What Are the Different Types of Exercise Trends?

Transportation exercise, low-impact exercise, and passive exercise are some exercise trends that come and go. Exercise that involves transportation is performed by using a bike or walking instead of a car. Low-impact exercises include yoga and some dance exercises. Passive exercises usually involve vibrating the body, but these exercises rarely live up to manufacturer claims and do not result in weight loss. Ballistic exercises are also among exercise trends that gain popularity in relatively short bursts. Trendy exercises should be researched before being committed to, because they are not always effective or healthy when it comes to weight loss, building muscle, and losing cellulite.

Active transport exercises are walking, running, or biking to destinations rather than using a vehicle. This can be convenient if a person lives within a short distance of his or her work, favorite coffee shop, or school. It also saves money on fuel, public transportation fees, and vehicle maintenance costs. By transporting this way, people are also living greener and contributing less to the world’s pollution. Sometimes there are expensive upfront costs related to these exercises, however; for example, a person might need a decent bike or professionally fitted walking shoes.

Yoga is traditionally a discipline with religious aspects, but a growing trend turns yoga into a light-impact exercise. The exerciser holds sometimes complicated poses that increase flexibility, strength, and stamina. Exercise yoga classes are particularly common in the Western world, with special exercises for pregnant women, people with back problems, and cancer survivors. Some people find deviating from the spiritual nature of yoga offensive and have made efforts to educate those who are unaware of the connections.

Passive exercises are exercise trends that involve using a machine but not actively doing anything. The most common example of this exercise trend involves vibrators. Theoretically, specialized vibrators can force muscles to activate and allow a person to exercise without doing anything. In practice, vibrators have not proved to replace traditional exercise or result in a person losing weight. Passive vibrating exercises have been shown to improve circulation and bone density, however.

Ballistic exercises are exercise trends that focus on strength training by lifting, swinging or otherwise accelerating, and releasing weights. For example, kettle bells are used for ballistic exercises. Ballistic exercises are highly effective for building muscle, but can be dangerous if performed improperly. Some common injuries are broken wrists or an injured foot from dropping the weight on it. Accidentally releasing the weight into a wall, glass object, or another person can be avoided by performing the exercise outside with considerable distance from peers.