Top Fitness Trends and Predictions for 2012

Strength training, core conditioning, yoga, pilates, pole dancing, Zumba, kettlebell, P90X, weight loss, TRX, boot camp, battling rope, abs machine? You name it. There always seems to be new gadgets, new exercises, new programs, new twists of the old stuff that promise rapid weight loss, muscle toning, flat abs, and magic body transformation results

It's particularly true around this time of the year where people are making New Year's resolutions to lose weight, eat healthy, exercise more, and get in better shape.

As consumers, people have to get educated to separate a fad from a trend before trying out.

Here is the definition from Wikipedia:

"A fad is any form of behavior that develops among a large population and is collectively followed with enthusiasm for some period, generally as a result of the behavior's being perceived as novel in some way.

A fad is said to "catch on" when the number of people adopting it begins to increase rapidly. The behavior will normally fade quickly once the perception of novelty is gone.

Though the term trend may be used interchangeably with fad, a fad is generally considered a fleeting behavior whereas a trend is considered to be a behavior that evolves into a relatively permanent change."

Simply put, a fad is something hot for sometimes - a few years perhaps - then gone. A trend could start as a fad then develops into something so popular that stays for the long run.

As we're ringing in New Year 2012, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conducted a worldwide survey by 2,620 fitness professionals who ranked their selections into a list of 20 trends they believed would be big in 2012.

Here is list of the top 20 fitness trends for 2012 according to ACSM survey:

1. Educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals

2. Strength training

3. Fitness programs for older adults

4. Exercise and weight loss

5. Children and obesity

6. Personal training

7. Core training

8. Group personal training

9. ZUMBA and other dance workouts

10. Functional fitness

11. Yoga

12. Comprehensive health promotion programming at the worksite

13. Boot camp

14. Outdoor activities

15. Reaching new markets

16. Spinning (indoor cycling)

17. Sport-specific training

18. Worker incentive programs

19. Wellness coaching

20. Physician referrals

"The survey attempts to show a distinction between fads and trends and is a good representation of what's occurring in the health and fitness industry worldwide," said Walter Thompson, Ph.D., the lead author of the survey.

Zumba dance workout has been gaining popularity in recent years and is strengthening its position. It's curious to see if it will follow Pilates' short run in the top 20 fitness trends. Pilates was ranked in the top 10 for three consecutive years, beginning in 2008, but dropped off in 2011.

There are always trends that won't change as they are the fundamentals no matter what you do such as the No.1, educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals and personal trainers, which has been ranked No. 1 for five years since the survey initiated.

I always educate my clients that these are just "tools" to get what you want. They can't replace the basic principles and ignore how our body works. Nothing can replace the education, knowledge and experience in any profession so is in fitness training profession.

A returning trend claiming No.3 spot for 2012 is the fitness program for older adults. As baby boomers are aging into their golden years, they still want to stay active, exercise, eat healthy and look and feel younger.

I can vouch for that from my personal clientele base. The median age of my personal training clients is 53. I have clients in their 60s who love to work out, learn new moves, stay healthy and feel good about their bodies.


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