Fitness & Exercise
This article is from the WebMD Feature Archive
A New Year, a New Workout
As anyone who's ever watched a New Year's Day infomercial can tell you, this is the time of year when new workout trends take center stage. And this year, experts say, exploring those new workout trends may be easier than ever.
"Many of the most popular new workout trends going forward in 2008 are centered on addressing not only our real-life needs, but also our limitations, including time and money," says certified personal trainer Sue Fleming, creator of the Buff series of fitness DVDs and director of BuffFitness.com.
You may be trying to trim your tummy so you can look your best in a swimsuit. But there are far more important reasons to banish that belly. There's a strong link between abdominal fat and increased health risks, explains Fabio Comana, MA, MS, exercise physiologist and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. "Apples," who carry their extra weight in their abdominal area (as opposed to "pears," who have more bulk in their hips and lower body), are more prone to heart disease, high...
Read the Banish Your Belly article > >
Fleming says one thing we'll definitely see more of in 2008 is 24-hour fitness centers. Like open-all-night Laundromats, these do-it-yourself workout centers make it possible to exercise any time of the day or night.
But what if you need some help getting fit? Well, there's a new exercise trend for you as well. Walter Thompson, PhD, a professor at Georgia State University and spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine, says the trend is toward more and better-trained fitness professionals.
"One new workout trend you can expect to see in 2008 -- and beyond -- is health and fitness professionals being required to achieve a higher standard of education and certification, which is something that will benefit everyone trying to increase their level of fitness, from the beginner clear through to the pro," says Thompson, author of the Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends 2008, published in the American College of Sports Medicine's Health and Fitness Journal.
This also means there will be more trainers who are educated at coaching people with limitations, be they age-related, a result of chronic illness, or other factors, Thompson says.
But all this, experts say, is just the tip of the iceberg. Thompson, Fleming, and Fabio Comana, MA, MS, a research scientist from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), helped WebMD hone in on eight top workout trends for the year. Here's what they had to say:
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