Skip to content
Connect with our experts: 800.494.7782
  • Help Center
  • FAQs
  • Renew Your Certification
  • Contact Us
  • Sign In/Create Account
AFPA
  • Why AFPA
    Benefits of Choosing AFPA Our Educational Approach Career Change Guide AFPA’s Featured Graduate Stories
  • Certification Programs
    • Health Coach Certifications
    • Nutrition Certifications
    • Personal Trainer Certifications
    • Fitness Certifications
    • Bundled Certifications
    • Continuing Education
    • All Certifications
    Health Coach Certifications thumbnail

    Health Coach Certifications

    • About AFPA Health Coaching Programs
    • Certified Master Health & Wellness Coach (NBHWC-Approved)
    • Holistic Health Coach Certification
    • Health & Wellness Coach Certification
    • Advanced Health Coaching Intensive [Live]
    • Coaching for Weight Loss Certificate
    • Nutrition and Behavior Change Certificate
    • View All Health Coach Certifications
    Nutrition Certifications thumbnail

    Nutrition Certifications

    • About AFPA Nutrition Certification Programs
    • Holistic Nutrition Certification
    • Master Nutrition Certification
    • Autoimmune Holistic Nutrition Certification
    • Gut Health Certificate
    • Plant Based Nutrition Certificate
    • Sports Nutrition Certification
    • Nutrition and Behavior Change Certificate
    • View All Nutrition Certifications
    Personal Trainer Certifications thumbnail

    Personal Trainer Certifications

    • About AFPA Personal Trainer Programs
    • Personal Trainer
    • Master Fitness Trainer Certification
    • Advanced Personal Trainer Certification
    • View All Personal Trainer Certifications
    Fitness Certifications thumbnail

    Fitness Certifications

    • About AFPA Fitness Programs
    • Pre and Post Natal Fitness Certification
    • Pilates Instructor Certification
    • Yoga Instructor Certification
    • Kettlebell Essentials: The Iron Cardio Approach
    • View All Fitness Certifications
    Bundled Certifications thumbnail

    Bundled Certifications

    • About AFPA Bundled Programs
    • Autoimmune & Gut Health Bundle
    • Holistic Health Coach
    • Holistic Nutrition & Autoimmune Nutrition
    • Personal Trainer and Holistic Nutritionist
    • Pregnancy Health Coach
    • Personal Trainer and Health & Wellness Coach
    • Weight Loss Coach
    • Master Level Nutrition Consultant
    • Master Personal Trainer
    • View All Bundled Certifications
    Continuing Education thumbnail

    Continuing Education

    • About AFPA Continuing Education
    • CEC Bundles
    • Business & Marketing
    • Chronic Disease & Functional Foods
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Functional & Core Training
    • Mind-Body Wellness & Flexibility
    • Nutrition & Lifestyle
    • Special Populations
    • Sports & Athletic Conditioning
    • Sport Injuries & Rehabilitation
    • Women's Health & Wellness
    • Youth Health & Fitness
    • View All CEC Courses
    All Certifications thumbnail

    All Certifications

    • View All Certifications
  • Testimonials
  • About AFPA
  • Free Resources
  • Blog
  • SALE
  • Cart
Menu
Enroll Now
  • SUMMER SALE
  • Why AFPA
    • Benefits of Choosing AFPA
    • Our Educational Approach
    • Career Change Guide
    • AFPA’s Featured Graduate Stories
  • Certification Programs
    • Nutrition Certifications
      • Holistic Nutrition Certification
      • Master Nutrition Certification
      • Autoimmune Holistic Nutrition Certification
      • Gut Health Certificate
      • Plant Based Nutrition Certificate
      • Sports Nutrition Certification
      • Nutrition and Behavior Change Certificate
    • Health Coach Certifications
      • Certified Master Health and Wellness Coach (NBHWC-Approved)
      • Holistic Health Coach Certification
      • Health and Wellness Coach Certification
      • Advanced Health Coaching Intensive [Live]
      • Coaching for Weight Loss Certificate
      • Nutrition and Behavior Change Certificate
    • Personal Trainer Certifications
      • Personal Trainer Certification
      • Master Personal Trainer Certification
      • Advanced Personal Training Certification
    • Fitness Certification Programs
      • Pre & Postnatal Fitness Certification
      • Pilates Instructor Certification
      • Yoga Instructor Certification
      • Kettlebell Essentials: The Iron Cardio Approach
    • Bundled Certifications
    • Health and Fitness Continuing Education
  • Testimonials
  • About AFPA
  • Free Resources
  • Blog
  • FAQs
  • Renew Your Certification
  • Contact Us
  • Cart
800.494.7782
Sign in/Create Account
Enroll Now

Exercise Trends

January 7, 2014
By AFPA Fitness

Exercise Trends

Up-and-Coming Exercise Trends

By Colette Bouchez
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic – Feature

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

According to experts, some of the exercise and diet trends that appear to be past their prime are:

  • High-impact aerobic workouts.
  • Expensive home gym equipment.

