Fitness trends come, and fitness trends go. Out with the boot camp (thank god) and in with the Fitbits for 2016 we say! There are plenty of fitness trends that have reared their little head this year and look likely to up the anty for 2016. Some may come as no surprise but there are others which you may find slightly ridiculous—crunning anyone?! Have a look at our predictions for the top fitness trends for 2016.
Wearable Technology
2016 looks set to be the year of the Fitbit. The American College of Sports Medicine’s annual fitness trend report predicts it will sweep the fitness world by swarm in ’16, and we can’t help but agree. Of course, there’s a lot more wearable techy items out there like the Apple Watch—these little devices can count your steps, measure your heart rate and calories burned, and even keep track of your hours spent sleeping and sitting. Apparently all that information translates to making us more fit, or least may decrease all those hours we spend on our derrière.
Yoga
Yoga isn’t new we are completely aware of that. But it’s popularity is increasing and it looks set to keep going at this pace. There’s new yoga studios opening up regularly, and you struggle for mat space at some studios. The emphasis is less on the dizzying bikram and perfecting that pose to put on Insta, and more about athletic power vinyasa and relaxing and restorative styles. With the latter there is a mindfulness element which is not just reserved for the adult colouring book craze. Create balance and harmony for the bod and the mind with yoga in 2016.
Live Streaming
Anyone else driven past the new Newmarket Les Mills and thought all those people are very in time with each other despite there being no instructor?! Well there is an instructor there, but it’s a video recording. 2016 will see this move a step further with live streaming. Think spin classes streamed on your computer or TV where you’re all in the comforts of your own home and no longer have to deal with parking mares. It’s already a big deal in the USA and we predict it could do the same here.
Trampoline Exercise
Get back to your 5 year old self and perfect those flips and tumbles. This is serious cardio exercise—apparently 10 mins on the tramp’ can equate to 30 mins on the treadmill—no-brainer! It’s also low impact so your shoddy knees are no excuse for this one. Did we mention it’s also incredibly fun?! Both Jump and Uptown Bounce are popular Auckland trampoline parks, but best avoided in school holidays, so maybe get into this one once school goes back. Foot fetishists you fat outta luck—those far-from-sexy grippy socks are compulsory.
Barre
When we think long and lean, we usually think of a ballet dancer, and for good reason too. Ballet exercises are the ultimate for developing those long, lean muscles across the whole bod. It promises sculpted thighs and a lifted seat—if anything can lift this thing after the Christmas food-inhaling season then count us in! Give it a go at Barrefigure or Xtend Barre in Ponsonby, or Studio Three in Newmarket.
Fitness, Wellness and Wellbeing Centres
The Centre leads this trends in the AKL, offering yoga plus naturopathy, massage therapy, psychological therapy, craniosacral therapy (google it), organic facials and reiki (again, google it!). We’re used to fitness and nutrition being combined, perhaps even a bit of mental coaching, but this is next level. Expect more of these places to pop up, and current places to branch out and offer the whole package.
Retreats and Fitness Holidays
With yoga and wellness on the rise, as well as the soaring popularity of vegetarian/ vegan/ paleo, plant-based/ raw diets, so are the sign-up rates for retreats. Usually in a spectacular location with daily yoga and meditation sessions, accompanied by healthy food and some optional extras. Now I know we said boot camp is out, but if it’s on a beach that’s a whole different story. Fitness holidays are set to gain serious traction in 2016—the location and the cocktails make it all significantly less painful. Auckland company Crave Fitness Holidays took a group of fit bunnies to Fiji this year and are taking two more trips in 2016. With luxury 5 star accommodation, champagne on arrival and spa treatments this couldn’t possibly make exercise more appealing!
Workplace Incentives
Workplaces are fast figuring out that you’ll do much better work (and make them much more dollah bills) if you’re a happy healthy employee. Go figure. As most of us spend more time at work than doing anything else at all, companies are also figuring they need to give us a fitness helping hand. The offerings include gym memberships offered in many job packages, lunchtimes sweat sessions, and shower facilities so you can pound the pavement at lunchtime. Some Auckland companies are even dishing out Fitbits and issuing challenges—perhaps a ploy to get you out to do the coffee run from the ’better, but further away’ place, but hey, we wouldn’t complain.
Boxing
If Gigi does it then shit, it must work! The whole “strong, not skinny” mantra has lasted a couple of years now and despite no longer being hashtagged at every possible moment, the ideal body type for most remains lean and strong. For the boys there’s the incentive of flexing your macho muscles and hopefully coming out with an Art Greenesque result, while for the girls its promises a great cardio workout that also builds strength and lean muscle. There’s plenty of boxing classes offered at most of Auckland’s gyms, and also several boxy-dedicated training centres.
Smartphone Apps
Yes there is an app for that. There’s an app for everyone and every fitness style and there’s no sign that this trend is slowing down. Nike’s Training Club gives you workouts to follow at home by master trainers, including Auckland’s own super fitness babe Kirsty Godso. Nike also has an app that maps your runs and gives you cheering noises as you’re doing well—we’re not opposed to that. For yogis Pocket Yoga is an amazing resource of sequences and a pose dictionary. Or if you in need of a serious push-along download Zombies, Run!, an app filled with missions, thrilling music and zombies on your tail.
Crunning
The latest craze to hit ‘Merica – could it become a thing here?! This seriously bizarre fitness trends has people quite literally down on their hands and knees attempting to move quickly across the ground. We kinda hope this one catches on just because it would provide plenty of entertainment—our New Year’s resolution is to witness someone crunning down Ponsonby Road at 6pm on a Friday night. Check out this video of The Crunmaster from Melbourne showing us how it’s done and see if you’d be willing to give it a try…
Image credit: Swide
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