It is overwhelming to notice that everywhere people are becoming conscious of getting and staying fit. Fitness is an important aspect of a healthy and longer life. It is indeed a necessity or a pre-requisite of the sedentary lifestyle that most of the people lead in present times.
People are better educated today and are aware of the importance of the exercise for an hour or more when most of the day goes in sitting and working. More so the social media very interestingly gives a lucrative picture of all the elite people who work out rigorously and gain attractive physique making the younger generations go berserk over fitness.
The growing culture of gymming and various other fitness routine classes have tempted people all around the globe. These are not only easy to approach and effective but also are interesting ways to get physically healthier.
Fitness may not only imply being physically healthy but do involve emotional and spiritual health as well. In a broader perspective, fitness has become an individual pursuit with different people seeing it differently.
Some follow age old methods of walking, jogging, swimming or cycling with a bit of yoga, aerobics and laughter session as their way to be fit and active while for many others especially young experimenting with different techniques is more lucrative as well as beneficial.
With the surge in the popularity of health and fitness, there are a plethora of new fitness classes designed to ensure not only fitness but to provide social, mental and spiritual benefits as well.
Any form of activity is interesting only if we enjoy it fully and not due to some pressure. When we are sweating out to be fit or to lose weight, the method definitely has to be captivating enough to keep us going. Hence the modern day fitness exercises are not restricted to gym and its equipments alone. New forms or reformed exercises are being introduced to people keen on learning something new along with getting fit. Here are a few modern day fitness exercises and routines being practiced worldwide.
1 YOGA / HOT YOGA
Over the last few years Yoga has gained much popularity not only in India but around the World. Yoga along with cultural conservation focuses on the body’s natural tendency towards health and self-healing. It is more convenient as a practice as it is pocket friendly, can be done at home alone or at any convenient place in groups and is not restricted to a particular age. The purpose of yoga is to create strength, awareness and harmony between mind, soul and body.
Everyone knows that practicing yoga is good. Yoga helps you to get rid of arthritis, depression and anxiety, shed excessive weight and get glowing and flawless skin. With a continued yoga session, an individual will feel more balanced and focussed in life. This age old practice is now reformed to give more health benefits and the approach is more result oriented naming it ‘Hot Yoga’.
Hot Yoga refers to yoga exercises performed in hot and humid conditions leading to profuse sweating. Practicing yoga or yoga inspired fitness style in a heated room increases metabolism and pulse rate allowing the body to burn more calories and shed those extra kilos.
2 PILATES / HOT PILATES
Hot Pilates is a challenging, full body, low impact, high intensity workout; generally performed on a yoga mat in a room heated to 95 degrees and 40% humidity. The major difference between yoga and Pilates is that yoga improves our flexibility of our body and joints whereas Pilates focuses on strengthening of muscles of our body. Pilates helps us in losing weight by increasing the muscle tone; muscles being metabolically active will burn more calories during a workout.
Regardless of your fitness level, Hot Pilate is for anyone looking for ways to improve health or simply get a feel good factor. It is suitable both for men and women. If you continue doing Hot Pilates regularly, you will notice yourself to be adapting to new level and needs, feeling more and more refreshed and reaping maximum benefits of health. When practised regularly, hot Pilates will help you to burn fat and lose weight, promote detoxification, improve blood circulation, and helps in managing conditions like insomnia, depression, back pains, and arthritis.
3 PLANKS
Another one from the modern day fitness exercises recommended herein. Planks are amazing core exercise and are super beneficial if performed under the guidance of an expert.Planks not only focus on your abs, as it is thought so, but also involve your legs, arms, shoulders and entire core. It really helps in building body strength and alleviates body pain especially of your back. Some prominent planks postures include:
• Side star plank
• Low plank arm reach
• Reverse plank
• Low side plank
• High side plank knee tuck
• Low side plank crunch
• Extended plank
• Confused plank using forearm or hand or both
• Wide plank
4 TAI-CHI
Originated in ancient China, Tai chi is one of the most effective exercises for healthy mind and body. Although the routines are not designed to burn calories or increase the heart rate, they can help you with regulating circulation, promoting balance and alignment. Tai chi can be an excellent addition to your exercise routine.
The principle behind tai chi is to integrate mind with body, control movements and breathing, generate internal energy and alert minds. It is an art which requires greater depth of knowledge and skill but it can be easily learnt and health benefits are also delivered sooner. If continued for a life time Tai chi improves muscular strength, flexibility, fitness, immunity, relieves pain and improves quality of life.
5 ZUMBA
This fitness routine is another one of the modern day fitness exercises that is definitely gaining popularity now-a-days among masses especially female and younger generations owing to its giving a feel of dance party more than a boring workout. The Latin-inspired dance workout is one of the most popular group exercises in the world. Grooving to the beats of salsa, flamenco and merengue makes Zumba an interesting and popular fitness routine.
