We’ve had quite a few fitness trends emerge across gyms and exercises classes throughout the last decade. However, can you recall these four strange fitness crazes — or even got involved in any of them while working out?
Do you remember barefoot jogging?
At the beginning of the decade, several runners began to don a form of running ‘sock’ as opposed to their running shoes.
Those who supported the fitness fad said that running in trainers or running shoes can make you more prone to injury, as it encourages running with unnatural form. It’s also said that running barefoot strengthens the tiny muscles found in feet, ankles and legs which can also reduce the risk of injury.
While barefoot jogging still has a few supporters, it’s not as popular as a few years ago. Experts have said that switching to barefoot running without properly transitioning makes you prone to injuries though. Therefore, only try this one if you’re willing to practise walking barefoot before running.
How about hot barre?
‘Hot barre’ at first became popular among fitness fanatics living in New York and Los Angeles. This craze involves doing classical ballet moves in a room heated to 40 degrees, and it took off around 2015.
Advocates of the fad say that hot barre encourages you to gain a deeper stretch while helping you release toxins and feel detoxed. Then, as the body has to work hard to cool itself down, you can expect your metabolism to boost and the number of burnt calories to increase.
One fitness trend that is currently popular and follows a similar train of thought as ‘hot barre’ is ‘hot yoga’. This is where classic mindfulness movements are performed in a heated pod — a guaranteed sweat stimulator whilst simultaneously looking to help ease knee joint pain.
Are you still plogging?
Plogging may only have started becoming popular last year. However, some people haven’t looked back since. It’s a Scandinavian-based trend that encourages people to pick up litter while out running — improving health and the environment.
‘Plogging’ as a word comes from a mixture of the word jogging and ‘plocka upp’ — a Swedish phrase which translates into English as pick up.
The exercise part comes from running with intermittent squatting and lunging so you can pick up rubbish from the ground. It is an effective calorie burner too — fitness app Lifesum estimates that a typical user will burn 288 calories from 30 minutes of plogging.
If you want to get inspired to do some plogging, just check out your social media feeds. Head to Facebook or Instagram and don’t be surprised to see images of people in running gear with plastic bags ready to fill with litter. Could we see this trend become widespread sometime soon?
And how can we forget those high-heel workouts?
Wearing high heels when doing a workout has been found to offer a variety of benefits. Research has suggested that even walking in high-heels (below three inches) can shape the calves and improve muscle tone and shape.
When you get the opportunity, slip on some high heels and perform a set of squats, lunges or a few lifts off small weights.
It is likely you’ll begin to see your balance get better. It hasn’t been fully determined whether wearing high heels for a workout can result in weight loss, but it can help you learn how to walk better in them.