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Swing into fitness

Gurus predict dancing and 'fusion' workouts will be among 2008's fun ways to shape up

By Megan K. Scott
Associated Press

Published on Tuesday, Jan 08, 2008

You're not going to win the war on your holiday boozing and bingeing alone.

So call the drill sergeant, channel your inner Spice Girl or get better acquainted with your new friend, the stripper pole. Fitness experts say 2008 is going to bring some innovative exercise programs that go beyond steps, balls, stationary bikes and stretching in overheated rooms.

We're going to salsa like we're on Dancing With the Stars and try countless types of ''fusion'' as workout options become both more diverse and more personalized. Bored of body sculpting? New classes will feature ''Temple Dance,'' childhood favorites like hula hoops, or daredevil moves on suspension ropes.

At the same time, technology has led to more individualized workouts, as


more people download workouts, pair running shoes with their iPods, or find workout buddies on fitfiend.com, said Carole Carson, author of From Fat to Fit.

So what's going to be hot in '08? We polled some fitness gurus to find out.

Dance is back

Thanks to Dancing with the Stars, we'll be dancing through 2008, said Kathy Smith, author of Feed Muscle, Shrink Fat Diet. Gold's Gym is introducing Stripaerobix, a class that will have you ''moving across the floor like a cheetah.'' 24 Hour Fitness has a new cardio dance workout, with salsa, hip hop, and cowboy boogie.

Equinox is offering Temple Dance, ''a powerful, exotic and sexy workout guided by candles and colorful scarves.'' The Sports Club/LA has new Zumba and belly-dancing classes. And if you'd rather look like a dancer than dance like one, try Gold's Gym Dancer's Body Workout.

Kids hit the gym

As the childhood obesity crisis continues to grab headlines, kids will be finding workouts outside of gym class. More parents are hiring trainers to help their children lose weight, get in shape, or become better athletes, said Joe Moore, president of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association.

Also watch for more children and teens to start doing yoga, said yoga teacher Mary Kaye Chryssicas. Yoga is being used by some schools to combat stress.

Fitness campaigns

We're going to see more public campaigns to fight the bulge, such as Dr. Ian Smith's 50 Million Pound Challenge, From Fat to Fit's Carson said. ''One of the big trends that you are going to see in the coming year is corporations getting on board to help support their employees in getting healthy,'' Smith said.

Fusion focus

One workout doesn't do it for us anymore. ''We need a little bit of cardio, mixed with a little bit of strength, mixed with a little bit of flexibility and we have to be creative about it,'' said Leslie Sansone, fitness consultant for NutriSystem Advanced.

24 Hour Fitness, for example, has a new 24Pilates Fusion class, with exercises based on traditional dance and pilates. Bally's Total Body Class features resistance training, breathing techniques, Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts), Kwando (kickboxing) and yoga. Yoga fusion classes, such as Yoga Core and Yoga Abs, will also be popular, said Beth Shaw, founder of YogaFit.

Retro rev

Expect more classes based on childhood experiences, such as rebounding, where people bounce on a mini trampoline, and hoop dancing. Fitness guru Denise Austin has a retro aerobics workout on her new Burn Fat Fast: Cardio Blast DVD, with grapevines and ponies. Equinox is introducing a new full body conditioning class that uses a sandbag.

Specialty fitness

Bye bye health club. Hello small fitness center. Curves may see a slowdown in growth, predicted Jesse Cannone, a certified fitness trainer in the metro Washington, D.C., area, referring to the 30-minute workout fitness center for women. But more people are going to choose small boutique fitness centers, including pilates and yoga studios. (The perception is those classes are better than ones at mega health clubs.)

Suspension classes

The daredevils among us may push, pull, lift and lower in suspension classes — what Crunch is calling one of the biggest trends for 2008. Crunch's Anti-gravity Yoga uses a flowing hammock as a soft trapeze, and in the BodyWeb class, participants hang from ropes and do Spiderman moves.

You're not going to win the war on your holiday boozing and bingeing alone.

Get the full article here.


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