HOUSTON – The New Year means many of us will return to the gym as part of our New Year's resolutions. Local 2's Lauren Freeman tried out the top three fitness trends of 2013.
For the newest exercise trends, Lauren headed straight to personal trainer David James at the Houstonian. He loves to keep his clients trying new things.
So what's going to be hottest way to sweat this year? High Intensity Interval Training is becoming popular now for regular folks, too.
"In the past a lot of sprinters have used it to improve their cardiovascular endurance," James said.
Twenty minutes of High Intensity Interval Training is equivalent to 90 to 120 minutes of steady state cardio. You can use weights or not. The basic principle is simple: You work for 30 seconds and rest for 15 seconds. You can do it three to five times a week and you don't have to go to a gym to try it. The goal is to keep the heart rate up the entire time.
The next new trend is Olympic-style lifting. It sounds intimidating, but anyone can do it.
"Resistance training at any age increases bone mineral density and lean muscle tissue," James said.
When you first start out, you want to make sure flexible enough. Exercises like the deadlift or squats are similar to movements we do every day.
The last trend was Lauren's favorite -- the Indo-Row. It's a rowing machine with water inside to simulate rowing in a boat!
"They do it in a class format with head-to-head competing with someone in a friendly environment, but it will get people moving," James said.
It's low-impact and great cardio. It's 60 percent legs, 20 percent arms and 20 percent core, so it's a whole body workout.
If you're looking for high tech options, Koko FitClubs are catching on. The concept uses software hooked up to the workout machine to make sure you're doing the exercise correctly. The entire workout for strength and cardio takes 30 minutes or less. There's a Koko FitClub in Katy and in Champions.
Whether you choose to try one of these fitness trends or not, the important thing is to get moving in 2013.