Top 5 Fitness Trends for 2018 + How Your Carepoynt Membership Makes Them More Rewarding
Even if you survived the “Fitness Cliff”—that’s the steep precipice from which a full third of New Year’s Resolutioners seem to fall every year around February 9—you should still brace yourself. With bikini season finally here, there’s a second wave of get-in-shape messaging rising above you as we speak.
But since your friends at Carepoynt are glass-half-full types, we’re going to see it it as a second chance! So we rounded up the top five workouts fitness forecasters are talking about this spring, and paired them with relevant ways to turn your #beachbodygoals into Poynts you can redeem all over.
1. High-Intensity Interval Training
According to the 4,000+ fitness professionals surveyed by the American College of Sports Medicine, (including trainers, exercise physiologists and fitness directors) the top fitness trend for 2018 is HIIT: high-intensity interval training.
This kind of workout isn’t new—it ranked #1 in this same survey in 2014—but HIIT continues to gain traction due to studies suggesting it’s one of the most efficient fat-burning exercise you can do. HIIT workouts, which are typically around 30 minutes, involve alternating short (20–90 seconds each) bursts of vigorous exercise with rest intervals that allow your body to recover and prepare for the next assault.
EARN IT: Earn 3x poynts per dollar for purchase with TotalGym, which features a variety of equipment and DVDs that support HIIT-style training—with tutorials available on their website as well as on YouTube.
2. Wearable Fitness Trackers
Since the plucky little Fitbit first hit shelves in 2013, wearable fitness trackers have become a growing obsession with health-conscious folks all over the world. From heart rate monitors to activity trackers to smart watches and beyond, wearable tech gives you the ability to count your steps, measure your heart rate, monitor your sleep and track your calories—along with a variety of other helpful insights.
Early tech adopters should keep their eyes peeled for new gadgets on the horizon, too. The new Motiv Ring tracker measures everything mentioned above, using only your finger; Wearable X Nadi X Yoga Pants have woven-in sensors around the hips, knees and ankles to guide your alignment and flow.
EARN IT: Earn 750 poynts for your purchase of $99 or more with Fitbit, the original wearable fitness tracker—or redeem 2,750 poynts for a $25 dollar gift card to put toward your next Fitbit purchase.
3. Group Training Sessions
This trend, which encompasses everything from hard-core CrossFit sessions to ubiquitous OrangeTheory classes to Jazzercise at the local Y, is defined as “a workout for five or more people, led by an instructor and designed to accommodate and motivate people of different fitness levels.”
Fitness experts have long touted the benefits of exercising in a group. A 2016 study published in the journal Obesity found that overweight people tend to lose more weight if they spend time with their health-minded friends; another study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology found that working out with a partner can increase both motivation and total time spent exercising.
EARN IT: Earn 9x poynts per dollar for your Find My Trainer purchase—a great way to craft a highly personalized regimen with a group of like-minded friends or colleagues.
4. Bodyweight Training
Bodyweight training has been around for as long as people have been concerned about staying fit. And it continues to be one of the most economical, convenient training methods out there; needing virtually no equipment and minimal space, it requires only the motivation of the user to attain amazing results.
So why the sudden resurgence? ACSM researchers believe it’s a product of our new ultra-connected lives. With the advent of Instagram fitness gurus like Kayla Itsenes (@kayla_itsenes), whose 28-minute bodyweight training workouts can literally be done anywhere with zero preparation, there’s really no room whatsoever for excuses. And squat queen Jen Selter @jenselter continues to provide #bootygoals.
EARN IT: Suit up for your next workout and earn 6x poynts per dollar for your Yoga Outlet purchae —offering amazing prices on yoga pants, tanks and a variety of other suitable-for-sweating-in clothing.
5. Strength Training
Is it still a “trend” if it ranks in the top 20 every single year? That’s true of strength training, and not for nothing—it’s an essential part of any fitness routine. Even if a slow-burn like yoga or cardio-heavy Zumba is the workout that fills your cup, you still need to weave strength training into your exercise regimen.
Why? Not only does strength training help prevent the natural loss of muscle mass that occurs as we get older, it helps you maintain a healthy heart, prevent injury and plays a critical role in keeping your metabolism in tip-top shape—potentially even increasing the number of calories you burn at rest.
EARN IT: Build muscle, burn fat and earn 6x poynts per dollar for purchase from Bowflex—the leader in innovative, high-quality home fitness cardio and strength training products since 1984.