By John Agwunobi, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H.
In the health and wellness field, this
idea of ‘exercise is medicine’ has
been found to have a significant impact on our health. Getting in shape,
staying fit, keeping up a regular regimen of exercise and physical activity are
as important to healthy living as your diet, nutrition, and food choices.
Indeed, maximizing the number of minutes of physical activity and minimizing
the number of calories are two sides of the same coin. All of it is
complementary and mutually reinforcing.
So we are always interested in what’s
new on the fitness front. And we asked our expert, Samantha Clayton, and a
handful of members of our Fitness Advisory Boards (FABs) for their outlook for
2018.
What the Experts Say
Sam’s
Take: Traditional Fitness Meets New Methods & Technology
Samantha Clayton, Senior Director,
Worldwide Sports Performance & Fitness
The field of fitness and exercise in
the 21st century remains a mix of new approaches and old. New
classes, programming, and choreography, in hopes of keeping it exciting and
fresh, enhance traditional training methods. Running and cycling are still
popular, but the past year saw the return of the 1980s rebounder trampoline
craze, the continued expansion of High Intensity Training (HIIT) protocols, and
growing participation in competition-based fitness like mud runs, 5Ks, and
triathlons.
At the same time, as in pretty much
every facet of life, society and the economy, technology is a constant driver
of the exercise revolution – especially as more wearable devices come online
and a wider array of apps appear on our smartphones, all of them offering
people simple and easy ways to monitor their activity day by day, minute by
minute.
For now, though, let’s highlight three
trends that we expect to progress, emerge, or burst on the scene in 2018.
First, cross training styles are here to stay—it’s simply too effective
of a way to seamlessly blend building muscle with working on your cardio all at
once. It remains suitable for beginners or experienced exercisers. It can be
tailored to each individual’s goals. It is a recognized strategy for everything
from weight loss to weight maintenance to sports performance.
And that’s before people become more
and more aware of the positive metabolic and body composition results sparked
by these workouts. Suffice is to say, this dynamic and versatile regimen will
keep trending upward year after year into the foreseeable future.
Salvatore Nocerino, Herbalife Nutrition
Fitness Consultant
Second, as noted by Salvatore Nocerino,
an Herbalife Nutrition fitness consultant and FAB member in Italy, the ABC style of training will keep growing and
thriving, in Europe and around the world. Short for Athletic Body
Conditioning, ABC combines body weight training, weight lifting, and
choreographed movements using a single step and other simple equipment. It’s high-energy
and highly stylized, with workouts that rely heavily on music of momentum,
rhythm, and results. It emphasizes the importance of stretching, developing
muscle, building a strong and stable core, and improving coordination.
Perhaps most important of all, ABC
training is fun, well rounded, and effective – and its reach is expected to
expand in 2018 and beyond.
Chappy Callanta, Herbalife Nutrition
Fitness Ambassador
Third, Chappy Callanta, another
Herbalife Nutrition FAB member and fitness coach, believes that online and distance coaching will
see a steady climb in demand, popularity, and usage in the year ahead.
Technology is simply making these kinds of interactions easier, so you can find
the coach you want and the guidance you need, wherever you are. Not only that,
but this approach to coaching is likely to include a more holistic form of
mentoring, taking into account people’s physical, nutritional, and psychosocial
goals at the same time. It’ll help them recognize and alter their daily habits
and utilize motivation techniques to facilitate behavioral change for the
better. All of which will be key, in 2018 and long past that, to a sustainable,
healthy, and active lifestyle.
No matter which trend you choose, one
thing is for sure: the “exercise is medicine” movement is fast becoming a fact
of life. The medical community is on board. So are top health care experts. They see it as a positive public health initiative for preventative
care and disease risk management.
So if nothing else, the trend toward
greater fitness as a pathway to health will continue.
Dr. John
Agwunobi is the Chief Health and Nutrition Officer of Herbalife Nutrition.
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