“Body weight exercises are a proven way to get and stay fit,” said Walt Thompson, of Georgia State University, who authored the study. “In a time when many people are concerned with cutting expenses, body weight exercises are a great way to feel great and look toned without a big financial investment.”
Fitness programs can be straightforward, cost-effective and all-inclusive.
Back to basics
Strength training, sometimes referred to as resistance training, remained in the No. 2 position for the second year in a row. But while it is far from new, there are some lingering misconceptions about strength training.
“People say they don’t want to do strength training because they don’t want to be bulky,” said Gerry Gallo, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and lecturer in the department of health and sports science at the University of Dayton. “What it really does is increase lean muscle mass and if you have larger muscle mass, you will burn more calories.
“And, ultimately, the main benefit of strength training is that it helps you with daily living. Once you develop muscles in an area — whether it’s your upper body or your lower body — daily activities become easier to perform.”
Strength training is more than traditional weight lifting. You can use any form of resistance, from free weights to medicine balls and kettle bells to resistance bands.
Body weight training made the list for the first time and is even more basic than weight training because the only equipment you need is your body. Push-ups, pull-ups, squats and static holds are just a few of the common elements of a body weight training workout. Increasing or decreasing the exercise repetition can adjust workout intensity. But it is about quality – not just quantity.
“Proper alignment, technique and form are so important,” Gallo said. “Not just to get the most out of the exercise but to prevent injury.”
Penny-wise workout
Body training workouts are about as thrifty as they come as it costs nothing to hold a plank position in the comfort of your family room. And even strength training can be economical with inexpensive hand weights or resistance bands.
“One of the reasons these types of exercise are so popular is that so many people can’t afford gym memberships or personal trainers,” Gallo said. “And you really can get a full body workout just using resistance bands.”
The survey touts the importance of educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals (No. 1) as well as personal training (No. 7) but also included the more economical group personal training in the No. 10 spot.
Group personal training can be more reasonably priced and has the added benefit of camaraderie.
“You’ll meet new people and you will see that there are lots of other people in the same shape that you are,” Gallo said. “So many people go into exercise thinking they are in the worst shape of anyone, and that’s usually not the case.”
Even in a group setting, personal trainers can help you work on your form and proper alignment to ensure you are getting the greatest benefit from your workout.
Something for everyone
Another major theme in the 2013 survey is that fitness is important for all ages, as the issue of children and obesity (No. 4) and fitness programs for older adults (No. 6) were both among the top trends.
“The times have changed,” Gallo said. “When I was a kid, I was running around playing outside until dark but today, most kids have a very sedentary lifestyle, with computers, video games and their cell phones. Focusing on children and exercise has to become a priority.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 17 percent, or 12.5 million, children and adolescents ages 2-19 are obese. Since 1980, the prevalence of obesity among children and teens has almost tripled.
“It’s so important for children to be exposed to fitness and taught proper technique at a young age,” Gallo said.
But it’s also never too late to start working out. Programs like Silver Sneakers make gym membership affordable and fun. And you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your home with the Growing Stronger strength-training program developed for older adults by Tufts University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Growing Stronger (www.cdc.gov) is an exercise program based upon scientific research involving strengthening exercise – exercises that have been shown to increase the strength of your muscles, maintain the integrity of your bones, and improve your balance, coordination, and mobility. In addition, strength training can help reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic diseases, including arthritis.
“Fitness is really important for both ends of the spectrum,” Gallo said.
The top 10 fitness trends of 2013
Next years fitness trends, according to the Annual American College of Sports Medicine Fitness Survey:
1. Educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals: Educated and experienced fitness professionals claimed the top spot in 2013 for the sixth consecutive year. Fully accredited education and certification programs for health/fitness professionals are on the rise.
2. Strength training: Remaining in the No. 2 spot for the second year in a row, this trend is important for men, women, young and old to improve or maintain strength. Most health and fitness professionals today incorporate strength training into a comprehensive exercise routine for their clients and for patients with stable diseases.
3. Body weight training: This is the first appearance of this trend in the survey. Body weight training uses minimal equipment making it more affordable. Not just limited to push-ups and pull-ups, this trend allows people to get "back to the basics" with fitness.
4. Children and obesity: The epidemic of overweight or obesity in children continues to be a serious public health problem. Schools have an emphasis on scholastic achievement limiting the time spent on physical education and nutrition programming. The primary source of physical activity for kids could fall into the hands of the health/fitness industry along with fitness professionals.
5. Exercise and weight loss: Incorporating diet and exercise, increasing caloric expenditure and decreasing caloric intake, is of growing interest among fitness professionals. More and more of these professionals are finding the need to be able to provide the right fitness program to balance the energy expenditure/energy consumption scale.
6. Fitness programs for older adults: The baby-boom generation is growing older and living longer. Physicians are recommending that these patients enroll in some form of physical activity, thus more opportunities for physical fitness are being provided.
7. Personal training: Personal trainers are accessible to more people in all areas of health and fitness through employment in community-based programs, commercial settings, corporate wellness programs and medical fitness programs. More attention is being paid to the education and certification of trainers.
8. Functional fitness: Functional fitness uses strength training to improve balance, coordination and endurance in order to participate in daily activities without any stress. This fitness program is designed to reflect the actual activities the client performs throughout any given day. Often times this program is created for older adults.
9. Core training: Core training stresses strength and conditioning of the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen, thorax, and back. It typically includes exercises of the hips, lower back, and abdomen, all of which provide support for the spine and thorax. Exercising core muscles improves overall stability of the trunk and transfers that to the extremities, enabling the individual to meet the demands for activities of daily living and sports performance.
10. Group personal training: This trend allows the personal trainer to provide individualized service catered to small groups of two to four people. Due to the economic times both trainer and client have needed to come up with different options for personalized training on a budget. This allows groups to have a discounted rate, while still giving the trainer a full schedule of clients.
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