Fitness Trends

I’ve seen a lot of trends come and go in 20 years as a fitness pro. Our knowledge of fitness and the human body is constantly evolving, and one trend that I am glad to see go is the use of machines in athletic training. We now know that machines like ellipticals don’t mimic real life movements, and therefore aren’t as safe or effective as natural mody movement exercises. Shoulder, knee, and back problems are epidemic, and we want people to cultivate good posture and mindful movement whenever possible.

One trend that I’m glad to see starting is “primal movements.” For instance, bear crawling on the floor recruits all your major muscles from your fingers to your toes. Another trend I’m excited about is whole-body health. What I mean by that is incorporating sleep, meditation, and alternative modalities into the fitness plan, and not just exercise and nutrition.

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Support your exercise with these tips!

I was recently asked my best tips for staying in shape besides exercise and nutrition. Obviously, exercise and nutrition are very important, and it would be hard to call yourself “fit” if you didn’t put in work in both categories. However, there are other things you can do that support your efforts and keep you happy and healthy.

First, my number one tip is to get plenty of sleep and “working in”. By working in, I mean meditation, tai chi, or whatever you do to re-charge. These will help you get more results out of your workout, and they’ll also help you maintain the discipline needed to keep up your routine.

Second, it’s to find ways to support healthy movement and posture. In that area, the best change you can make is to get a standing desk, and to use it without shoes on. Sitting all day is not good for you, and these days many employers will fund or at least subsidize the switch to a standing desk. Standing with no shoes on activates the 26 muscles and 33 joints in your feet, which gives you better balance and posture. This will help you prevent pain and injury, and it burns more calories.
The next best thing would be to sit on an exercise ball. That will keep your core active while you are sitting down. You’ll burn more calories and help your posture that way.

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