The new fitness trends you might not know about

Fitness fads are nothing new. Over the years, we’ve seen hula-hooping, vibration belts and at-home workouts take the fitness world by storm. But, today, there’s a whole new range of trendy fitness fads, from boxing to hot yoga, constantly popping up. So we’ve rounded up five of the hottest new fitness trends you need to know about.

Cardio-boxing

Boxing has been around for a long time, but more recently cardio-boxing has emerged as a popular workout. What is it? Cardio-boxing is a high intensity workout, combining traditional boxing techniques with body weight and aerobic exercises.

Not only is it a great way to de-stress, it’s also a whole body workout that’s sure to get the heart rate pumping. According to Harvard Medical School, fitness boxing even helps lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

F45

There’s a good chance you’ve heard about F45 – the group fitness craze that’s sweeping the nation. If you haven’t jumped on the F45 bandwagon yet, here’s what you need to know.

As the name suggests, the workouts are strictly 45 minutes and focus on functional movements – think squatting, pulling, lifting, pushing and jumping. And the best part is no two workouts are the same, with a range of classes alternating between interval, cardio and strength training.

HIIT

If you’re short on time, high intensity interval training, otherwise known as HIIT, may be the workout for you. A HIIT workout mixes short bursts of high-intensity cardio and strength exercises with even shorter rest periods. A typical HIIT session should last anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes.

This type of training also burns more calories than traditional exercise. One study found that HIIT burned 25-30 per cent more calories than other forms of exercise. But the best part of HIIT training is, it can be easily modified to suit people of all fitness levels.

Hot yoga

Yoga has been around for a long time, meaning most of us have probably tried it at least once, but more recently hot yoga has emerged as a popular workout. What is it? Often referred to as Bikram yoga, the workout is a form of yoga performed in a very warm and sometimes humid studio, with room temperatures reaching between 32-40 degrees Celsius.

Some say hot yoga may improve flexibility, speed up weight loss, reduce stress and provide an overall health boost. It’s important to note, however, that hot yoga isn’t for everyone. It’s probably best to skip the popular workout if you have heart disease, problems with dehydration and heat intolerance.

Indoor rowing classes

Forget spin classes, indoor rowing classes are the next biggest craze. The humble rowing machine has had a resurgence in recent years, with dedicated rowing studios popping up across the country. But what’s a class actually like? Indoor rowing classes alternate between time on the machine and strength training on the floor – so you don’t have to worry about repeating the same rowing motion for the full class duration.