People who have listed “lose weight” or “be more active” on their New Year’s resolutions have hundreds of physical activities to choose from. Want to improve circulation and endurance? Go jog. Want to enhance strength or build muscles? Go for intense exercises.
It’s hard to make an excuse when you’ve got these many options. But for those who are just starting on their physical journey or want to try something new, these choices could be overwhelming.
To help us kick-off our healthiest, fittest year yet, fitness experts and enthusiasts share what will be big in fitness – from exercise to workout wear – this 2016.
1. High intensity interval training or HIIT
This form of cardiovascular exercise, which combines short periods of intense exercise with moderate to low intense recovery periods, has been steadily gaining ground last year due to versatility, efficiency and effectivity. This year, the trend is seen to continue.
Three reasons why this exercise is such a hit are because (1) It’s the ideal workout for someone who has a busy schedule. It can be as short as four minutes to as long as 30 minutes. “Research shows you can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) than the girl jogging on the treadmill for an hour,” fitness expert Charlotte Hilton Andersen said in her article on www.shape.com; (2) You’ll burn more fat during and after an intense bout of exercise than with a steady-pace run as it kicks the body’s repair cycle into hyperdrive. It also has an “afterburn” effect or EPOC (excess-post exercise oxygen consumption) which burns fat and calories even after exercise; (3) You don’t need any equipment, thus the exercise can be done practically anywhere. An example of HIIT is sprinting (30 seconds fast jog followed by 60 seconds of walk or slow jog) – you don’t need anything but comfortable clothes, shoes and space.
Many fitness buffs swear by HIIT, and one of them is actor-model Derek Ramsay who said he follows a non-stop 15-minute, three step exercise paired with healthy eating to keep his lean and strong physique.
2. Strength and bodyweight training
These types of exercise have long been tagged as “men’s exercise,” but not anymore. Men and women are seeing the potential and benefits of bodyweight training and strength training. Strong is the new sexy, they say. And since gyms are moving from actual fitness centers to homes and offices, people are now looking for exercises that don’t need complex equipment.
Bodyweight training uses the person’s weight in building strength and muscles. Compound exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, planking, headstand, leg-raise, lunges, and squats are a few of the many examples of bodyweight exercise. Resistance bands and weights take the training a few notches higher. Aside from building muscles and strong bones, these exercises help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
3. Foam rolling and stretching
With the increasing popularity of intense exercises, the importance of loosening the muscles pre- and post-workout is catching on. Chris Everingham of the Philippine Volcanoes, the country’s national rugby union, stresses the significance of stretching for at least 10 to 15 minutes before doing any physical activity, be it aerobic (cardio) or anaerobic (intense physical exercise).
The Standard LIFE fitness columnist Bubbles Paraiso had written about the benefits of foam rolling in enhancing performance (before workout) and healing muscles (after). According to her, foam rolling increases and improves blood flow throughout the body, reduces recovery time as it helps with muscle repair, helps remove toxins from muscles, and increases range of motion. Paraiso adds that foam rolling is best done before exercise to get the blood flowing and reduce tension in the muscles.
4. Tech activewear
The year 2015 has seen the rise of smart watches, fitness trackers and heart-rate monitors that count our steps, calculate calories burned and record blood pressure, and this year, these monitors are expected to become even more prevalent. Chief business officer of popular activity tracker brand Fitbit says that giving an individual ability to track their activity level, sleep and nutrition can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Monitors are seen to be more popular among people struggling with weight-related chronic diseases who want to improve their lifestyle.
But could 2016 be the year of high-tech activewear? Industry experts are looking at the potential of athletic shirts in gathering a person’s physical data. Blazing a trail in this front is luxury fashion label Ralph Lauren. Last year, Ralph Lauren debuted the PoloTech smartshirt, a high-tech and machine-washable men’s t-shirt that contains tiny silver fibers that measure heart rate, breathing depth and other metrics, all of which are sent to an accompanying mobile app.
5. Mindful exercise
In this busy, fast-paced age, more and more people are looking into mindfulness activities to relieve stress and achieve mind-body balance. In an article on www.stylecaster.com, Sakara Life founders Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise stated that “people nowadays are starting to look for more than just a sexy body from their exercise, but also a space for them to develop their mindfulness practice.”
The popularity of yoga may have dwindled in the previous year but it is expected to return in 2016. Not only it is beneficial for weight loss and muscle toning, it also helps in decluttering our mind.
So there you go – a bevy of options that can help you get started on the road to fitness and health.