The fitness trends to watch in 2019
Immersive yoga set against cinematic visuals
From Fi Clark, Head of Yoga at multi-sensory and low impact studio FLY LDN
This particular trend is coming from the increasing levels of stress and pressure we are all under. Over the past few years, multiple studies have indicated that viewing footage of nature, even for a short time, has a direct impact on the mood and perceived wellbeing of viewers. It can lower perceptions of nervousness, anxiety, fear, stress and tiredness. In fact, nature footage has been used in US medical facilities to reduce patient stress and in the treatment of dementia and other cognitive disorders.
There are countless physical benefits to a regular yoga practice and these benefits are particularly enhanced by the addition of immersive visuals. Yoga helps reduce the risk of heart related diseases, increases blood flow, improves posture and also boosts immunity. There are also many mental health benefits including the reduction of depression, stress and anxiety.
FLY LDN offers an incredible high definition yoga studio screen displaying beautiful scenes of nature throughout the class. You can expect to instantly have your mind taken away from the busy streets of London to the yoga mat.
Read more: Try this 10-minute morning yoga routine
The rise of combat training
From Sohail Ahmad, Professional Boxer and Celebrity Trainer at BXR London
Combat Sport is competitive and usually involves one-on-one combat. This style of training is becoming increasingly popular, helping to shake up people’s fitness routines and make workouts exhilarating, fast and furious. Boxing continues to grow in popularity thanks to young, skilled fighters like Anthony Joshua who showcase UK boxing on a global stage.
Whilst boxing brings out your competitive side, it is also a full body cardiovascular and strength workout which offers a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. Additionally, it is a fun and exciting way to keep fit, helping to relieve stress and tension and teaching new martial arts and self-defence skills.
Reaching new heights in your treadmill workout
From Melissa Weldon, Head Trainer at treadmill-based training concept, Sweat IT London
A high level of cardio is essential for every individual’s health and wellbeing programme, and 2019 will see many go back to the basics of cardio and return to the treadmill with a powerful twist: the ‘parachute mode’.
The parachute mode offered at Sweat IT London has transformed the mundane treadmill experience, allowing users to perform running sessions and resistance workouts on the same piece of equipment, providing a well-rounded cardio and power training workout. This innovative technology offers the ultimate in performance running, answering the needs of all runners, from sprinters to marathoners and triathletes, encouraging users to use their legs to power the treadmill and also engage their core for the ultimate strength and cardio workout.
Exclusive to Sweat IT London, the parachute mode, along with the harness attachment, allows users to work at their peak speed creating power at their highest intensity, taking them out of their comfort zone and discovering new limits.
Read more: Put your best foot forward – and get walking
Competitive training
From Jimmy Flynch, Head Trainer at F45 Croydon
Traditionally, fitness was all about optimising one’s own body and training muscles to the maximum. However, as fitness technology evolves and working out has become more of a group experience, fitness is no longer a lone sport and there has been a steady rise in individuals competing against one another in a class environment in order to beat each other’s ‘scores,’ also known as competitive training.
At F45 studios worldwide, fitness technology allows users to monitor their heart rate, which is displayed on screens throughout the studios. This provides members with a great incentive to improve their performance and also helps to drive a competitive edge as everyone’s heart rates are displayed on the screens, so individuals seek to beat one another and reach the top of the board.
Read more: Motivational fitness tips
Two-Part Workouts
From James Pisano, Creative Director at BXR London
Bridging two disciplines together in one workout is already gaining momentum in the UK, but 2019 will see it continue to increase in popularity. Particularly popular will be classes which encourage individuals to learn a new skill and work out at the same time, which is exactly what we are trying to achieve with the launch of brand new class ‘Sweatbox.’
Combining elements of boxing and conditioning training allows users to get their fix of hitting the punch bag and honing their boxing techniques. They can also work hard on the rest of their body, using plyometric and conditioning drills to really push fitness levels higher.
Mastering the basics
From James Pisano, Creative Director at BXR London
Bringing your training back to basics is set to grow in popularity in 2019. There is a shift back to the old tried and tested techniques, as many individuals have been losing sight of the reasons why they are working out.
The most effective way to train anyone safely and successfully is either in a small group, or on a one-to-one basis. To embrace this trend, the elite trainers behind Sweat by BXR have created ‘Form and Focus’, a brand new small group training class focusing on the four principal areas of lifting.
With a maximum of 12 people per class, Form & Focus is here to set the record straight and teach your mind and body the correct methods of training. Working in groups of three, sessions feature four basic workouts: Deadlifts, Squats, Push and Pulls and Overhead lifts.
The rise of low impact training
From Charlotte Cox, Founder of FLY LDN
Low impact (LI) workouts focus on movements that reduce the impact put through the joints while keeping the intensity up. To generate different levels of intensity, LI classes incorporate tempo, pauses and interval training. HIIT has been a huge trend in recent years, but with so many of us living with chronic stress and high cortisol and inflammation levels, it isn’t always the best idea. We throw ourselves into intense exercise to burn off stress and feel better, but our bodies can respond to the sudden spike in exertion, bright lights and loud music in the same way as it would a threat, which causes a further spike in cortisol.
More and more people are overtraining and coming away from packed HIIT classes with injuries that could have been avoided. FLY LDN look to provide people with a workout that minimises that flight or fight reaction, minimises the chance of impact-related injury, but still gives you a solid workout. Low impact training requires you to grit your teeth, load up and keep going.
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