Health & Fitness Trends of 2015

AUDREY MAGAZINE – STORY BY ELAINE SIR

Sitting is the new smoking. That is the big health headline making the rounds across all media. From our office job to the hour-long commute, our sedentary lifestyle is leading to increased risks of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. As Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative, inventor of the treadmill desk, and author of Get Up!, explained to the Los Angeles Times, “We are sitting ourselves to death.”

Health & Fitness Trends of 2015

So let’s get off our butts, eat better and take control of our health. There are more and easier ways than ever to get healthy, from new workout techniques to the beverage of the moment. Here, a list of the hottest health and fitness trends you need to know.

1. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Whether you are a partner at a law firm or a stay-at-home mother of three, time is a rare commodity. HIIT is an exercise strategy where short periods of intense anaerobic exercise are alternated with less intense recovery periods. These workouts, which can last as little as 20 minutes, promote post-workout fat burning, stimulate the body’s production of human growth hormones and reduce the risk for chronic disease. “When doing interval training, try to focus on challenging, full body movements, and crank it up to work at full capacity during your work cycles,” says celebrity trainer Ashley Borden, whose workout DVD, “6 Weeks To Sculpted,” was voted Fitness Magazine’s top fitness DVD of 2015. “You must give 100 percent of effort during your 20 seconds. It is guaranteed to give you great results with a good post-calorie burn.”

2. Charcoal

That’s right, that black sooty stuff is the new green juice. Activated charcoal is appearing in our health food stores’ water bottles, juices (like Juice Served Here’s charcoal lemonade) and skin care products. The idea is that it operates like a magnet, cleaning out the body’s impurities.
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3. Bodyweight Training

Push-ups, pull-ups, burpees, planks and squats — old-school P.E. moves are making a comeback. This surge in popularity is due to the efficiency and convenience of these moves. Allie Cohen, celebrity trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp, says that bodyweight workouts are a perfect no-excuse regimen because you can do them anywhere. “Squats, burpees, mountain climbers and push-ups are great moves to incorporate into the routine. Try combo moves alternating between two push-ups and six mountain climbers.”

4. Gut and Digestive Health

Gone are the days of calories in, calories out; the term “gut ecology” has entered our vernacular. Today’s modern science is shining light on the importance of digestive health and demonstrating the connection between weight gain and an underlying imbalance in the gut. It is said that a healthy bacterial ecosystem leads to weight loss by allowing the body to absorb fewer calories from food, reducing cravings and storing less fat. Better up your intake of Greek yogurt and kimchi (just maybe not together).
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