Reverse running and pickleball – the fitness trends for 2022

Last year may have been all about Peloton classes and wild swimming, but what does 2022 have in store when it comes to fitness?

Last year may have been all about Peloton classes and wild swimming, but what does 2022 have in store when it comes to fitness? Here we predict the wellness trends for the year ahead:

Weighted hula hoops

This age-old playground game is likely to be 2022’s most fashionable way to work your core and shift the belly fat. The new twist? The hoop is weighted. A recent survey by PureGym found searches for weighted hula hoops to be one of the biggest new trends, with internet searches more than doubling since this time last year. For good reason. Studies have shown that hula-hooping with a weighted hoop really does help to shed pounds. One paper in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning asked women to attend a weekly hula class and to do at-home hooping on another four days a week. Using a hoop weighing 1.7kg, the participants practised for two to six minutes a day in week one of the trial, rising to 15 minutes daily by week six, with results confirming that weighted hula-hooping reduced waist and hip circumference after six weeks.

Weighted hula-hooping can reduce waist and hip circumference after six weeks.

Reverse running

In the recent PureGym survey, there was a 50 per cent increase in online searches for reverse running. It is said to relieve the impact on your knees — there is less of the pounding associated with regular running — and to balance out muscle use if you usually run forwards. It also improves balance and peripheral vision, largely because you run looking over a shoulder. As odd as it sounds, some sports doctors recommend it to injured athletes and it is an essential part of training in sports such as football, boxing and hockey, all of which require some backwards running. There is even a Reverse Running world championships, due to be held in Enfield, on the northern outskirts of London. The way to do it is as intervals – a few backward strides as part of a regular run or on a treadmill or cross trainer in the gym. This isn’t about launching into a whole backward 5km around the park. Push off the floor from the ball of your foot and reach back as far as possible with your leg to activate the glutes for increased momentum – then, in a wide open space, building up as you become more proficient.

Some studies have shown that cold-water immersion speeds recovery from muscle soreness and promotes blood-vessel constriction.

Home ice baths

After a surge in popularity for cold-water swimming – in rivers, lidos and the sea – it’s no surprise that people want the benefits of an icy plunge in the “comfort” of their home. Cold-water baths are on trend for this year. For optimal results you should take a cold dip for two minutes every day, enthusiasts say. Proponents believe this boosts energy and immunity and, although scientific evidence is lacking, some studies have shown that cold-water immersion speeds recovery from muscle soreness and promotes blood-vessel constriction. Apparently this helps to flush out waste products such as lactic acid which make muscles tired. Boxer Anthony Joshua and tennis player Andy Murray are among athletes who are fans of ice baths.

There is evidence that meditation and mindfulness techniques can alter the structure of your brain in a beneficial way.

Anti-stress classes on demand

The Mindlabs platform (wearemindlabs.com) launches this month. It is the self-proclaimed “Peloton of mental health” that will offer thousands of live and on-demand classes filmed in its west London studio. Expect livestream guided meditation, CBT and breathwork – designed to build mental resilience and overcome stress, anxiety and low mood. Its instructors include an impressive line-up of world-class mindfulness experts, including the breathwork expert Richie Bostock (who has 42,400 followers on his @thebreathguy Instagram account), clinical psychologist Dr Erica McInnis and neuroscientist Anne-Sophie Fluri, a research associate at Imperial College London. Classes will range in length from 10 to 40 minutes and there are plans to launch an accompanying range of wearable gadgets such as an EEG (electroencephalogram) headband that will measure your brainwaves. There is evidence that meditation and mindfulness techniques can alter the structure of your brain in a beneficial way and, after successful trials, MindLabs says its mission is to “rewire your brain” for less stress, better sleep and boosted mood.

The heaviest bands provide 23kg-25kg of resistance, similar to that of a heavy kettlebell

Heavy resistance bands

During the pandemic gym-goers missing the luxury of the weights room realised that many resistance bands offer more than minimal resistance, and in 2022 these previously under-appreciated pieces of equipment are likely to power their way into even the most serious strength workouts. Opt for the heaviest bands and you get 23kg-25kg of resistance, similar to that of a heavy kettlebell — but without the hassle of taking up too much space in your living room.

EMS training

In 2022 an increasing number of gyms will offer Electro-Muscular Stimulation Training, which sends a finely tuned electrical signal to the muscles, causing them to contract. Not to be confused with devices such as Slendertone where you lie on a table and get the machine to do it for you, this is about wearing a special wired-up gilet or band while you work out – to increase the effects of muscle building. EMS is popular with the time-pressed who are lured by the promise that it activates up to 30 per cent more muscle fibres than conventional strength training – and all in a single 20-30 minute session a week.

Ground-based animal movements such as the bear crawl improve core strength, balance and co-ordination.

Animal movement classes

We’ve become accustomed to using the natural world as our gym over the past two years and that trend is likely to intensify in 2022, with renewed interest in primal and animal-based movements that use body weight to get into shape. The results of a PureGym survey into fitness trends showed a 124 per cent increase in searches for classes such as Zuu, Animal Flow and Primal Movement Works — which focus on ground-based animal movements such as crawling and balancing on your hands. You will improve core strength, balance and co-ordination.

Pickleball is spreading beyond its origins in the US.

Pickleball

This fusion of badminton, table tennis and tennis can be played indoors or outdoors by two to four players, hitting a perforated polymer ball over a net with solid wooden paddles. This is a US import and its popularity soared there by 21.3 per cent last year, according to the Sport and Fitness Industry Association. Benefits include improved flexibility, balance and aerobic fitness as you dash around the court for up to an hour per match.

Trainers made from ocean plastic

There are 25 billion pairs of running shoes made every year, most of which are made from plastic, and hardly any of them are recyclable. Training shoes are set to become more eco friendly in 2022 as manufacturers make belated attempts to protect the environment.

The Times