The Latest Fitness Trends For 2023

Did you accomplish your 2022 fitness goals, or are you still working on them?

Many of the fitness trends for 2022 are seeing an increase in popularity in 2023 as they continue to grow and evolve.

We're talking about trends that you're likely familiar with:

  1. HIIT workouts
  2. Functional training
  3. Strength training
  4. Yoga
  5. Pilates Reformers
  6. Hybrid classes
  7. At-home workouts
  8. Fitness boxing
  9. Rebounding
  10. Fitness tracking and heart rate monitors.

Whether you’re looking to tone your body with a more intensive workout routine and stay fit or are looking to drop that pesky 5kg that just won’t budge, it’s time to get serious about health and fitness in 2023.

You might be interested in group training, using a home gym, outdoor exercise, hitting the gym, or hiring a personal trainer.

So, how do you know which workout routine is the right one for you?

Read on and let's look at which of the latest fitness trends for 2023 can best help you achieve your health and fitness goals for the year ahead.

HIIT Workouts

Not a new concept in the health and fitness industry, but one that grows steadily in popularity every year is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT workouts). HIIT workouts are set to be one of the biggest fitness trends for 2023.

The concept behind a HIIT workout is to exercise as hard as you can for a set amount of time (usually a short period), followed by a less intensive exercise, and then repeat the process.

For example, your daily 15-minute interval training treadmill workout might include short bursts of sprinting for 60 seconds on a treadmill, followed by 30 seconds of walking, repeating 10 times.

The best part of High-Intensity Interval Training workouts is you can switch them up and keep them interesting by combining a range of exercises with different machines or fitness equipment. 

These high-intensity workouts provide a range of impressive health benefits such as:

  • Boosted metabolism
  • Reduced body fat
  • Increased endurance
  • Muscle tone improvement

HIIT workouts have maintained their place as one of the biggest fitness trends and most effective workouts in recent years thanks to being adaptable to all fitness levels.

If you’re just getting started, you could work on intervals of 20-second intensive workouts followed by 40 seconds of rest/active recovery.

It might also be helpful to try personal training or online training sessions (no gyms necessary) to give you a good knowledge base to begin with.

For fitness enthusiasts, you can work on long periods of intensity followed by limited rest.

Orbit Fitness recommends getting a good physical exam before starting your HIIT workouts if you’re ever in doubt of your own capabilities.

FUNCTIONAL TRAINING

While functional training is nothing new to the fitness industry, it’s once again sure to be one of the most popular fitness trends in 2023 thanks to its versatility and great health benefits.

Functional training has a strong focus on enhancing your ability and strength in all planes of motion.

This will help keep you healthy and active in everyday life, reducing the chances of injury from basic movements while improving your core strength.

This year we will likely see a rebirth in the use of medicine balls, resistance bands, and kettlebells used during workouts as they're so versatile and not just for use in gyms.

They're perfect for adding a bit of a challenge to mini workouts, and can be used in a range of different workouts or for outdoor activities.

STRENGTH TRAINING

One of the most satisfying reasons people focus on strength training is because you can feel and see the results through regular exercise.

As you continue to improve your strength over time your muscles grow and the weight you can lift increases.

Aim for long-term muscle growth when looking for weightlifting equipment by investing in a 50kg combination weightlifting Set or a range of free weights.

This will allow you to increase the weight plates on your barbell as your strength capabilities improve.

Strength training incorporated into a comprehensive exercise routine is also ideal for people rehabilitating from injuries.

By slowly increasing the weight in increments, it can help you to regain muscle strength following an injury.

YOGA

What seems to be the trend with yoga is that it is continually reinventing itself in a range of different yoga forms and techniques, making it one of the most popular enduring fitness trends year after year.

The fitness industry regularly creates new and improved techniques that allow fitness enthusiasts to improve their abilities.

Some of the new yoga trends include hot yoga, aerial yoga, SUP yoga, acroyoga and power yoga.

The fact that new forms of yoga keep surfacing has kept it one of the most popular fitness trends for many years as there's something to appeal to everyone.

What also keeps it popular is the affordability of needing minimal equipment - yoga only requires a yoga mat and some basic training to get started. You can also add free weights or other yoga equipment if you want a bit more of a challenge.

It’s known to improve your well-being and provides a range of health benefits such as:

  • Increasing your flexibility
  • Assists in maintaining a balanced metabolism
  • Improves your posture
  • Provides a sense of relaxation through meditation

PILATES REFORMERS

No doubt you've heard of pilates, but the term pilates reformers might be new to you.

The Pilates reformer was invented by Joseph Pilates and is a flat bed-like platform that moves back and forth on wheels.

Reformer Pilates is a more intense and dynamic version of mat Pilates. 

Pilates reformer machines add resistance to Pilates exercises via springs.

If you prefer home gyms to public ones you can invest in a machine for home workouts, or you can visit a pilates reformer studio or search for fitness facilities where you can try a group fitness pilates reformer class.

