American Council on Exercise (ACE) Says Budget-Friendly and Boot Camp-Style Workouts...

American Council on Exercise (ACE) Says Budget-Friendly and Boot Camp-Style
Workouts Among Most Popular Fitness Trends in 2009

Fitness Industry Leader Releases Top Workout Trends for the New Year

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council on Exercise (ACE),
America's leading authority on fitness and one of the largest fitness
certification, education and training organizations in the world, today
announced the top ten fitness trends for 2009 based on an annual survey of its
extensive worldwide network of personal trainers, group fitness experts,
advanced health and fitness specialists and lifestyle and weight management
consultants. Findings conclude that boot camp-style workouts, which were
named the most popular workout in 2008, will remain the top fitness trend in
2009. Additionally, consumers will tighten their wallets when it comes to
staying in shape in a struggling economy.

"The overarching theme for fitness in 2009 is getting more bang for the buck,"
says ACE's Chief Science Officer Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D. "Consumers will
engage in workouts that provide multiple benefits due to time and economic
limitations. We will also see continued trends from 2008 including boot-camp
style workouts, technology-based workouts, out-of-the-box programming and an
increased interest in fitness for those who are over 50 years old."

The following represents ACE's listing of the top fitness trends for 2009:

-- Boot Camp-Style Workouts: Boot camp workouts remain extremely popular
because they provide a total-body workout that's varied, fun and
challenging. Up to 600 calories can be burned during a boot camp
session, which is obviously going to facilitate weight loss. But in
addition to a great cardiovascular workout, muscles are strengthened
through high- and low-intensity exercises such as pushups, squats and
lunges. You don't typically experience significant muscle fitness
benefits in other aerobic exercises.
-- Budget-Friendly Workouts: With today's economy showing no signs of
strengthening, more people will cut costs to stay in shape. Of the
ACE-certified professionals surveyed, 48 percent said that gym
memberships will decrease in 2009 and 52 percent said less people will
hire personal trainers. Look for more people to use the resources
around them as their gym and equipment.
-- Specialty Classes: While yoga and Pilates will remain strong,
dance-based classes are all the rage this year! Zumba, a fitness
program inspired by Latin dance, combines South American rhythms with
cardiovascular exercise. Bollywood, ballroom, Afro-Cuban and other
exotic dance styles are growing in popularity thanks to shows such as
Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance.
-- Getting Back to Basics: Despite the fact that many exercises and
equipment are becoming more advanced and trendy, trainers will
continue
to focus on basic movements and techniques with their clients again.
-- Circuit Training: Studies have shown that interval training combining
strength training and cardiovascular activity at different intensities
provides a more time-efficient workout than participating in
traditional
aerobic and weight training sessions. With an increase in popularity
of
circuit training, many gyms are even setting up their own circuits to
allow their members an easy path to fitness.
-- Kettlebells: The reason for the surge in kettlebell training is that
it
gets back to basic training that requires functional, whole body
fitness. Kettlebells require an individual to focus on whole-body
conditioning because lifting and controlling a kettlebell forces the
entire body, particularly the core, to contract as a group,
simultaneously developing strength and stability. Kettlebell workouts
engage multiple muscle groups, making it a great way to get a whole
body
workout in a relatively short period of time.
-- Boomer Fitness: Individuals age 50+ have the means, motivation and
desire to enhance their quality of life through physical activity--and
they are only growing. The 50+ audience continues to redefine our
expectations about age, vitality and life, and has highlighted the
importance of physical activity as we age. Since September 2007,
AARP's fitness initiative for boomers--aimed at providing a wide
range of affordable fitness services to its 39 million members--has
been
going strong.
-- Technology-Based Fitness: From iPods to Cardio Cinema to exergaming
(i.e., Wii Fit, Expresso Bikes) the latest in technology will continue
to infuse itself in all aspects of fitness. Look for 2009 to provide
more interactive video games that provide fitness benefits, as well as
new inventions to make exercising a more engaging experience.
-- Event or Sport-Specific Exercises: Despite the emergence of new and
trendy workouts, sports or recreational activities will remain a
popular
way to stay in shape. Participating in a friendly game of basketball
or
volleyball, training for a marathon, or taking a day-long bike ride
are
just a few ways that people are staying in shape and having fun doing
so!
-- Mixing It Up: Traditional programming is changing from what we called
linear progression to undulating as research shows similar if not
better
results. For example, mixing low-intensity cardio with intervals on
some days, and mixing high-volume, low-intensity weight training with
low-volume, high-intensity training on alternate days.

About ACE

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's premier certification,
education and training organization, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against
unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. ACE sponsors
university-based exercise science research and is the world's largest
nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its
programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at
www.acefitness.org.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.
Dr. Cedric X. Bryant
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=31991

SOURCE American Council on Exercise

Tara Shaffer of Formula for The American Council on Exercise, +1-619-234-0345,
Shaffer@formulapr.com