Fitness trends: group fitness in review and what's hot for 2009

Throughout the 1970's and 1980's we had "aerobics".  One word for one thing, high impact, freestyle aerobic dance ala Jane Fonda.  I hate to admit it, but I was there!  I started teaching in the early 1980's.  It was all high impact and as an instructor, we taught "freestyle".  We had our little group of moves, but we just made it up as we went along.  After the 30 or so minutes of cardio, we would do 30 minutes of calisthenics for toning.  Unfortunately, day after day of "aerobics" left alot of exercise enthusiasts with overuse injuries especially in the knee.  Low impact aerobics came along about that time.  I remember how I hated the new format!  We had to go to alot of workshops to learn to teach the new style and I absolutely hated it.  For us rebels, hi/lo was born.  We compromised with a little high and a little low impact and we started choreographing our classes so they would flow more smoothly.  We choreographed several "combinations" or 32 count blocks of movement and music.  Around 1989 step aerobics made a debut.  It was created by Gin MIller who created it to work around her own knee injury.  Yes, I hated that at first too.  Step took off in a major way.  It was HOT and everyone was doing it!  I came around and added step aerobics to my ever growing list of modes that I could teach.  I grew to love it, by the way.  It was also choreographed and required, like other choreographed modes, alot of time outside of class putting these classes together.  Step was popular in one form or another for a decade plus.  My gym still has several step classes on the schedule.

In the 2000's aerobics became "group fitness".  I struggled with that.  We've  called it aerobics for 30 years now, why change?  I can answer that now.  It changed because "aerobics class" has become so much more than "aerobics" class.  Group fitness started to pull away from the ol' 30 minutes of cardio, heartrate following the "bell shaped" curve, and 30 minutes of toning. We began to use interval type training taking the heartrate up into its anaerobic zone with intervals at a lower heartrate.  We started using weights like barbells and dumbells.  Then we incorporated medicine balls, jump ropes, tubing, pylons, rope ladders, you name it!  We had kickboxing, weightlifting only classes, stability ball classes, water aerobics, core conditioning and along came indoor cycling.  Love that cycling!  I taught one today as a matter of fact.  Boot camp classes were also a big hit.  As an instructor I loved the trend.  I had to plan what I was going to do in class, but gone were the days of choreographing and creating that newest hot move.  Much easier on the brain cells!  I loved the go, go, go action packed boot camp, hit -it -hard cycle and a whole class devoted to weight training.  This trend continues in 2008 and seems to be the name of the game for 2009 as well.

In 2008, IDEA did a study on programs and equipment and found that gyms were providing more than 30 forms of group training.  Step aerobics and dance type aerobics are still out there, but the meat and potatoes of most group fitness programs in 2008 centered around core conditioning and weight or strength training classes.  Classes that offer circuit type training were also very popular in 2008.  Most gyms now offer mind/body classes such as yoga and pilates as a  standard part of their group fitness program.  With each of these 2 disciplines there are many different formats offered as well.  Pliates can be a mat class or a class on pilates equipment.  Yoga can be Bikram ("hot"), restorative, power, Ashtanga, Vinyasa flow and many more possibilities.  Most gyms offer a full schedule of mind/body classes using various formats.

So, we see that group exercise has evolved from a high impact, dance format that was geared towards women to a very diverse range of activities for both men and women.  Classes incorporate every aspect of fitness such as strength, flexibility, balance and sport moves to offer something to all ages, all interests and  all skill levels.  The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) predicted the top ten fitness trends for 2009:

1. Educated and experienced fitness professionals(thank  goodness.....that's me)
2. Children and obesity
3. Personal training (thank goodness, again)
4. Strength training
5. Core training
6. Special fitness programs for older adults
7. Pilates
8. Stability ball
9. Sport-specific training
10. Balance training (i.e. functional fitness)

As 2008 comes to an end, we can say good-bye to a year of great changes and growth in group fitness programs and we can look forward to more of a good thing.  Group fitness is expected to continue growing, changing and evolving as the needs of the consumer evolve as well. Merry fitness and have a happy and healthy New Year!

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