According to a new survey released by the American College of Sports Medicine, body weight training, which involves exercises like push-ups, planks, pull-ups, and squats, has appeared in the top 10 fitness trends for the first time. ACSM National Director of Certification Richard Cotton, MA, attributes this wellness change to a sign of the times; ‘We have this whole time pressure thing and we want to do things easily and conveniently.’
However, though convenient, you may, like many people, find that some weight training programmes are too intense, and so Cotton recommends that you keep your wellbeing in mind with simple, well-known and functional exercises. ‘A push-up is very functional because we push [things] and we have to stabilize our body at the same time. So with a push-up, we’re not just isolating the pectorals. We’re also using the triceps and isolating our abdomen at the same time,’ he says, whilst ‘Forward and side lunges are good because you’re working your hamstrings, your gluteals and your quadriceps with these.’
But as Body Weight Training made it to number three on the Fitness Trends Survey, what else made the list? In reverse order, group personal training, where a personal trainer provides individualised service catered to small groups of two to four people, came in at number 10, whilst core training came in ninth place. In eighth place was functional fitness, which uses strength training to improve balance, coordination, and endurance in order to participate in daily activities without any stress, and in at number seven was using a personal trainer.
The sixth predicted fitness trend was an increase in fitness programmes for older adults, whilst, somewhat surprisingly, a trend in diet and exercise for weight loss purposes only made it in at number five. Children and obesity sadly made the list at number four, body weight training, as you know, came in at number three, and strength training just missed out on first place. This means that the number one fitness trend predicted, for the sixth consecutive year, is a rise in educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals. This means that you’re going to see a boom in fully accredited education and certification programs for health/fitness professionals.
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