The hottest fitness trends in 2017

GOOD news — you can put down the dumbbells. But if you hate doing planks you are not going to like these fitness trends.

Katie Nixon is trying out Piloxing — one of the hot fitness trends of 2017. Picture: Jamie Hanson

EXERCISE and nutrition scientist Kathleen Alleaume shares her predictions for the major fitness trends in 2017.

TECH-BASED WORKOUTS

For the second year running, the tech-based trend still tops the chart, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

While the use of wearable device to collect health daily metrics won’t automatically equate to fitness success, they are a great way to keep key health goals at the forefront of your mind, make healthier lifestyle choices and act as a friendly reminder to move more, and get enough shut eye, among many other things.

GO HYBRID

Group training classes still remain popular for working up a sweat because they’re great boredom busters if you feel your fitness regimen is a little stale.

Classes combine all essential training elements (cardio, strength, and flexibility) making them an efficient way to get your heart pumping, tone up, and stay bendy in under an hour or less.

Plus you’ve got an instructor to motivate you and make sure your technique is on point to maximise calorie burn. Piloxing (pilates and boxing), YAS (Yoga and Spin), Orange Theory (split interval training) are great examples.

MEGAFORMER

Phoebe Burgess in action.

Crank your pilates training up a notch with a Megaformer class. With an emphasis on slow, controlled movement and minimum rest between sets, this is the ultimate toning workout to exhaust each body part, while keeping the heart rate elevated.

Expect to burn up to 600 calories per session and to continue burning calories between classes.

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT)

It’s hard work but it’s here to stay. Why? You get all the benefits of an intense workout, but in half the time. Think fast fitness gains, fat loss, and boosted metabolic rate. If you’re just starting out, build up some basic fitness before jumping into HIIT to prevent injury. A good way to do this is alternate 30 seconds of walking with 30 seconds of running or jogging.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) has been popular for a few years because it gives you the benefits of a great workout in less time. Picture: Stephen Cooper

BODY WEIGHT MOVES

Gone are the dumbbells, it’s all about lifting your own body weight with functional training style moves. Common examples include gymnastics and callisthenics, which emphasis a tremendous amount of controlled strength, flexibility and core control. The result is a leaner, more muscular physique.

Think this is out of your league? Think again! Simple exercises like a squat, lunge, or plank hold are all examples that can be made more complex as you get stronger. More complex moves will see you doing pull-ups and push-ups on rings and even animal inspired crawls that challenge hip flexibility and muscle endurance.

The bonus is that minimal or no equipment is required so you can do these exercises practically anywhere. No excuses!

ROLL INTO RECOVERY

The message that we need to work on flexibility and range of motion has finally sunk in. Foam rolling, yoga, and mobilisation exercises are becoming more common as we realise the importance of recovery, as part of a well-rounded fitness regimen.

The importance of foam rollers for recovery is becoming well known. Picture: Chris Pavlich

It’s important to give your muscles time to repair after training, a process that takes up to 48 hours, and techniques like foam rolling can also help reduce soreness and tight limbs.

This trend has us swapping lying on the couch at night to stretching out tight muscles in front of the TV, or even going to restorative pre-bed “yin” yoga classes to improve flexibility, reduce stress and aid sleep.

EXERCISE IS MEDICINE

There’s a strong move away from exercising for aesthetic reasons, with more focus on how we feel and function instead. The biggest boost has been in the area of mental health, and using movement as a therapy to boost mood and manage stress.

Additionally more doctors are referring patients to exercise physiologists for tailored programs because of the strong evidence around prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases, health conditions and even some cancers.

How will you be working out in the New Year?

Kathleen Alleaume is an exercise and nutrition scientist and Author of What’s Eating You? @therightbalance