Rowing, online personal training and increasing use of apps among some of trends
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
What’s new for fitness in 2019? Local fitness experts offer their top picks for the coming year’s hottest trends.
• “Rowing is kind of like the ‘new spinning.’ What I like about it is it’s a great aerobic exercise because it uses both the upper and lower body. The benefits are so much better because the heart has to work so much harder. It’s low-impact. We’re seeing a lot of endurance. We’re seeing rowing classes staring up across the country.
• “American Ninja Warrior — now we’re seeing gyms replicating the movements on TV. As far as I know, there’s 18 of those gyms available in the state. We have a staff member who was on the show.
• “Another trend we’re seeing streaming cardio more and more so people can see it at home. Blowflex has it on their treadmills.
• “People always like Zumba, but they’re adding core work with strength and balance.
• “Group yoga outside is becoming more popular. We’re seeing more developed fitness programs for seniors to prevent falls, increase muscle mass and bone density and increase basic living skills which we don’t want to lose.
• “Multi-function equipment is a piece of equipment that develops cardio and strength.
• “Bodyweight movements are very popular, like planks, push-ups, bridges and squats.
— Phil De Angelo, personal trainer and owner Penfield Sport & Fitness, Rochester.
• “Newer pieces catching on, like the Versaclimber, commercial cardio equipment that aids with overall body conditioning. It combines stair climber and wall climbing together.
• “At a lot of these pop-up gyms group fitness has become the norm. You hear personal training being used, but it’s associated with a group where a personal trainer is training 10-15 clients at a time.
• “There’s also spin classes where they’re integrating dumbbell training.
• “I’m seeing a lot of online personal training. A lot are turning to Facebook and Instagram to build their business. They’ll put a program together with nutritional guidelines and an exercise guideline and video chats and updates with the trainer. Clients can purchase these online and have access to these trainers.”
— Wayne Haygood, fitness director and certified personal trainer, Penfield Sport & Fitness, Rochester.
• “In this day and age, going about your daily life without technology is unheard of. Why should your exercise routine be any different? Tracking your latest run or calories burned can be as simple as wearing a watch. Apps on all of your devices can keep you motivated and provide a variety of exercises at your fingertips, from anywhere in the world. Technology in the fitness world has been a top trend for the past couple years and I believe there is plenty more to come.
• “Exercise for aging adults is a topic that I see firsthand daily. The baby boomers are getting older and the next generation is catching up to them. The population is living longer and working longer. It is our job as fitness professionals to make sure these people are healthy enough to complete their daily routines safely and effectively. ‘
• A significant portion of keeping our population healthy is functional training. Simply being able to tie your shoe or go up a flight of stairs may be difficult for some. Maintaining your strength, balance, and mobility are important in every aspect of day-to-day life.
• Fitness is not solely a physical component. Becoming more aware of your spiritual and emotional well-being is just as imperative. We have noticed the interest in yoga and meditation programs rise dramatically in recent months. The ideas of stress management and relaxation through these techniques are very enticing in the workplace and can be performed with little equipment or space.
— Daniel DiMarco, manager of the Riedman Wellness Center at Rochester Regional Health