Top Trends for Exercise and Health

Walking is at the top of my list of exercises because it requires you to provide very little in the way of extra equipment for one thing, and it doesn’t require you to be an expert or highly knowledgeable to get the most out of it.

Next on my list would be ‘Spinning’.
Spinning, or static cycling is another great way to get fit and in your own home and your own time.  Many will not have heard of spinning, but it has grown greatly in popularity as a form of exercise that works well for a lot of people, especially those with knee problems. Having said that, these machines can be quite expensive but is a worthy investment if you can afford one.

You don’t have to be pedaling away for hours on end to benefit either. Pace yourself properly and a 30-minute session could burn off 200-400 calories easily. A good way to start is to make sure you stretch and limber up first, then begin with about 10 minutes of a nice even steady pace you can easily handle and warm up with, then increase the resistance a little and work harder for the next 10 minutes, then drop the pace again for 5 minutes, before really pushing yourself for the last 5. Always a good idea, when you’re done, to take a minute or two to warm down too; just drop your pace, with little or no resistance and take it nice and easy after pushing yourself. Bring your session to a close when you’re ready.

Remember, this is just a suggestion, you work out in the best way that suits you. If you want to spin for an hour, or even an hour and a half, then by all means do so, but I wouldn’t recommend that, especially when starting out or nursing a knee injury.

A word of caution though. These cycling machines can come with a price tag in the £1,000s, don’t be pulled in by the unnecessary bells, whistles and gadgets they come with. At the end of the day, all you need is a means of working your muscles and building up your resistive stamina, so get yourself something reasonable and fit for purpose without bankrupting yourself. You should be able to get hold of a decent piece of equipment for around £200 or less.

Now, exercise trends tend to come and go, but you can be confident that this will be around for a long time to come as one of the top activities any individual can do at home and a gym. Encouraging kids to do the same is also becoming more popular, and so it should. Kids should learn from an early age, the importance of keeping themselves fit and active and healthier as a result. Long gone are the days, sadly, when schools offered a wealth of sporting and after-school activities for their pupils to get involved with, and that is such a shame – it’s just priming our kids to become more indolent in their tender, impressionable age and more dependent on technologies that should have their own separate place and time. Smartphones are just one of the main culprits nowadays as well as games consoles that chew up more and more of a child’s active time. Absolutely nothing wrong with technology, in the right context.

Same goes for our older generation. You’re never too old to keep fit, and a growing number of senior citizens are taking the plunge to involve themselves in fitness programs. Many gyms are also recognising this and catering more and more to this generation of people who understand the value of keeping active and healthy.

See you in Part 5