Fitness Trends In 2020: Futuristic Fitness

male dancer supporting himself on oone hand with the other one stretched out holding onto one of his legs. Half his body has faded away into little dts, making the image lok futuristic. Representing the future of fitness in the year 2020

Trends come and go, but it’s always interesting to have a look at which ones are likely to emerge next. At about this time each year we do a series of trend blogposts, which look at the upcoming trends in fitness, beauty, wellness and food for the year ahead. Every year we do our research, the trends get more and more futuristic and in some cases more and more far fetched, and this is definitely the case for next year. Read on as we take you on a journey to discover the fitness trends in 2020:

Gin Yoga

Come on then, lets kick this of with a good one. What do you get when you combine gin with yoga? Why gin yoga of course… what’s not to like!

We’ve seen all manner of fad yoga trends come out over the years; goat yoga, heavy metal yoga, beer yoga, alpaca yoga, so it was only a matter of time before someone saw sense to mix these two yummy mummy favourites together. Now you’d be forgiven for thinking that quaffing a load of gin whilst downward dogging is a recipe for disaster, but the idea is the gin helps to loosen the muscles and therefore allows you to relax into the pose better. It really is that simple. I’ll have mine with ice and a slice ta!

Yoga HIIT

While we’re on the subject of yoga, let’s look at another yoga hybrid that’s set to hit our fitness classes in 2020. Yoga HIIT is the bastard lovechild of yoga and HIIT – it’s really not rocket science. And yes it seems like an unlikely pairing, after all yoga is all about those Zen vibes and HIIT, well that’s basically the other end of the scale, with short sharp bursts of high intensity, high energy moves, which leave you collapsed in a sweaty heap come the end of a session. But the thing is, we’re forever being told to mix up our workouts to make sure we’re using a variety of different muscle groups and to keep the body on its toes so to speak. So when you think about it, it’s actually a very clever and very efficient way to workout.

Instead of doing 20 minutes of HIIT and then rounding it off with a 20 minute yoga cool down, Yoga HIIT intersperses classic cardio HIIT moves with yoga stretches. This increases the calorie burn whilst also lengthening and strengthening your muscles at the same time. A great option for time poor people who want all over results without having to do a million and one different exercise classes.

8 Limb Method

2020 is the year of yoga it seems, as this one is also related to yogic practices. The 8 Limb Method focuses on the 8 essential yoga pathways, which are known as:

  • YAMA – Our moral disciplines, for example non-violence; sexual restraint; honesty.
  • NIYAMA – Our personal behaviour, for example contentment; discipline; gratitude.
  • ASANA – Posture and mastering the skill of sitting still for meditation.
  • PRANAYAMA – Breathing techniques
  • PRATYAHARA – Withdrawal of the senses
  • DHARANA – Focused concentration
  • DHYANA – Meditation
  • SAMADHI – Enlightenment and engagement with the divine.

When combined together, these 8 limbs will allow you the reach the ultimate goal of yoga – to be at one with yourself and the physical and spiritual world around you. Sounds like what we’re all striving for, right? And these limbs don’t just translate through to our fitness. This is more than yoga as exercise. This is yoga on a higher plain. This is yoga as a lifestyle, a way to lead our lives in such a way we feel empowered, content, grateful and self-assured. The 8 Limb Method takes the self care trend from 2019 and turbo charges it for 2020, creating positive vibes aplenty.

Kickbiking

Some of the playground mums have been doing this for some time, much to their kids’ embarrassment! Because Kickbiking is actually just a fancy schmancy name for adult scootering. Sounds easy right? But have you ever had a go on your kid’s scooter, because seriously it ain’t as easy as it looks. A lot of it depends on how good your balance is and as with pretty much all exercise, how good your core is. Beginners to Kickbiking get a fab low impact cardio workout from it, kind of similar to what you’d get from running or cycling. Once you’ve been doing it a while and your bravery levels increase, that’s when you can start having fun with some tricks. And before you know it you’ll be embarrassing your kids at the local skate park too 😉

Kickbiking is predominantly a lower body workout. It’s great for your calves, thighs and bum and is killer for your core. It’s also a great exercise to do as a family or even when you’re out with the dog, as they can easily run alongside you. And best of all it gets you outside, having fun and working out all at the same time.

