As if keeping up physically with exercise wasn’t enough, now we have to keep up with this year’s new fitness trends. What happened to just running or swimming?
Well, fitness fads often claim to be better, improved versions of their forebearers. We’re here to take a look at the best of this decade’s strangest fitness fads.
Plogging along
A hit 2018 fitness fad came in the form of plogging. It’s a Scandinavian based trend that encourages people to pick up litter while out running — improving health and the environment.
A cross between ‘jogging’ and the Swedish for ‘pick up’ (plocka upp), plogging has been gaining traction. The exercise part comes from running with intermittent squatting and lunging so you can pick up rubbish from the ground. It is an effective calorie burner too — fitness app Lifesum estimates that a typical user will burn 288 calories from 30 minutes of plogging.
Social media is filled with plogging fans’ photos. Could we see this trend become widespread sometime soon?
Barefoot jogging
2010’s fitness fad was to ditch running shoes for socks. Those who are in support of the trend say that running in trainers or running shoes can make you more prone to injury as it encourages running with unnatural form. It’s also said that running barefoot strengthens the tiny muscles found in feet, ankles and legs which can also reduce the risk of injury.
The trend has lost its popularity somewhat in recent years. Experts have said that switching to barefoot running without properly transitioning makes you prone to injuries. Only try this one if you’re willing to practise walking barefoot before running.
High-heel workouts
Working out in high heels sounds strange, but it has some studies to back it up. Research has suggested that even walking in high-heels (below three inches) can shape the calves and improve muscle tone and shape.
Balance can also be improved by wearing heels during lunges, squats, and weight-lifting. It hasn’t been fully determined whether wearing high-heels for a workout can result in weight loss, but it can help you learn how to walk better in them.
Hot barre
This next trend found its footing in New York and Los Angeles. Hot barre involves doing classical ballet moves in a room heated to 40 degrees and it took off around 2015. Advocates of the fad say that hot barre encourages you to gain a deeper stretch while helping you release toxins and feel detoxed. Then, as the body has to work hard to cool itself down, you can expect your metabolism to boost and number of burnt calories to increase. Remember to do a proper cool down to help manage shoulder pain or other joint pain that might arise after a work out!
There’s a few variations on this popular trend now, with ‘hot yoga’ deploying a similar concept.From this wide and varied sample, it’s pretty difficult to predict what the next exercise fad might be!
Sources
https://mashable.com/2018/02/13/plogging-fitness-trend/?europe=true#RFlZ5e3n0mq6
https://footwearnews.com/2017/fashion/womens/high-heel-workouts-lose-weight-449703/
