A New Year; A New You!

Hopefully by now before the New Year you had some time for reflection – some time look back on the year that just passed and anticipate the year ahead. And of course, make resolutions.

One of the most popular, and also most broken, New Year's resolutions involves getting in shape or losing weight.

No matter what your fitness goals are, there are many that will help you take your body to the next level. Here are my top nine fitness trends that will help you refine your waistline:

Walking - walking just three times a week for 30 minutes can significantly strengthen your heart.

Boxing - An excellent way to get in shape; you will burn fat and tone your muscle at the same time. A boxing workout is guaranteed to whip you into shape while learning the “Art of Boxing.”

Boot Camp – A fast-paced military-style outdoor workout that combines calisthenics, such as push-ups, jumping jacks, sit-ups, sprints and football-style drills. Alternating quickly between movements helps you to get in shape faster.

Kettlebell Training – A Kettlebell is a cast iron weight lifting equipment with a handle. This trend is becoming very popular among athletes and entertainers. Kettlebell training offers a combination of strength and endurance training, and will challenge every muscle in your body.

5 K Training – Recent studies are showing that running a 26.1 mile marathon race takes a great toll on your body. Running in a 5K race is less taxing on the body and will allow you to recover a lot quicker. 5K training will also help you build your endurance and conditioning so you can run continually for 3.1 miles or 30 minutes.

Recreational Sports - Having fun, meeting new people and friendly competition are just a few benefits of sports and recreation activities. Plus if you’re church offers a “rec” program, it’s a great opportunity to enhance the church experience and create fond memories.

Weight Training – Enhances overall appearance and body composition, which can directly influence your self-esteem and level of confidence. In other words, weight training will help you look and feel younger.

Bodyweight Training – Remember the “old school” style P.E. classes? Bodyweight calisthenics such as squat thrust, jack knives and knee highs can be done anywhere, indoors or out, anytime, day or night. You can do bodyweight exercises with no equipment. Nothing to buy; you can start right now.

Stair Climbing – Stair climbing competition are becoming very popular, competitors run up the stairs of some of the tallest buildings and towers in major cities across the country. Stair climbing is a total body workout and burns about twice as many calories than any other sport or activity.