The Top 10 Trends in Fitness for 2019

People who know me well would never say I am on trend. When it comes to fashion or technology, I tend to be a late adopter and in some other areas of my life I tend to be an early adopter. However, it is no surprise to me that I am practicing what is exactly on trend when it comes to my Health coaching philosophy.

A rather comprehensive study was done across nearly 19,000 fitness facilities/ gyms across the world spanning 105 countries and these are the top trends heading into 2019.

1. Functional Fitness

Functional fitness stays in the top spot again. Functional fitness is using multiple muscle groups to strengthen in a holistic way versus training one specific muscle group at a time. Functional fitness programs include practical, balance challenging movements that simulate everyday activities like getting out of bed, grabbing a box off the top shelf, unloading the car or carrying groceries. Focusing in this way helps prepare for the activities of daily life, counters the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle and assists with graceful aging. Functional fitness is what I prescribe for most of my coaching clients and is the fourth of my five-pillar program.

2. Active Recovery

Recognizing that the ability to exercise and live life is limited by the ability to move, active recovery focuses on movement and self-care with proper stretching, foam rollers, balls, sauna to name a few. When we take care of ourselves and move as freely as possible, our training is better and our everyday lives are enhanced. In programs I design for my coaching clients, I include mental recovery such as sleep and other modalities as well. This is the fifth of my five-pillar approach.

3. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT is a training methodology involving intense periods of exercise followed by a duration of rest. This approach has become increasing popular because it provides a good workout in a shorter time than traditional cardio and it works for all fitness levels. As we all are getting busier with our work and family commitments, HIIT addresses the time crunch, helping to burn fat and improve cardiovascular benefits effectively. I primarily only do some form of HIIT training now and it is what I recommend for all my coaching clients, all of whom are always busy. HIIT happens to be the second pillar in my approach.

4. Nutrition and Healthy Eating Programs

Combining healthy eating with exercise is the best approach to see results sooner. The study did not define what “Healthy Eating” meant, and there are certainly many ways for people to improve their nutrition and there is no one-size fits all approach to nutrition. I advocate a Low Inflammatory nutrition plan that is customized to my coaching clients. I find it to be the most important pillar for body composition goals.

5. Older Adult Training

There is growing demand from Baby Boomers looking to adopt healthier habits to maintain their health and quality of life as they age into their 60’s and beyond. I believe a well laid out approach can work for any one of any age.

6. Express Workouts

The study defines express workouts as: Encouraging participants to perform multiple exercises at a fast pace and can be an effective approach for people on a tight schedule with a workout lasting 20 mins or less. I think they may be splitting hairs here between this and HIIT workouts.

7. Body Weight Training

Using your own body weight to create resistance is a growing trend. This builds strength and muscle and burns fat without the need for equipment, making it easier and less intimidating for beginners. Enabling people to use their own body weight while doing movements allows for training anywhere. I almost exclusively use this with my coaching clients and encourage them to do this in their home, in their backyard or at the park. If functional fitness is your goal, I do not believe you need to go to the gym.

8. Circuit Training & Boot Camps

Circuit training involves a series of exercises performed in rotation with minimal rest. The aim is to build strength while burning maximum calories. A boot camp mixes traditional callisthenic exercises with interval and strength training. Both types of programs are designed to push people harder than they would normally push themselves. Both are challenging and can generate positive results. While I do incorporate a circuit in the functional strength portion of my programs, I find these to be more suited to the intermediate to advanced athlete and not for beginners, especially if they have injuries or other chronic conditions.

9. Branded Fitness Experiences

Branded programs are pre-choreographed programs offered by a fitness company (think Peloton) or “celebrity” (whom you never see of course). The benefit is that people know what to expect and can choose a workout they enjoy no matter where they are located. The brand awareness, efficacy, and convenience of these workouts are attractive features to fans.

10. Fusion-Style Group Fitness

These group classes combine disciplines like yoga and cycling or Pilates and boxing. Mixing different types of exercise creates workout variety. Changing up what we do helps develop more strength, balance and coordination.

If you are looking to take your Health to the next level and incorporate any of these ideas into your plan, reach out to me and we can have a discussion.