Exercise trends on the way up, they say, include:

  • Back-to-basics exercise plans.
  • Functional fitness.
  • Mind/body workouts.
  • The “buddy system” of working out

Just the Basics

After nearly a decade of chasing high-tech fitness dreams, experts say, there’s a movement back toward the basics for getting in shape.

“The high-tech stuff was great and everybody loves gadgets, but what ends up happening is it becomes a great place to hang your clothes,” says Ken Locker, MA, ATC, a spokesman for the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). “Everybody in America now has a little treadmill in the corner with clothes on it — and now, there is a trend away from that, a trend back to basics.”

By basics, he means using the body, and not much else, to get in shape, says Locker, a certified athletic trainer at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. So, remember those calisthenics from fifth grade — push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and sprints? If trend forecasters are right, that could be the workout of the future.

According to Phil Black, a former Navy Seal instructor who is now a personal trainer and San Diego fitness entrepreneur, another emerging popular trend is functional fitness — programs that help us move through daily life with greater ease.

“People don’t care so much about becoming a pro athlete as much as they care about whether they can pick up their child without hurting their back, or do things around the house without getting injured or sore,” says Black, inventor of the Fit Deck, a type of flash cards for everyday workouts. “We’re looking towards workouts that increase flexibility and core strength, and help you live a healthier life overall.”

Mind Body Fitness

One of the most popular fitness trends involves combining what might seem like opposing exercises, like yoga movements plus aerobics.

Among these new workouts are:

  • Cy-Yo, a one-hour workout combining 10 minutes of yoga, 40 minutes of speed cycling on a stationary bike, then 10 more minutes of yoga to cool down and refocus the mind. Cy-Yo workouts are offered in a number of health facilities across the nation, including some Gold’s Gyms.
  • YogaFit workouts merge traditional yoga with a variety of other activities, including strength training, core muscle building, and butt firming.
  • Yoga and Pilates is another hot combination to watch, say the trend watchers at IdeaFit.

“Whether it’s blasting your abs into shape or helping you heal a back injury, these [new combined yoga workouts] will give you the versatility to do both,” says Beth Shaw, a certified yoga instructor who is president of YogaFit.

The IdeaFit experts say we’ll also see more online training programs, core-conditioning classes, and kid-specific fitness plans. And, they predict, more of us will be hiring personal trainers.

Exercise with a friend

So you can’t afford a personal trainer? Maybe your pet can serve as your exercise buddy. One up-and-coming exercise trend combines man and beast for a program that helps people and their pets get fit together. There’s even a medical study to show it can work.

In a 12-month study, experts at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago demonstrated that both people and pets were more successful in staying with a weight loss program when they did it together. (Besides, you know how Fido hates to go to the gym alone!)

Both the people and their pets were placed on a balanced, low-calorie diet and given a 30-minute moderate activity plan to do together, three times a week. When compared to dogs only and people only, the combined people-pet group lost the most weight — the people, an average of about 11 pounds, the dogs, about 12 pounds.

Don’t have a furry friend with whom to share your workouts? Experts expect more of us to connect with fitness and diet buddies via the Web as we turn to Internet weight loss programs to slim down and shape up.

SOURCES: Fitness Trendlines Fitness Programs and Equipment Survey for 2005, Ideafit: People and Pets Exercising Together presentation, North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) annual scientific meeting, November 2004, Las Vegas. Cy-Yo.com web site. Ken Locker, MA, ATC, certified athletic trainer, Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas; spokesman, National Athletic Trainers Association. Phil Black, personal trainer; developer, The Fit Deck and FitDeck.com, San Diego. Beth Shaw, certified yoga instructor; president, YogaFit, Hermosa Beach, Calif.

TURN YOUR DREAM CAREER INTO REALITY

In just six months or less, you can start working in the industry of your dreams with an AFPA certification. For questions or to get started, call us today at 800.494.7782.

Choose Your Program
Contact Us

Stay Connected

Get immediate access to AFPA’s most recent health and wellness insights, exclusive offers and groundbreaking tips to help you become the trusted health, fitness or nutrition professional.

AFPA
  • Column 1
    • Help Center
    • Contact Us
    • About AFPA
    • Renew Your Certification
    • FAQs
    • Explore All Certifications
  • Column 2
    • Accreditation and Associations
    • Code of Ethics
    • Professional Insurance
    • Affiliate Partners
  • Column 3
    • Holistic Nutritionist Certification
    • Health & Wellness Coach Certification
    • Holistic Health Coach Certification
    • Nutrition Certifications
    • Personal Trainer Certification
    • Yoga Certification
    • Pilates Certification
GeoTrust Logo
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • ©2025 AFPA.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy