EDMONTON — Jazzercise, step aerobics, and the idea that fat makes us fat have all come and gone, though Jane Fonda, now 73, is back with updated DVD versions of her old workouts and new exercise discs for the primetime set. What are other health trends for 2011? A trend is defined as “a general direction in which something tends to move.” If that “something” is your body, anything that starts you moving and keeps you moving is a hot trend this year, says Edmonton fitness guru Marjorie O’Connor.

Some ideas:
Tough, interval, circuit-training-type workouts such as boot camps and the Tabata protocol. “Tabata gives you the biggest bang for your buck in the shortest period of time,” O’Connor says. Designed by Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Tabata is based on the workouts of the Japanese speed-skating team.




The program involves working hard at maximum intensity for 20 seconds — doing burpees, squats, or pushups for example — then resting for 10 seconds, repeating the sequence for a minimum of eight sets. The whole workout can be done in 20 minutes, which is perfect for people strapped for time. But because of the intensity, you really need to ease into this workout slowly, cautions O’Connor. “I progressed people for a whole year to get to a point where they are able to accomplish it without feeling sick.”

Less likely to make you puke, and more fun, dancing continues to explode in popularity. Zumba (the Latin-inspired dance craze), belly dancing, ethnic dances, hip hop, everything dance is booming, O’Connor says, probably, in part because of such ratings-favourite TV shows as Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. For the homebody, active gaming is taking off. Besides the Wii, the new Kinect game for the Xbox 360 has dance moves and workout programs that can be accessed and used without remote controls. “It’s very cool and very good because, not only can people do it in the privacy of their own home, it’s easy. They just have to plug in the machine.” O’Connor says. “The dance video is hysterical because you follow along, while a personal trainer corrects your form. “I find her a bit too robotic ... I don’t feel the love,” O’Connor jokes, but the program has a real fun factor.

More people are using phone apps (applications) to achieve stronger, healthier bodies. Calorie counting, fitness tips and exercise demonstrations have all been incorporated into these handy little tools. Some of these new programs, dynamic workouts and progress-profiling make for a fairly synthesized at-home personal trainer experience.

Mobile workout equipment like the TRX Suspension Trainer (a portable, industrial-strength, nylon webbing system with handles, foot cradles and anchoring attachments that allows the user to exercise using their own body weight) remains popular, as well as Bosu balls and tubing.





Away from home, spa workouts, yoga retreats, detox vacations and fitness getaways allow vacationers to add toning to their R n R (rest and relaxation) in warm and exotic places.

More and more programs targeting children and youth are becoming available as society continues to wrestle with an epidemic of what O’Connor calls “screenagers” — kids who are overweight and unfit from too much time sitting in front of or over computer and gaming screens. So too, are classes and training programs for an aging population that wants to remain functional and independent. But fitness is only a part of the health equation.

The other is food Fewer Canadians will be shaking salt over their food, predicts Winnipeg registered dietitian Gina Sunderland. The trend is fuelled by increased public awareness about the dangers of excess sodium. In turn, companies such as Campbell’s are offering up a slew of sodium-reduced products, Health Canada has formed a sodium task force and the country has mandated a lower required level of sodium than ever. “I almost think of sodium as the new trans fat,” says Sunderland. She suggests not adding salt to anything for three weeks and keeping in mind that most adults need only 1,300 mg of sodium daily. Superfoods — items packed with unusually high amounts of nutrients — are back “in vogue,” says Sunderland. “People really want to know what foods they should eat and why.” Perhaps our desire for functional foods is heightened by the health claims now allowed on certain packaged foods. Whatever the case, Sunderland says 2011 will lead to a healthier consumer. On the other hand, diets — as in programs that have a beginning and an end and require the eating of special foods — are passe, O’Connor says. “Everybody is successful on a diet, they’re going to lose weight, but the key is keeping it off in the long term.” That requires a lifestyle change that focuses on choosing healthier foods over junk food and smaller portion sizes. “Eat less, move more and live life with passion,” she says. That’s THE health trend of 2011.