For more information on reformer Pilates, see Is Reformer Pilates Good for Weight Loss?

HYBRID CLASSES

Combining the best of both worlds, hybrid classes fuse two types of physical activity for an awesome workout including High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and yoga.

HIIT yoga fusion workouts offer a physically challenging workout with low body impact to reduce overtraining and aid recovery.

Benefits include:

  • Great health results
    HIIT intervals push endurance, build muscular strength and pump out feel-good endorphins.
    While the yoga side of the workout nourishes the nervous system and brings your heart rate down, flooding the body with oxygen to encourage lymphatic circulation.
  • Reduces overtraining
    Long cardio sessions can deplete the nervous system, whereas keeping the intensity high and the duration low offers good aerobic conditioning and ensures your adrenal and nervous systems don’t burn out.
  • Aids recovery
    Recovery is critical for workout progress and boosting athletic capacity.
    The yoga side of the hybrid classes encourages that much-needed cool down for your body to replenish its energy stores.
  • Ideal for the time-poor
    Combines a sweat session with a wind-down yoga session in the same workout.
  • Manages cortisol rhythms
    Cortisol, in high amounts, can cause problems with the overall functioning of your body.
    However, bodies need cortisol levels to be present to get you going each day (body clock).
    HIIT-yoga fusion workouts help to manage stress reduction which keeps cortisol rhythms in check

AT-HOME WORKOUTS

The ability to do at-home workouts in the comfort of your own home has been enhanced in recent years due to new developments such as live-streaming exercise classes and personal training sessions at home (also called virtual personal training).

At-home workouts come in many forms, and the best home workout routines will help you exercise effectively so you can reach your fitness goals without the need for a gym membership.

Bodyweight Exercises at Home

Take your workouts back to basics with good old-fashioned body weight exercises.

Body weight training is a sustainable alternative to going to the gym or forking out money for expensive equipment.

Effective body weight exercises to boost strength training include planks, lunges, pull-ups, and roll-up/roll-down sit-ups.

These types of body weight workouts mimic everyday movements to increase your body’s functionality.

Exercising at Home with Equipment

Want a little bit more from your at-home exercise routine?

Finding the best equipment for home workouts will help you to stay motivated.

Online training classes and at-home personal training sessions and virtual classes continue to rise in popularity post Covid-19.

It seems more people are looking to avoid the crowds and practice social distancing by investing in a home gym in 2023.

Invest in some free weights and a home gym for a multi-gym workout, and check out fitness apps for workout inspiration.

It's widely believed that investing in a home gym is expensive. But home gyms are becoming more popular thanks to the increasing affordability of home gym equipment (and flexible payment options).

This has resulted in a spike in the number of people investing in home gym equipment rather than visiting gyms or doing personal training sessions.

FITNESS BOXING

Fitness boxing is a great way to relieve stress while gaining a powerful cardio workout, improving your core strength, burning fat, and building strength.

It’s an exercise that can be done no matter where you are, even in the comfort of your own home or at your local park and you can get a great workout with just two pieces of boxing equipment.

All you need for a great fitness boxing workout is a pair of boxing gloves and a pair of boxing mitts, like the Everlast glove and mitt combo set.

Exercise with a workout buddy to increase your chances of reaching your fitness goals together, comparing results, and encouraging each other as you progress.

Alternatively, you can try boxing personal training sessions if you don't have a workout buddy.

REBOUNDING

Rebounding is a trend that provides a low-impact cardio alternative to running or jogging that has less impact on your bones and joints.

The rebounding method helps those individuals with issues with their ankles, knees, and hips.

The "bounce" slows the impact from the downward force storing it as potential energy, which is then released as kinetic energy to propel the jumper upward.

If you're keen to set up a home gym, you can buy a rebounder machine to get started, or you could try group fitness.

The machine has an elasticated bungee cord that acts as a suspension spring heavily reducing impact compared to dropping heavy steps onto solid ground.

Rebounding keeps cardio and intensity high, while keeping damage to bones, joints, tendons, and muscles to an absolute minimum.

FITNESS TRACKING AND HEART RATE MONITORS

Another fitness trend that continues to increase in popularity is the use of wearable technology like fitness trackers and heart rate monitors.

No longer just used by personal trainers, fitness trackers allow you to track your exercise routine and monitor your heart rate, which gives you an estimate of how many calories you have burnt during each workout.

These trackers are usually enhanced using apps like 8fit where you can log your workouts and meals to help get not only your fitness but also your diet in check.

Smart watches have seen a surge in popularity over the past few years as they give you the ability to track your workouts (including GPS tracking devices which are particularly helpful during runs), monitor your heart rate, and other health and fitness considerations such as blood pressure, stress levels, and sleep patterns.

To build an impressive home gym set-up and get on track to accomplishing your 2023 health and fitness goals, get in touch with Orbit Fitness today.

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