3 Fitness Trends to Get Your Heart Pumping in 2017

With the New Year upon us, do you know how you’ll stay fit? Choosing an activity based on popularity can sometimes help mix up your current fitness routine or motivate you start new one. Here are three fitness trends that are sure to keep you motivated and get your heart pumping!

HIIT The Gym!

High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, consists of a series of rotating intense exercises that are each performed for short periods of time. The goal is to keep your heart rate elevated by moving from one activity to the next every few minutes. In between each exercise is a brief rest period before jumping into the next activity. HIIT’s popularity is understandable because its shorter class times promise the same benefits as longer workouts, including:

• Improved cardiovascular health
• Lower blood pressure
• Increased muscle strength and reduced body weight

HIIT has staying-power because it’s quicker than most workouts, requires minimal equipment, and can be tailored to fit all fitness levels. A lot of us don’t have several hours to spend at the gym, but most do have 15 minutes to get a workout in at home, using just their body weight, with no additional equipment necessary. The fact that HIIT can incorporate so many different commonly-known exercises into the routine and yields promising results will help keep this workout trend flourishing in the New Year.  

Shake It Off… By Dancing

Dance-fitness is based around music and movement; it feels more like a night out with friends than exercise. This social element is part of what keeps the classes thriving, with added benefits such as:

• A feeling of accountability and camaraderie from classmates and instructors
• Access to a well-structured routine that includes warm-ups, cool-downs, and water breaks, so you get the most out of your workout without unintentionally hurting your body
• Helps increase flexibility

If you think dancing won’t really give you a good workout, think again! Dance-based workouts involve your entire body. So get out there and have FUN! Because fun is just one of the essential elements that helped propel dance-fitness to fame. Their traditional classes have even been extended and now include toning and strength training. It's one trend that’s here to stay. Don’t forget to grab new gear before you sign up!  

Wear Your Fitness

Fitness trackers are still growing in popularity due to their continued advancement in heart-rate monitoring technology. The market for wearable tech is growing fast, and estimated to be worth $34 billion dollars by 2020. Much like dance-fitness, fitness trackers are popular because they make fitness fun in the following ways:

• Fitness can become like a game, where the user is competing against themselves to increase their daily activity level. You can also compete with others who wear fitness trackers to gain points or rewards through interactive apps by achieving your daily step or calorie goals
• Motivation comes from awareness, and fitness trackers help inform wearers of how much they’re moving throughout the day. It also puts in perspective how different foods and exercises translate into total calories burned

Fitness trackers are popular for helping users prioritize an active lifestyle, despite all the daily distractions at home or at the office. Some fitness devices even remind wearers to get moving, or play a rewarding chime when a goal is achieved. It all weaves together to help users stay active through personal awareness.  

These fitness trends gained popularity for their innovative approach to staying active.

Fitness trends are always evolving, so find what keeps you motivated and achieve your goals one step at a time!