Fitness forecast 2015: Training going back to basics

THE fitness trends of tomorrow are about more than getting ripped abs and simply feeling good. A whole new approach towards improving the silhouette is evolving from body weight training and functional training, two trends that have shifted the focus towards improving posture, balance and body equilibrium.

Body weight training

The minimal equipment needed for body weight training is not only more practical for people who don’t have time to go to the gym, but it also carries less risk of injury in most cases.

Body weight training includes anything that relies solely on your own weight using equipment such as resistance bands, suspended cables or resistance wands.

It’s considered a back-to-basics step, and while strength training is part of its focus, trainers say it’s a safer way to build muscle than using supplementary weight.

With most equipment used in body weight training, it’s possible to get in a total body workout and the moves are endless, which not only banishes exercise boredom but diversifies training to make you fitter than you could have imagined.

Gyms aren’t ready to part with their beloved display of machines, so don’t expect the bench press to disappear just yet. But do expect to find increasing options at your gym this year for classes that put to use the aforementioned equipment, and remember you can buy it yourself and work out with it at home if you’re good at choreographing the moves.

Functional training

Body weight training gives way to another rapidly growing trend called functional training, which can extend to physical therapy and involves establishing equilibrium between muscles and joints.

Moves become less focused on strength and cardio and are geared towards developing proper posture, correcting poor posture, and increasing balance and flexibility.

They’re important factors that had been largely overlooked by fitness enthusiasts who are coming to appreciate their newfound range of motion, which results from the release of muscles that tighten quasi-permanently outside the gym.

Authorities like the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) credit the newfound interest in functional fitness to an aging generation of fitness enthusiasts, although this trend isn’t only for seniors looking to retain their balance and breathe easier. An onslaught of wearable trackers that influence posture — marketed towards young professionals — suggest there’s an interest in escaping the consequences of years spent at a desk, which include but are not limited to bad posture.

Look for functional fitness to influence your choice of desk chair this year, and you may wind up replacing doodling on your downtime with functional training moves. — AFP/Relaxnews