If you feel you’re getting stuck in a rut, changing up your exercise routine can be a great way to boost both performance and motivation. And with many popular workouts getting fresh updates for 2019, with at-home fitness getting some high-tech accessories, and new trends in yoga emerging, next year is an opportunity to get better results than ever before.

Boxing is back

With the end-of-year release of “Creed II”, the eighth installment in the “Rocky” film series, not to mention Nike’s Apollo Creed-inspired sportswear range, we might be feeling inspired to pick up some gloves by New Year. According to Harvard Medical School, fitness boxing, which requires you to work out in a class rather than in a ring, can improve strength in the upper body as you throw punches and the lower body as you squat down in a boxer crouch. It also gives you a good cardio workout and helps improve balance and coordination. And it’s not just for guys, with famous models such as Adriana Lima big fans of boxing thanks to the great fitness results it can bring.

Strength training without the weights

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which annually surveys fitness industry experts for their trend predictions, bodyweight training is set to be the fifth biggest trend of 2019. A type of strength training which uses no free weights or machines, just the body’s own resistance, it builds strength throughout the body, and improves balance and flexibility. As it can be done at home without any fancy equipment it’s also pretty easy to fit into your routine. Research released in the second half of this year has also advocated the benefits of strength training, with one study by researchers at the University of Iowa finding that a total of 1 to 59 minutes of resistance training per week, split over either one, two, or three sessions, was associated with a 40 to 70 percent reduced risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event.

Home workouts go high tech

The trend for home workouts is growing, and moving on from simply following videos on YouTube. 2018 has seen high tech releases such as the smart Mirror, which streams live real-time workouts straight into your home. Users train in front of the Mirror, taking part in class workouts or one-to-one sessions with your own personal trainer. The QAIO Flex offers a similar service, allowing users to link the mirror up to their smartphone to access workout applications, then watch them on the smart touch display screen. And currently being funded on Indiegogo, the Hydrow by CREW is an indoor rowing machine which uses new technology to broadcast live workouts to its screen, giving users the experience of being out on the water in the comfort of their own home.

Yoga gets a colorful update

The trend for yoga shows no signs of slowing down. It is still in ACSM’s top 10 fitness predictions for 2019, coming in as the seventh biggest trend for next year after also being ranked at number seven in last year’s survey. So after beer yoga, goat yoga and the popularity of yoga wheels, what can we expect for 2019? In addition to the continuing popularity of traditional yoga practices, 2019 will also see a growth in Chroma Yoga, which combines yoga with light color therapy, sound frequencies and aromatherapy for a more immersive, multisensory experience. Look out for it in a class near you soon. JB

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