Introduction
More so, if you take the COVID 19 pandemic as a point of reference. Several gyms closed doors due to the pandemic, and people couldn’t travel to their gyms.
New trends in fitness point to increased digital workouts, personal training[1], high-intensity training, and full-body fitness methods.
The 2022 trends show that people will emphasize more on health and mindfulness, good at-home workouts, running, outdoor activities, and low-impact training.
Transformation Of Fitness Workout Approaches Following The Covid 19 Pandemic
The COVID 19 pandemic led to forced lockdowns with restricted movements. People couldn’t visit their usual workout places at all.
Yet, they needed to keep fit through any in and out workout programs. They couldn’t employ personal trainers at home for fear of getting infected with Coronavirus.
Even when the lockdown eased, gyms became a no-no due to the strict sense of hygiene brought by the pandemic.
As a result, the post-pandemic fitness trends[2] illustrate people turning to online apps and good at-home workouts to fill the void.
Others turned to outdoor workouts like running, cycling, hill climbing, and more. One study showed that 82% of adults still want to exercise, despite the pandemic.
Experts differ when predicting the direction fitness will take in 2022 and beyond. And the debate rages. But after extensive research, we picked the following 12 fitness trends for 2022 to transform your health.
Top 12 Fitness Regimens For 2022
1. Weighted Hula Hoops
Exercise is one of the most searched for, with a 234% increase in Google search from 2021. It became famous in 2021, and the interest in the workout seems to be growing. Weighted hula hoop workout went viral through the TikTok app.
The new weighted hula-hoops weigh up to 3 kilograms and are enjoyed by everyone as they swing their hips at home. The exercise strengthens the abs and gives you stability and flexibility. Still, you get stronger lower body muscles and better heart health.
2. Wearable Technology
The other top-ranking exercise from google searches was wearable technology. Ranked among the top 2 in 2021, the health and workout monitor technology will be in the top fitness trends for 2022.
People still want to get up-to-date data on their health and fitness, which they believe is important for their physical and mental wellness. Personalized data from tech brands like Apple and Garmin, showing the body’s response to exercise both externally and internally, has become valuable to many.
Wearable technology[3] uses gadgets like fitness trackers, heart rate monitors, smartwatches, GPS trackers, and temperature monitors. Some have video recorders and audio-visual players that make exercise even more fun. As technology advances, especially after the COVID 19 pandemic, we expect great advancements in fitness wearables.
3. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Any exercise that increases the heart rate to about 90% of the maximum is high-intensity interval training. This exercise has occupied the top places among the good at-home workouts.
It seems like it will remain green in fitness trends for 2022. HIIT puts pressure on your cardiovascular system as you take quick breaths and sweat more after a short period of exercise.
Unlike any low-impact workouts, HIIT helps you burn more calories after a short time. Most sports people prefer HIIT for better performance and to remain in shape. However, some fitness experts call for a slower more-intentional approach to HIIT which adds some strength training to transform to high-intensity interval resistance training (HIIRT).
4. Physical Fitness and Mental Wellness
Many people enroll for both physical and wellness sessions under different trainers. But recently, the trend is where brands provide exercises and wellbeing together.
Many apps offer digital training with wellness practices and conversations[4]. E.g., iFitMind uses holistic programming by combining mental wellness with physical fitness ideals. The practice may involve using fitness and wellness podcasts plus commentaries in fitness magazines.
Additionally, you get guest fitness professionals on the tech-supported programs or apps. The emphasis is on caring about the outside fitness plus how the inner self and mind feel after exercise.
5. Low-Impact Workouts
Generally, many hate or lack time for good at-home workouts. COVID 19 didn’t help as it led to a sedentary life for a long time. People turned to computer life. Now that lockdowns are over for most areas, exercise has led to aches, pains, dislocations, sore muscles, and more.
As a result, people look for low-impact workout drills[5] to avoid the discomforts of exercise after a long time. The workouts may be like yoga, rowing, meditation, and cycling. Such workouts are easy on muscles and joints, yet they help burn calories. And nobody wants the wear and tear injuries caused by strenuous workouts. So, low-impact workouts might be popular next year.
