13 Track 13

Review unit 3

fluency strategy: SQ3R

Modern Fitness Trends

Page 162

Modern Fitness Trends

Back in the 1980s, aerobics classes and leg-warmers (a type sock that fits over the calves) were immensely popular. In the decade before that, bodybuilding was all the rage and Arnold Schwarzenegger was a huge icon for young man.

That fitness world is always moving, and trends come and go very quickly. Here are three of the most popular fitness trends right now. Which ones would you like to try?

If you love to dance and want to have fun with fitness, try Zumba.

Zumba is an immensely popular dance fitness program featuring Latin-inspired dance moves set to energetic music.

It’s been called the “world’s biggest fitness party” by its followers, with over 14 million people taking weekly classes, four million Zumba DVDs sold, and a line of “Zumbawear” clothing that is taken off.

The concept of Zumba came about by mistake, thanks to the quick thinking of a fitness instructor named Beta Perez. He was about to teach an aerobics class in his hometown of Cali, Columbia, when he realized he had forgotten his aerobics dance music.

He only had one cassette tape with him which was full of Latin music. “I improvised,” he said, “and that was the beginning of Zumba.”

Instead of traditional dance-fitness classes where steps are counted out loud to the beat of the music, Zumba has that free-flowing and party-like atmosphere.

This proved popular with people who were fed up with working out, and Zomba moved from just another fitness fad to a true fitness phenomenon.

If you like intense activities and are up for a challenge, try CrossFit.

“No, it doesn’t ever get any easier. You wouldn’t it to either.” This quote by Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, says all you need to know about what some consider the most challenging fitness program ever.

Instead of featuring just one activity such as running or weight-lifting, CrossFit tries to integrate gymnastics, track and field skills, and bodybuilding into a short and intense workout.

A workout of the day (or WOD) may involve doing 20 pushups, followed by 10 pull-ups, and then an 800-meter run − then repeating the set as many times as possible in 20 minutes.

Because there were cats change every day, the body does not easily adopt and is always challenged. Of course, a danger is that some people go overboard and risk injury or, at the very least, suffer aches and pains for a few days.

But for people who like to push the limits of fitness and strength − there are many police officers, firefighters, and military people who follow it − CrossFit is the key.

If you prefer slower activities and want a good stretch, try Hot yoga

Most people think that yoga is all about stretching. While stretching is indeed a large part of yoga, it is also about creating balance in the body through strength and flexibility, and creating peace in the mind by forcing the person to concentrate on each pose.

Hot yoga is seen as more challenging compared to other forms of yoga, mostly because it’s performed in a studio that is heated up to 40 degrees Celsius and with a high level of humidity. It may be a struggle at first to remain in the heated room for the full class, but it gets easier over time!

While many yoga studios offer some form of hot yoga, the most popular is Bikram Yoga, named for its founder Bikram Choudhury. Each Bikram yoga class lasts 90 minutes and consists of 26 different poses.

It is believed that during yoga in a heated and human room helps a person to stretch deeper and helps to prevent injuries. Choudhury also claims that sweating will help cleanse the body of toxins and keep the internal organs in good health.