Stick to the Tried and True

I’ve seen a lot of fitness fads come and go. Some are completely ridiculous, from a standpoint of their longevity within the marketplace, and some are things that have been around and come back. Not to long ago, I had a client ask me about kettlebell training. He had heard about the new trend and how it achieves these great results. The term kettlebell first appeared in a Russian dictionary in 1704 and they have been used in that country progressively since the early 1900’s. There was a surge in popularity in the United States in the 50’s and 60’s and they have reappeared as a trendy thing to do in the last 5 years. I don’t deny the their value. They are a great tool that can produce significant results, both in terms of strength increases and body composition changes. I don’t even mean to rant about kettlebells here.

What is on my mind are our need to keep with the latest fad or trendy venture in order to keep fit. Variety is the spice of life and exercise programs do need to change to keep the body guessing and producing results. From this point of view, I understand incorporating different exercise techniques into your program. But many times we become reliant on the fads to get started or stay with their fitness goals. When the fads dies, so does our exercise routine.

I suggest we use the fads to invigorate our existing exercise programs and help us to move to the results we want, but not set our exercise sail by the winds of fitness trends that continue to blow through with regularity. If we do, we will set ourselves up for the same fate as those fads…a glorious rise, followed by a fall into obscurity.

If you like to know about the current fitness trends out there, read this Newsweek article, Seven Silly Fitness Fads. These will allow you to shake, strip, and expel your way to good shape.