The shape of things in 2011

Planning ahead for your New Year’s Resolution to get fit? Here’s what will be in — and out — in 2011, according to a survey of 19,000 “fitness professions” by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Out: Balance training, stability balls and Pilates. “Pilates suffered the worst fall, disappearing after a ninth place ranking in 2010,” according to the ACSM. “It appears from this survey that Pilates may not have been a trend at all but may be considered a fad in the health and fitness industry,” says ACSM spokesman Walter R. Thompson.

Balance training comes as a bit of a surprise as well, considering how it’s being encouraged for older Americans not simply as a fitness tool, but as a tool for continuing to live independently.

In: The “in” basket reflects not-so-much workout regimens but ways that staying fit will be promoted. Expect more more emphasis on “clinical integration” (or more direction from your doctor for how to shape up) and on worker incentive programs. “Interest in medical fitness, worker incentive programs, and work site wellness programs may be a direct result of health care reform measures … ” says Thompson.
Personal training, strength training, core training, boot camps and exercise addressing functional fitness are also expected to be big in 2011.

Read more here.

Photo: Working out on a Cadillac build by Joseph Pilates.

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