As we slowly come out of lockdown, the way we exercise is likely to change.
During quarantine, we’ve had to make do with our living rooms as workout spaces, but now as gyms are reopening, we’ll have the opportunity to use more equipment and join group exercise classes. However, this doesn’t mean we’ll entirely go back to how we were exercising before Covid-19.
With this in mind, these are what top trainers think will be the biggest fitness trends in the coming months…
1. Blending home and gym workouts
Lucie Cowan, group exercise ambassador for Third Space, predicts the future will be much more about exercising both at home and in the gym.
“With many companies now giving employees the option to continue to work from home on a long-term basis, the purpose and longevity of home workouts has shifted, from initially something to be incorporated into lockdown life for lack of other options, to a new way of life altogether,” explains Cowan. “I think people have realised that there are far less barriers to exercise than they’d previously thought. Lockdown has forced us to look beyond our perceived barriers and get creative at home, only to find that the benefits of exercising at home can transform the ease of everyday life, whilst still achieving the same results.”
Of course, not everyone has all the exercise equipment they want and need at home, which could mean they still want to mix things up by going to the gym occasionally.
2. Hiit
There’s no two ways about it: we’ve all fallen back in love with HIIT (high intensity interval training) during lockdown. HIIT isn’t a new phenomenon, but it’s proven the easiest thing for most of us to do at home (although the amount of jumping about required probably doesn’t thrill your downstairs neighbours).
HIIT is a brilliant way of working up a serious sweat in a small amount of time. Particularly as gyms are looking to reduce the spread of germs when they reopen – and HIIT tends to have limited or no equipment – we can likely expect these classes to remain popular.
3. Outdoor workouts
For those who don’t feel keen on going into their gym but still want the benefits of an in-person workout, outdoor exercise classes are going to become much more popular.
Head trainer at F45 Stratford Sam Gregory says: “It is likely that a lot of people will be feeling nervous as more and more things open up and our new ‘normal’ sets in, so we do anticipate that outdoor training will continue to be successful, especially through the summer months, until people are more comfortable being in confined spaces.”
4. Structured classes
The trend for structured classes and a more rigid way of working out will likely be born more out of necessity than anything else. Gregory says most gyms will have specific time slots, so they can “ensure there aren’t too many people in the gym at any given time, as you will need to book a space beforehand”.
Plus, a lot of people have become bored of working out at home and doing their own thing, so chances are they’re ready to get back to the structured environment of group classes, where there’s plenty of accountability, as well as a sense of community.