. To do yoga at home you’ll need a yoga mat, yoga accessories, in some cases, resistance bands.
Fitness and nutrition apps to track what you eat
What did I eat today? If you find you’re asking yourself that too often, you might want to join the legions who are picking up a smartphone and tracking food and water intake with a fitness and nutrition app.
Some fitness tracker apps have the option to track your food intake as easily as you would track your workouts. They’ll also give you a spot to track what you drink so you know you’re always hydrated. One of the most popular ways to keep water with you at all times is by using a stainless steel water bottle. It keeps your water icy cold, and it’s great for the environment.
These are just a few of the latest fitness trends you can follow this year and beyond. It’s easy to get excited about breaking a sweat and getting fit when you’ve got so many great options at Best Buy, so grab your fitness gear and make this your healthiest year yet.
