There are always fleeting trends in the fitness world – some are always recycled and remix, while others disappear into the abyss. Here are the top fitness trends of 2017. Do you think any of these have longevity, or they’re just silly fads like the rest?
1. Hot Yoga and Pilates
Sweating off water weight is one of the many detoxifying benefits of hot yoga, otherwise known as Bikram yoga. But the trend is demanding, and not for everyone. Doing challenging yoga or pilates poses in a room heated to around 90 degrees, things are bound to get a little slippery.
2. Barefoot Running
The logic on this is: our ancestors did this and it worked out just fine, so why are we dropping hundreds of dollars on fancy running shoes? Toe shoes were a fleeting trend, so now people are ditching the footwear all together, claiming that it’s less sever on your knees and joints when you bounce off the ball of your foot and not a sneaker sole.
3. Wearable Technology
Not exactly a fitness class, but absolutely a trend! People are wearing apps and Fitbits on their wrists so that they can accurately track your heart rate, distance, and more with a simple watch or bracelet.
4. Live Stream Classes
Now you don’t need to sit in a sweaty, unventilated room with 20 other people while you try to avoid eye contact. Goodbye DVD workouts, hello live-streaming spin classes like Pelaton, or FitFusion with Jillian Michaels, and even the ballet inspired Barre3 workout! Antisocial fitness freaks unite!
5. Mobility/Foam Rollers
While a foam roller has always been a staple in the fitness world, it seems to be gaining more traction this year, and there’s even group roller classes you can take to get deep in those sore muscles and stretch your achy body out. They look like a round or bumpy cylinder, and also improve circulation.
6. Twerking classes
Yes, this does sound ridiculous, but it really does take hard work! Twerking tones your quads, obliques, and glutes, and is a more fun alternative to squatting, though it targets the same muscles groups. Try not to laugh doing this one, we dare you!
7. Pole Dancing
Did you know that being a stripper can be really acrobatic? It’s a full body workout that definitely includes some thigh chafing (that metal pole isn’t the most snugly material for your body to embrace), but it will be worth it with the results you see in your obliques, legs, and abs.
8. The Megaformer
Are you a fan of Pilates? Well, a machine called the Megaformer was built to teach “pilates on crack” as they’re calling it. Using weighted springs and your own body weight as resistance, you will be shaking non-stop due to muscle fatigue, but you’re bound to see results in just a few weeks, and most likely feel like you’ve been hit by a truck the day after.
9. Virtual Boxing
Psh, who does real boxing anymore? Boxing itself has been a trendy workout for the past couple of years, and this year, it’s going digital! An online program called The Boxx Method is the first virtual boxing experience you can take on, and provides 30 minute choreographed sequences to teach yourself at home.
10. Aerial Yoga
If hanging out and doing yoga in a heated room for an hour doesn’t sound that appealing to you, would hanging upside down and doing yoga be better? Described as a deep tissue massage for your whole body, this decompressing exercising lets you get extra deep in stretches by utilizing a silk hammock that you lay/sit in upside down. Disorienting at first, and maybe not great for those with vertigo!