Every year, one of the most popular New Year鈥檚 resolutions is to exercise and lose weight.
But where do you start? What kind of exercises should you be doing? -- Canada鈥檚 largest provider of fitness education -- may provide some answers.
Some of Canada鈥檚 leading fitness experts were asked what they thought the most popular forms of exercise for 2015 would be. Here are some of the top fitness trends they predict for the New Year:
High intensity interval training
Experts predict that the most popular form for exercise for 2015 will be high intensity interval training.
This form of exercise uses short bursts of intense exercise, followed by short periods of rest. Usually, this type of training is done as part of a class with a leader.
The benefit is that you can get a good workout in as little as 20 minutes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fast; you see results quickly in terms of body composition,鈥� said Maureen Hagan, director of Education at Canprofit. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what people want to see -- results for the time they commit.鈥�
Carol Campbell, a high intensity fitness participant, says she dropped 75 pounds doing this kind of exercise.
鈥淚 am very energized after I鈥檓 finished,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t tones me up.鈥�
John Little, an exercise sciences professor at the University of British Columbia, says such workouts are gaining traction in the research community as well.
鈥淭he research and evidence is accumulating that this type of exercise is at least as beneficial, if not more beneficial, than other forms of exercise,鈥� he told 麻豆传媒.
Functional fitness
The second most popular kind of exercise for 2015 is expected to be functional fitness. As the name suggests, this form of exercise trains your body for everyday activities, such as carrying groceries or improving your posture at work.
These workouts seek to target multiple muscle groups, training them to work together, rather than isolating one muscle group at a time. Balance-challenging exercises also make up a large part of functional fitness.
Fitness programs like Les Mills BODYPUMP (available at GoodLife Fitness) and Lebert Equalizer (a piece of at-home equipment) are based on functional fitness exercises like squats, lunges, deadlifts, rows, plank (aka hover) and push-ups.
Senior fitness
The third and fastest growing trend is senior fitness, which focuses on aging Canadians who want to stay healthy and agile.
According to Statistics Canada, 25 per cent of Canada's population will be older than 65 by 2036.
鈥淲hile it is growing and number three, I see it moving up to number one,鈥� said Hagan.
And that means growing demand for programs that help the elderly maintain their quality of lie.
Henry Piersig, 75, started exercising just five months ago. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never too late to start,鈥� he said. 鈥淔orget about what you like. Just go and do it.鈥�
Rounding out the list of Top 10 Canadian fitness trends for 2015, according to the survey, were:
- Working out with certified fitness professionals
- Hiring a personal trainer
- Body weight training, where you use your own body weight to create resistance
- Express workouts (20 minutes or less)
- Nutrition education programs, teaching you to track of your calorie intake and other statistics about what you鈥檙e eating
- Bootcamps -- high-intensity classes designed to simultaneously increase cardiovascular health, strength and agility
- Circuit training -- a form of training where you perform a number of exercises in quick succession, with short breaks in between
