“Make it a habit: Walk, dance, join a boot camp or do yoga for fitness and health - Calgary Herald” |
| Make it a habit: Walk, dance, join a boot camp or do yoga for fitness and health - Calgary Herald Posted: 19 Jan 2011 11:56 AM PST Trends come and fads go, not least in the world of fitness. Remember Jack Lalanne's Glamour Stretcher and Suzanne Somers' ThighMaster? Or TV's 20-Minute Workout and Sweatin' to the Oldies? And can anyone recall good old jumping jacks? Callisthenics and jogging – more recently among the top activities for those seeking to keep in shape – have given way to pole aerobics, hot yoga and outdoor boot camps. And now, as an eager cohort of new fitness converts head to the gym, there appears to be much to look forward to. According to a recent survey by the American College of Sports Medicine, fitness in 2011 will focus on specialized training for strength, core and "functional fitness" (once called callisthenics). Personal training will be big as more students major in kinesiology and savvy clients demand their trainers be properly certified. Childhood obesity will get increased attention, says the survey, as will the fitness levels of the boomer generation. The same trends are expected to be popular in Canada. "The trend right now is to conquer what the boomer needs, and that is to stay strong, energize, and live an independent healthy life," says Maureen Hagan, vice-president of operations for GoodLife Fitness in London, Ont., and education director of its sister company canfitpro. She says the way to a boomer's healthy heart is through cross-training. That means basic strength training with or without a trainer, as well as functional training using stability balls, foam rollers or other equipment to improve balance. Overall, she says this year will no longer be about "high intensity, go hard, hurt yourself" exercise but rather "friendlier forms of aerobic activity" with moderate intensity and lower impact. Personal trainer Karsten Jensen, who teaches at Toronto-based Certified Professional Trainers Network, says boomer programming will avoid activities that raise blood pressure (goodbye, heavy barbells) and instead involve joint mobility exercises that use the body for resistance. Jensen adds the spike in interest will continue in all demographics for what he calls "mind/body movement" involving breathing and stretching – such as yoga, hot yoga and Qigong – because it's fairly easy on the body. Dance is also leaping into the fitness world, with Latin-based Zumba and Indian-inspired BollyFit making waves. Zumba instructor Amanda Grant of Stouffville, Ont., expects 2011 to a big year for Zumba in Canada because more instructors have come on board to handle the crush. "Zumba has brought so many people into the fitness industry that have been intimidated and scared to get involved," she says. "It is a fun and easy-to-follow workout that can best be described as 'exercise in disguise.' There is Zumbatomic for kids, Zumba Gold for older adults, Aqua Zumba for those who prefer to exercise in water, and Zumba Toning which adds light weight resistance." For those looking for something different, Jensen expects to see a surge in non-traditional training such as CrossFit (a combo of running, heavy lifting, and circuit training with equipment), lifting kettlebells, and swinging heavy ropes. He says outdoor training will also grow as evidenced by the popularity of outdoor boot camps and new athletic shoes that simulate going barefoot. Hagan expects suspension training to soar, with pulleys and straps suspending the body or parts of the body to tone and build muscle. Finally, fitness will go viral. Prof. Roni Jamnik at York University's School of Kinesiology and Health Science supports what she calls "video exergaming" and counts Nintendo's Wii as a great way to get people moving. Cool fitness apps for mobile phones will continue to inspire. And social networks like Twitter and Facebook will be a hot spot for online motivational support. Jamnik predicts time-starved Canadians will move to shorter workouts that are more intense to better fit into their busy schedules. She hopes more offices will encourage employees to move around during their day – whether that's standing when on the phone or going for group walks instead of sitting in stuffy meeting rooms. She calls it non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), or spontaneous movement to get the blood pumping. But whatever 2011 brings, the bottom line is this: choose something, anything, and make it a habit. "When your body is doing a regimen of three to five workouts a week," says Hagan, "30 minutes minimum, plus some regular physical activity like taking the stairs, walking further, playing with your kids in the park, skating, skiing, swimming, hiking … you can live a long, healthy and active happy life." © Copyright (c) Postmedia News This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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