Functional Training

While some people exercise to lose weight, some do it to bulk up, some do it to tone and strengthen, and some do it because it makes them feel good, others do it to ensure their body is working the best that it can and to continue functioning to the best of its ability for as long as it can. And the way to do this is to work the muscles that we use for everyday tasks. I mean it makes sense really doesn’t it – strengthen the parts we use the most.

Functional training works on movement such as squatting, lifting, pulling, reaching etc. and can be done with or without the use of equipment. It’s great because it offers a variety of movement, which means you’re much less likely to get bored with it and there’s a much bigger focus on making your body stronger, rather than about losing weight. Fitness should be a positive thing, not one bogged down with negative body issues, and functional training is a fantastic way to make you feel in control and proud of the body you have.

Naked Workouts

Don’t worry, as much as I’m all for body positivity and full on ownership of your body, I’m not about to tell you to strip off your gym wear and start flexing your guns. I mean naked in the sense of working out tech free. Yep, I know for some of you that’s probably just as bad, but 2020 is all about disconnecting from the ever present screens!

Over the past few years the fitness tech industry has boomed. Pretty much everyone from your son to your gran wears some kind of fitness tracker to ‘count steps’ and then there’s the apps to record your run/activity levels/heartbeats/menstrual cycles… is anything private any more!?!? 2020 will see a dramatic reduction in this tracking, as more of us lean towards focusing on how we feel and becoming more in tune with the messages our body sends out, rather than fixating on the numbers. Those in the know, believe that there will be an increase in the number of people using flotation tanks, meditation, breathing exercises and sensory deprivation experiences in a bid to cut themselves off. It takes the idea of a digital detox and allows us to have snippets of down time throughout our day, which let’s face it is something we could all do with more of.

Glide Fit

2019 was the year of SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding), 2020 however is all about Glide Fit. Involving elements of both functional training (see above) and balance training, Glide Fit uses a platform that floats on the surface of the water, which you then carry out a series of aquatic based stability training (ABST) exercises on. It’s fantastic for people who want a gentle workout, yet it also offers a high intensity workout at the same time. Obviously it requires a certain degree of balance and strength to even get on the board and remain upright, so unless you’re already relatively fit it could be a couple of sessions before you actually attempt to move without falling in. Anything that requires you to balance is brilliant for building up your core strength, but on top of that it also helps with your co-ordination, your reaction time, and awareness of your body i.e. how each body part moves and positions itself, mindful movement if you like.

There aren’t currently any Glide Fit classes here in the UK, they are mainly US based and there are a couple dotted across Europe. However, from past experience anything that is popular in the US fitness market eventually finds its way across here and I reckon 2020 is the year for UK Glide Fit. Watch this space…

Mindful Running

The running industry has grown at a ridiculously fast rate over the past few years. From couch to 5k, Park Run, various charity races and the backing of the royal family for the charity MIND, which advocates the benefit of running for our mental health, it’s safe to say running is still very much on trend. However, next year there is going to be a much bigger focus on combining elements of meditation with out usual training, so that we become more mindful of how we run to help our overall performance.

If you’re interested in finding out more about mindful running, it’s worth checking out the book Mindful Running: How Meditative Running can Improve Performance and Make you a Happier, More Fulfilled Person by Mackenzie L. Havey. But basically the principle is simple; stop relentlessly pounding the pavements trying to get your next personal best – because let’s face it at some point there can no longer be a personal best – and instead focus on your posture, your breathing, your surroundings and the people around you, to create a running experience that is pressure free and pleasurable. 2020 is less about the quantity of miles and more about the quality.

All Day Workout

Say what!?! Working out ALL day…surely not. OK, OK so it’s not as bad as you’re thinking. It’s all about adding exercise at regular points throughout your day so that it fits into your daily routine better. Rather than taking time out of your day to squeeze in a 30 minute HIIT class, a 60 minute gym sesh or a long old run, in 2020 we’re going to be splitting it up into smaller segments. For example you might do some yoga stretches when you first get up in the morning, go for a walk during your lunch break and then do a 5 or 10 minute session of body weight exercises in the evening. This method helps keeps our body moving and working all day and goes hand in hand with the functional exercise trend mentioned above. Not only does it make it easier for us to schedule in, but it also means we’re much more likely to stick at it and is actually better for us.

So there you have it, lots of new fitness trends to keep us motivated and active heading into the new year. Which one do you fancy having a go at?


Did we get last year’s predictions right?

Read our Fitness Trends 2019 article and check for yourself.


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