I was asked to share my thoughts about new trends I’m seeing in the fitness world. What was top of mind? Mindfulness & posture.
Here are a couple of key excerpts:
Many leading edge trainers are incorporating mindfulness into their workouts. Not just in yoga, but in bootcamps and martial arts. Judy Kuan, a NASM certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist said, “I’ve had clients ask for mindful martial arts workouts, where I take traditional kicking, punching, and blocking movements from martial arts and slow them way down. The slower speed helps cultivate focus, balance and strength.”
Pilates has been the go-to for anyone seeking to work on posture and back-related issues. Kuan said, “I’ve seen more and more trainers and instructors specifically add components to their workouts that address posture – rather than just focus on strength, power, and speed. I think this trend has been driven by the fitness industry’s awareness that too many instructors and trainers providing bodyweight workouts were focusing on ‘push’ movements versus ‘pull’ movements, which can lead to that hunched posture due to overly-tight shoulders and weak mid-back muscles. Also, with back pain a continued issue for 80% of the adult population, clients are now aware of the benefits of focusing on posture to help prevent and alleviate back pain as well.”
Read the full article here. Have a question? Reach out to Judy at judy@fitphile.com.