17 Top Fitness Trends for 2017

In need of new inspirational ideas? Tired of the treadmill and bored with the bike?

Don’t miss out on these cutting-edge and innovative ways to train in the coming year. Some of these systems are brand new and some are only now getting popular. There are some far-out ideas here ­­­– but they all still work, so be open-minded.

Research shows that all these fitness regimes are trending right now and are predicted to grow in 2017.

It really looks like these trends are going to make it big, and as well as the general order, I totally stand by #1 as definitely the number one top trend in fitness (and it’s one that raises some interesting ethical questions).

So if you want a change from the spinning classes (surely the dullest way to exercise and probably what Sisyphus did on his day off), check out these top fitness trends for 2017 sourced for you by Personal Trainers London Ltd and you’re sure to find something to re-inspire your fitness goals.

17. Beat (literally) the workout blues with Pound

Pound is “the world’s first cardio jam session inspired by the infectious, energising and sweat-dripping fun of playing the drums“.

The creators of Pound, Kirsten Potenza and Cristina Peerenboom, were both former athletes and drummers who became bored with the routine of their Pilates classes.

They realised that they could blend drumming and exercise into something new and exciting. The use of lightly weighted drumsticks in the exercises results in an intensive workout which is claimed to burn up to 900 calories in just 45 minutes. Wow!

Think no-one is aspiring to the physique of a drummer? Think again. They started in LA in 2011 and at latest count by 2017 there will be well over 7,000 instructors in 35 countries. As they say, “POUND is a place where the rhythm rules. We are a family of Fitness Rebels born to stand out, make noise and disrupt norms.” Sounds like fun!

Robert Steinbacher is a Swiss movement therapist and dancer. From this combination and with some input from Chinese internal therapy DO IN, he formulated a new system for enhanced functional movement development, which he calls BodyArt Training.

In association with Alexa Le, a Shiatsu professional, he further developed the system to incorporate elements from yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong and breathing exercises. As Robert says, “the unique aspect of BodyArt is that every exercise can be proved in an energetic, anatomic, muscular, organic and physiologic way“.

The actual classes are divided into two main systems – BodyArt Strength and BodyArt Energetic. They both incorporate the 5 elements of traditional Chinese Medicine and treat the human being as a unity of body, mind and soul.

In the first system, all exercises are created to combine strength, flexibility and balance. In the second, the focus of the training is on flowing movements, stretching and relaxation. If this sounds like your cup of tea, why not look up an instructor.

Ever wanted to get back to basics – to the (forgive me) bear necessities? So did Mike Fitch, a fitness professional from Miami Florida. Over 18 years’ experience in the fitness industry he innovated various systems of movement. Many of these incorporated equipment such as weights and kettlebells, but now he works only with body-weight regimes.

One of these is Animal Flow which is a program that “combines quadrupedal and ground-based movement with elements from various bodyweight training disciplines to create a fun, challenging workout emphasising multi-planar movement”.

The exercises in Animal Flow are grouped into six component groups, each designed to elicit specific results. These groups are – Wrist Mobilizations, Activations, Form Specific Stretches, Travelling Forms, Switches, and Flow. The animal references appear here, as in “Ape Reach, Crab Hold, and Scorpion”.

The “Flow” section of the system is where moves are linked together in a flowing sequence which can be choreographed or freestyle when the practitioner is proficient enough.

You might have seen animal movement-type classes popping up recently as it gets more popular. Animal Flow® instruction is given by qualified teachers, but may also be sampled on a DVD, making it easier to release The Beast in you.

Barre is a combination of classical ballet conditioning routines with rehabilitative therapy. It was developed by Lotte Berk, a German ballerina, who opened her first studio in London in 1959. One of her students, Lydia Bach, brought the workout back to New York in 1971 and opened a studio there.

Over time, instructors developed their own versions of the system and Barre Fusion was born. The sessions combine bodyweight exercises such as press-ups with work at the barre (like, the actual bar around the edge of the studio) for leg and glute workout.

Here, movements are done in tiny increments of progression. These isometric contractions help isolate the slow-twitch muscle fibres, which helps increase endurance. There is also less risk of injury than with traditional strength training.

Barre Fusion methods continue to evolve and there is a plethora of varieties on offer. One such is offered by the eponymous Barre Fusion in Chelmsford. They offer a fusion of ballet, Pilates and yoga set to upbeat popular music. It’s claimed this delivers a high energy, high impact workout that combines strength and toning with flexibility and cardio all in one.

Its growing popularity now justifies its inclusion in our top fitness trends for 2017 – if you live in London you have plenty of choice, including Paola’s BodyBarre where they offer a variety of classes of different intensities. These range from their PBB Signature class, which draws on Pilates and barre techniques, to Boxerina, which, as you might expect is a mixture of ballet and boxing!

Sweat the letters and dance the digits!

This is the motto of Bokwa, another dance-inspired exercise regime. This one was developed by Paul Mavi, a South African dancer and musician living in Los Angeles.

A leading group fitness instructor, Paul created this system for his own classes over an 8 year period.

What’s new about this dance workout is that participants draw letters and numbers with their feet whilst performing an energising cardio workout routine.

