What will be trending in 2018 fitness? Get a head start on the New Year with these exciting new workouts.
Sledgehammer Workouts
We’re just going to go ahead and call this the Thor workout. At The Shop Fitness in Lodi, Ian Michael and his team of fitness trainers are handing out polyurethane sledge hammers for core work. “You can do a series of sledgehammer exercises, which is really good for your core,” Ian says. The core hammers, which look just like a sledge hammer albeit with a ball on the end, can be used on any surface. It’s an update from hitting rubber tires with a sledgehammer and Ian incorporates the activity into classes weekly, mostly on conditioning and cardio core days.
Piloxing
Step out of the box, and into the ring! Piloxing offers an artful blend of Pilates and boxing. While boxing increases a person’s speed and agility, Pilates is gentler on the body and focuses largely on flexibility and strength. Mixing the two creates a whole body workout with some serious stress-busting power for those looking to try something new. Celebrity trainer and Swedish dancer Viveca Jensen is the mastermind behind this mash-up.
Novelty yoga
Move over beer yoga—the experts haven’t run out of ideas yet! Mixing yoga with other passions is becoming a popular pastime for yogis, and the newest mash-up will have you squealing! Goat yoga is a hot yoga-craze taking the nation by storm and honestly, we’re just waiting for it to hit San Joaquin County. With all this farmland, we know there are plenty of goats to go around!
Battle Rope Training
Battle rope training fits a budding trend of mixing core-strengthening activities with high intensity. “You’re working your core but in a way that burns a lot of calories,” Ian says. For this exercise participants use big ropes to complete a series of cardiovascular and strength training movements. “It just burns a lot of calories in a short amount of time,” Ian says. “It’s different.”
Barre
Traditionally barre refers to the horizontal, waist-level bar on which ballet dancers rest a hand for support during exercises. This simple device has sparked a barre fitness trend in San Joaquin County. While the workout uses the same type of bar and incorporates plies and pirouettes, it’s also inspired by Pilates, dance, yoga and functional training and set to music. In-Shape Health Clubs across the County are now offering Barre classes!