WORDS by Jeremy Lebeuf


FITNESS is fun! And how can it not be with some of the gems over the years like ‘Sweating to the Oldies’ while Richard Simons screams “squeeze those buns!” or the head-to-toe leotards and massive leggings sported by legend Jane Fonda.

Too often the fitness industry comes up with the next greatest thing that will revolutionise the way we exercise. Some are beneficial, some fun and others are just outright scratch-your-head ridiculous; like the awkward ‘Shake weight’ or ‘8-minute abs’ – not 7 minutes and defiantly not 6-minutes, abs are made in 8 minutes.

It’s a billion dollar industry with a lot of hype and we are feeding into it so it’s important to watch out for the fads – flash-in-the-pan gimmicks and the trends –those that have staying power (however, if it gets us moving and thinking of our health and fitness it can’t be too bad).

Each year the American College of Sports Medicine surveys health and fitness professionals’ worldwide to help reveal trends and weed out the fads.

Here are the top three to expect for 2017:

Wearable Technology
In an age where technology is everywhere, it was eventual that it would integrate into our exercise. Topping the list this year with little sign of it slowing down, these devices include activity trackers, smart watches, heart rate monitors and GPS devices. However the accuracy of some can be questioned, they are still great tools for instant feedback and to keep you accountable. And no, putting it on the dog’s collar while you binge on Netflix does not count.

Bodyweight Training
It’s all about back to basics; your body is the only gym you need with the bonus of not having to put some meathead’s weights away after them. Your body can provide a brutal and rewarding workout; look for classes like ZUU that use primarily bodyweight exercises in a primal functional way to develop strength, mobility, stamina and flexibility. No excuses, MOVE YO’ BODY!

HIIT
High-intensity interval training. If your goal is to make fat cry then HIIT is the go to work out. This training provides short bursts of exercise at maximum effort that will have you blasting more calories in minimal time. There is little wonder that it still stays close to the top of the list.

Notable mentions that didn’t make the list but to be on the lookout for:

Making a resurgence are more dance style classes where you can shake it and make it like no one is watching. Coming out of the U.S. you will see old school step aerobics with a little more energy, ‘Bokwa’ is gaining momentum with its intense letter-step dance moves, as well as ‘Pound’ the class that uses weighted drumsticks (‘ripstix’) to burn calories with all the fun of playing the drums.

Ninja warrior inspired workouts, gyms and courses may gain some popularity because they are freaking awesome! Based on the upcoming ‘Australian Ninja Warrior’ and ‘American Ninja Warrior’ both spin offs from the Japanese series ‘Sasuke’, seriously how much fun would it be to take this on. These are next level obstacle courses that are crazy cool, a bit different from the muddy ones.

At the end of the day, just move your body in different ways and have fun doing it! You can decide what’s a fad and what’s a trend based on what keeps you going.


* Jeremy Lebeuf is the health and fitness coach, QT Resorts Port Douglas health club manager.