You don’t need to be a great dancer for Zumba. On the contrary these high energy classes are set on upbeat music and choreographed on dance numbers that make you feel like dancing and sweating out as in a nightclub.This fitness routine in particular gives you a feel good factor along with becoming healthy and active.
Working up a sweat in a 60 minutes class helps you to burn approximately 400 calories of energy which is quite more than kick-boxing or step aerobics. You’ll get a cardio workout that melts fat, strengthens your core and improves stamina and flexibility.
So anyone looking for a fitness routine that emphasizes on having a good time along with the satisfaction of burning calories then ditch the old routine workout and join the party with Zumba.
6 WATER AEROBICS
If you enjoy being in water and regularly go for swimming so as to stay healthy and fit, then water aerobics will surely interest you and will bring variety to your routine. Take the plunge in water to try this low-impact workout that builds muscle strength and boosts your stamina. It is fun activity that includes a warm-up, cardio. strength training and a cool down in its each session lasting for about an hour.
Water aerobics should be done under an expert advice. An instructor will make you perform a series of moves like water walking, bicep curls, leg lifts and kick board moves with music being played at back drop to keep you motivated. You need not know swimming for this activity as most of the water workouts are done in the shallow end of the pool.
The buoyancy of the water helps you with your movement and is easy on your joints. So it becomes a good option for those having any chronic pain or injury. Hence it’s quite popular among senior and old aged people and also expecting mothers.
Though it is a low-impact activity, it can be made a harder workout by repeating the moves or doing it faster. An advanced level water activity is also practiced these days as people are ready for experimenting which includes underwater interval training.
7 MARTIAL ARTS
Martial arts are the codified systems and traditional combat practices which are being learnt and practiced for self – defence, mental and spiritual development, military and law enforcement and also for entertainment and preservation of Nation’s cultural heritage. There are a number of martial art techniques being followed throughout the world for its health benefits as well. They are now seen as a great workout routine that helps in reducing weight, strengthening core and muscles, gaining muscle mass that are metabolically more active and improving breathing, circulation, stamina, and endurance.
Each of the martial art techniques teaches you discipline and control over your mind and body.
The best martial arts for weight loss include:
• Karate
• Kung Fu/ Taekwondo
• Muay Thai/Kick boxing
• Judo/Hapkido
• Capoeira
• KravMaga
The martial arts done for fitness include:
• Muay Thai or Thai boxing
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Mixed Martial Arts
• Wrestling
• Tai Chi
The martial arts best for getting into shape includes:
• KrayMaga
• Taekwondo
• Muay Thai
• Karate
• JiuJitsu
8 GYMMING WITH NEW AGE EQUIMENTS
Gym is all about using various machines and equipments to gain strength, shed weight, build muscles and improve durability and stamina along with getting fit. Though there is no bar for any age or gender but men especially the youth prefer gym workout more. The idea of getting abs and muscular biceps and triceps fascinate the young men more.
Seeing to the increasing popularity of gyms, the technology of equipments being used is also being improved with time. New designs and functioning have increased durability in everything ranging from dumbbells to treadmills. There are now sophisticated machines or newer age machines that give access to internet and are compatible with personal mobile devices. Digital connectivity gives you the ease to be connected with others along with the monitoring of your vitals, receiving health and nutritional information and keeping a personal record by saving your session logs.
Treadmill are the most popular of all the gymming equipments that helps you with two of the best exercises that is walking and running regulating your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Most treadmills today allow you to regulate your speed as per your endurance and stamina.
Next in line are the elliptical machines that help the people with joint and bone pain to exercise with ease. It provides excellent cardio-vascular and muscular workout.
Stationary bikes are also quite popular along with the treadmills and provide excellent cardio-vascular workout. While the traditional bikes are like a regular bicycle and works upon lower abdomen, hips and legs, the new age recumbent bikes are better as it allow more hip extension benefitting the people with back pain.
Home gym solutions are also available readily these days for those who are willing to work out but do not find appropriate time to go to gym. They become convenient solutions for those who have limited time and also require less space for installation. Good home gym equipment will allow full body workout, muscle development and weight training.
Rowing machines are designed to combine cardio and strength building together providing low-impact full body work out.
Gym ball, Swiss ball, physio-ball or fit ball are large vinyl ball that can be used to strengthen and stretch your body, improve core stability and balance. Using gym balls can be challenging way to add fun and variety to your fitness routine.
Other popular machines include Horizontal seated leg press, Lat pull down, cable bicep and tricep bars, chest press, hanging leg press, stair climber, kettlebells, jumping ropes, resistant tubes or bands, weights, weight benches and pull up bars.
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