The routine might be the top fitness trend for calories burned, as it is claimed to burn up to 1,200 calories in one session!

You learn the steps and then you can move freely to the beat of addictive popular music. It is said that “if you can move and you can spell then you can do Bokwa“.

Applicable to all age groups and abilities, it looks like a fun way to burn calories in a group dance setting.

You can find certified trainers worldwide from https://bokwafitness.com

UgiFit might just be the most unattractive name for a fitness trend I’ve come across but apparently it’s from “yoU’ve Got It” – get it?

The central piece of equipment, the UgiFit ball, based on the traditional medicine ball, was created by Sara Shears over a two year period. She wanted a piece of equipment that was easily portable and would aid in training for functional movement.

The ball is weighted, squishy, and ­– crucial for the discerning exerciser in 2017 – of a stylish design. The squishiness is essential as it can be balanced on for some of the specific exercises Sara developed for her system.

The program that comes with the ball is a series of one minute exercises which, with rest periods, takes half an hour in total. It’s designed to be done five days a week.

Ugi “combines strength, cardio and core training into the most fun, challenging and stylish way of becoming functionally fit.”

Available from ugifit.com, the Ugi Home System gets you a ball, DVD, stand-up workout guide and recipe book, all for €125.

Yogalates is, obviously, a blend of yoga and Pilates, and this fusion is booming right now globally with many people offering such generic courses. However we need to go back to the founder of the movement, Louise Solomon, to discover the philosophy and principles behind her creation.

Louise has been a yoga practitioner for over 25 years and a Pilates teacher for nearly 20 years. A growing concern with yoga-related injuries led her to develop this blend of yoga and Pilates in the late 90’s. This method “draws upon the fundamental foundation of Exercise Physiology (prescriptive exercises in functional patterns of movement and postural evaluation), Physiotherapy exercises and Yoga Therapy.”

The element of safety and the needs of the individual are always at the forefront of this method. Because yoga poses can be quite complex in execution, there is a need for the instructor to have an understanding of pelvic and spinal stability in order to avoid injury. Pilates offers a range of foundation principles which makes the practice more secure.

Originally based in Australia, there are now accredited teachers available internationally. There are DVDs to buy from the website and also a choice of watching them online on any device for a subscription fee. Finally, if you’d like a one week retreat with Louise herself teaching on the magical island of Bali, get on it quick – few places left.

Could this be the hottest fitness trend on the list? Anna-Rita Sloss founded Hot Hula fitness in order to make a difference in people’s lives by giving them fun and effective group and home fitness workouts that support an individual’s passion for dance and wellness.

Of Samoan origin and living in New Zealand, she grew up with traditional Polynesian values and culture. After marriage and children she became very overweight and finally went back to the gym. She became a very successful personal trainer and appeared in many videos.

Encouraged by friends, she decided to formulate an exercise program that represented her native culture. As you might expect, Hot Hula is a total body workout inspired by dances of the Pacific Islands set to the sounds of Polynesian drum beats fused with funky Reggae music.

There are now thousands of instructors of Hot Hula around the world and of course you can buy instructional DVDs from the website.

If you want something a little hotter than Hula you can try Hot Fusion. Anna-Rita recently developed this combination of New Skool Dance and resistance training set to Old Skool tunes. As she says, “Hot Fusion fuses cardio and sculpting, taking your fitness to a whole new level, while having fun, enjoying music and feeling like a confident dancer.”

This piece of equipment has been used in gyms for a long time, but fell out of favour and was replaced in popularity by the rise of spinning classes on the stationary bike.

However, its use is increasing and will be even bigger in 2017. Why should it, you ask?

It’s a very effective bit of kit for weight loss – a 30 minute session can burn over 350 calories. It’s a great workout for the cardiovascular system, making your heart pump and increasing your breath volume. Rowing, unlike cycling, works all the major muscle groups in the body against resistance. That resistance is in two directions whereas cycling is one way only. Therefore it’s better for building both strength and endurance.

Because you’re sitting while exercising, rowing is a low-impact method, as long as you maintain good form. There is very little stress on the joints and thereby less risk of injury. So if you don’t have access to a river, get down to the gym!

No time to go to the gym? Intimidated by the complex machines in there? Or maybe money is too tight right now for the membership. These may be some of the reasons why good old bodyweight exercises are on the rise as a training method.

And why shouldn’t they be right at the top of our fitness trend collection? When you consider that they are free, require no equipment, are infinitely variable, and devastatingly effective. That’s right – they really work. Body weight exercises are resistance exercises, which means they are a form of strength conditioning. The resistance in this case being the weight of your body.

Many studies (example) have shown that strength training can give benefits that include:

• More lean muscle mass and fat reduction
• Healthier blood cholesterol levels
• Healthier blood pressure levels
• Increased oxygen use by muscles
• Reduced risk of stroke and other cardiovascular conditions
• Improved cognitive activity and growth of brain cells
• Anti-aging processes in both body and brain

For more inspiration to perform some bodyweight exercises check out this article by Dr Axe: Bodyweight exercises

So there you have it. Get down and press-up. With bodyweight exercises you’ve no excuses.