Should I Follow Every Fitness Trend?

The more I think about it the more I start to believe that fitness is like fashion – so many trends, so many styles, so much to try on!

Choosing your fitness routine is like building your signature style. You need to pick and mix things which you know you will like for a long time and are comfortable with. Elegance is timeless and there is a reason why classic sports and fitness styles have been around, and will continue to be around, for a very long time.

That being said, you shouldn’t be afraid to try new things, but consider those as your latest accessory (rather than a core piece of your wardbrobe!). Trying out a new fitness hype once in a while, or even once a week, will not hurt your overall ‘style’. In fact, it will help you stay consistent and avoid boredom.

So how do you go about setting your fitness goal and building a fitness routine which will help you achieve it?

There are so many parts which make up what constitutes fitness, however they can be summed into 5 main components:

In order to set your fitness goal, assess your strengths and weaknesses and choose which components you would like to work on.

Once you have decided on that, it becomes much easier to choose which training style will help you get there. Remember to stick with the classic sports which form the foundation of many of today’s fitness trends.

You can work on one component at a time or mix up several components in your weekly routine. Choose from strength (power lifting, crossfit), flexibility / agility (yoga, callisthenics), body composition (bodybuilding), cardiovascular health (HIIT circuits, sprinting) and endurance (cycling, running, thriathlon style training).

An example of a way to build your programme is to work on your top priority component 3-4 times a week, the second priority component 2 times a week and the third once a week.

Let’s say you want to build strength, improve cardio health and flexibility. Your weekly routine may look like this: 3 days a week doing powerlifting, 2 days a week doing HIIT circuits, 1 day a week doing yoga and other flexibility exercises and 1 rest day or ‘new trend’ day where you experiment with the latest fitness craze.

Good luck!

WW