6. Outdoor Exercises
It happened that gyms closed down instantly with the lockdown. So, people who exercise went online for training tips from fitness experts and personal trainers.
Some people took up in and out workout routines like running, cycling, jogging, hill climbing, staircase climbing, and rope jumping. Studies[6] found that outdoor exercises provide several health benefits, such as balanced blood pressure, better nerves and sleep, and reduced stress.
Therefore, in 2022, outdoor good at-home workouts promise to be adopted more as outdoor exercise is more hygienic with fresh and free air. But people will bring personal trainers to their outdoor workouts to get more benefits.
7. Online Fitness
Forewarned is forearmed. All fitness lovers and wannabes have learned that contact gyms can’t be reliable as a guide to in and out workout routines. In any case, fitness lovers turned to online fitness when the physical gyms closed down.
Since new hygiene measures became part of the norm, several contact diseases reduced and people became more hygiene conscious. Research shows that some people will never go back to physical gyms since online fitness fits their schedule.
Many individuals have gone to remote working, with work at home lifestyles. So, why not adopt online fitness classes too and use the many apps? Ultimately, online fitness promises to be with us in 2022 and long-term for years to come.
8. Reverse Running
If you want to balance all your muscles, burn more calories, be more stable, and reduce exercise impact on your knees, then consider reverse running. Reverse running searches increased by over 50% in the last two years. So, people will practice it more in 2022.
However, opponents of reverse running[7] say it has fewer benefits than forward running and it’s cumbersome. Again, you can’t run fast, and you risk many injuries. But, the author of “Backwards Running,” Dr. Robert Stevenson, says all athletes should engage in reverse running to undo or balance what their forward running does to their muscles and joints.
9. Personal Training
Many people are too busy to have in and out workout programs to fit their exercise needs. Fitness lovers are unable to research what suits them best. So, they need a personal trainer who understands their needs and then develops in and out workouts to realize their fitness goals.
A personal trainer will show them what to do if they want strength training, cardio workout, wellness, weight loss, and more. These trainers[8] will help them to be accountable and make sure they exercise and balance their exercise and work life. Therefore, the trend seems to be in fashion and will rise in 2022 and beyond.
10. Exercise as Medicine Drills
The COVID 19 pandemic brought awareness about in and out workout drills as well as mental and emotional health. The confinement increased stress, depression, job losses, deaths, and more problems. One prescription to help overcome stress, depression, and mental illness is exercise as medicine.
Doctors, physiotherapists, counselors, and nutritionists recommend exercise as medicine for holistic healing and the mind. So, fitness trends for 2022 may require counseling and medical and fitness professionals to join hands to offer exercise as medicine.
11. More Calisthenics
If you remove the technical bits of getting suspended from a lamppost like a human flag in the form of calisthenics, then such good at-home workouts can be fun. You can do variations of this popular strength training with different bodyweight exercises to push your body to full fitness potential.
In short, you can do any in and out workout exercises like squats, lunges, planks, pushups, and raises and achieve the benefits. You can also add weights to the poses to be even more effective.
If you have strong bands and bars, you can do pull-ups and suspend yourself like a lamppost too. This calisthenics trend is rising, and it’s projected to become even more popular in the coming year.
12. Increased Trapeze Classes
A trapeze is a horizontal bar hanging from the ceiling or top with two ropes to help swing freely like acrobats. Recently, the global Google search interest in the aerobics trapeze classes grew by 39.9% in one year.
Aerial workouts have now included related exercises like pole fitness, aerial hoops, swing pulls, and other acrobatic poses. Trapeze workouts help in strength training, stability, balance, and general fitness. It’s projected that trapeze interest will be among the top fitness trends for 2022.
Final Thoughts
We gave you what we found to be among the cream of fitness trends for 2022. Experts give priority to them, too, or offer alternatives.
The in and out workout, strength, cardiovascular, mental wellness training, and general health seem to be the top considerations when choosing a workout routine.
Also, people have learned several good at-home workouts due to the COVID 19 lockdown and closure of many gyms then. Yet, proper hygiene and better aeration seem to occupy the minds of fitness lovers as they pick workouts.
