And the 2009 Health and Fitness Trends Are . . .
Every year the American College of Sports Medicine surveys over a thousand sports medicine professionals about the fitness trends for the upcoming year. It seems that the predicted trends for 2009 are pretty similar to those we saw for 2008 — a mixture of generalized trends and exercise specifics.
Here are the top 10 health and fitness trends for 2009:
- Educated and experienced fitness professionals. Certification and accreditation for health and fitness programs and professionals are becoming more common.
- Children and obesity. Fitness programs to address childhood obesity are a top trend for the third year in a row in the ACSM survey.
- Personal training. Personal trainers are becoming more accessible to more people, according to the survey.
- Strength training. Men and women are lifting weights; staying strong while aging is increasingly part of their motivation.
- Core training. This trend is about strengthening muscles in the abdomen and back to stabilize the spine.
To see the other hot trends read more.
- Special fitness programs for older adults. This trend includes aging baby boomers, frail elders who want to get stronger for daily tasks, active older adults, and master athletes.
- Pilates. Done on a mat or special equipment, Pilates trains the core muscles and improves flexibility and posture.
- Stability ball. These big, inflatable balls (also called Swiss balls or exercise balls) are used for crunches, push-ups, and other exercises. Staying stable on the ball is part of the challenge.
- Sport-specific training. This trend is about athletes training in the off-season to build their strength and endurance.
- Balance training. In balance training, you might stand on a wobble board or use a stability ball to hone your balance. It's a trend for all ages.
Pilates has been popular for a long time now and I am not sure I would call it a trend, but rather a staple of the fitness industry. But I, for one, would love to take a group fitness class centered around the balance board. What about you?
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