ACSM Unveils Top Fitness Trends

The American College of Sports Medicine checked in with more than 4,000 fitness professionals around the world and asked them to look beyond marketing and discern exercise trends from fads.

For the second year in a row, the survey's results show high-intensity interval training (HIIT) tops the list of fitness trends for 2018. In HIIT, you alternate brief bursts of vigorous exercise, like sprinting or riding an exercise bike full-tilt, with brief recovery periods.

If you want to try your hand at HIIT, ease into it if you're out of shape, and talk with your doctor if you've been sedentary or have a chronic condition. You can adjust your exercise-to-rest ratios depending on your fitness level. Begin by using a 1:2 ratio of exercise to rest - 20 seconds of exercise and 40 seconds of rest. As you become stronger, try moving to a ratio of 1:1 so that both intervals are equal.

Improve sleep habits

Go to bed at the same time every night. Your body's circadian rhythm works a lot like a programmable clock. Going to bed at the same time every night can help train your body to fall asleep. The more closely you follow a consistent schedule, the better your sleep habits will be.

Prevent waist gain

To prevent or at least limit abdominal weight gain as you age, do strength training. In a large study of healthy males, those who increase the time they spent lifting weights by at least 20 minutes a day, over a 12-year period, averaged smaller gains in waist size than those who similarly increased daily cardiovascular exercise.

The study also found that carrying an extra two inches around the waist raised the risk of death by 17 percent in men and 13 percent in women.

Say no to nicotine

One can of snuff gives you as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes.

Did you know?

Drinking caffeine in the evening delays or brain's release of melatonin and interrupts our circadian rhythm by as much as 40 minutes.

Protein surprise

Peas have a high-carb reputation, but they also pack a significant dose of protein.

One cup of green peas has 8g - more protein than 1 egg (6g). And the protein itself is high-quality, made up of a wide array of essential amino acids. The little green guys also provide nearly one-third of your recommended daily allowance for fiber, so they give any meal or snack staying power.

Janet Charlesworth is operations manager for the San Angelo Community Health Club. Contact her at [email protected]

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