Fitness fads and fitness trends are common in both fitness home business models and in the gym. When working with a fitness business consultant, knowing the difference between fads and trends can help prevent disaster to both your career as a trainer and also to your personal fitness goals.
A fitness trend changes the way that we work out and those trends can be influenced by research or social norms and expectations. For example, high intensity interval workouts, also known as HIIT workouts, are a fitness trend. We learned through research that high intensity interval workouts burn more calories, provide a total body workout, and help individuals reach their fitness goals faster without having to spend hours in the gym each day. The trend of high intensity interval workouts has carried over into other fitness areas such as boot-camp inspired group fitness classes and martial arts fitness. A fitness trend will stay with us much longer than a fitness fad and have a larger impact in the field of fitness and wellness.
A fitness fad is something that becomes very popular for only a short period of time. It fitness fad can gain popularity quickly because of marketing, making everyone feel like they have to have it. It will often lose popularity quickly because once the novelty is over, the user finds no benefit to continue with the fitness fad. A fitness fad is also not scientifically proven to work. A fitness fad can be workout tools or gadgets that are hip and trendy and marketed by larger companies or endorsed by professional athletes. Examples of fitness fads can be those ab devices that were popular decades ago, vibrating fitness belts from the 1960’s, and thigh machines that promised to spot reduce specific areas on our bodies. Unfortunately, we learned that we can spot reduce areas on our body and that eating well and keeping an active lifestyle are best for maintaining a healthy weight.
If you are seeking changes to your fitness goals or fitness routine, reach out to a personal trainer to get a personalized training program so you don’t fall victim to a fitness fad. Natural bodybuilding routines are great for those who want to tone up and lean out. Rowing machines provide a calorie torching cardio workout. Wellness coaching training can help you find the perfect workout to help you reach you personal fitness goals.
