9 Fitness Trends That Will Shock You

And when it comes to a daily dose of activity, men are creatures of habit opting for more traditional sport such as footy, cycling and squash while women are more open to new fitness trends.

9 Fitness Trends That Will Shock You

Here are nine fitness trends and facts from data collected by Fitbit tapping into one million users including 100,000 Australians that will truly surprise you.

1.Which fitness craze was ‘so 2012’ and what is the hottest new sporting trend worldwide to watch?

Step aside ‘Couch to 5K’. Now it’s all about fusion workouts where classes from jazz ballet to salsa are all fused together in a fun variety of gym classes.

PiYO (a Pilates and Yoga hybrid), Ballet Barre classes and BodyPump are the trends that are making their way to the top in the next few years.

2. Which generation prefer to exercise solo?

With demanding jobs and more dependants, Generation X are more likely than anyone else to exercise on their own. For them, exercise is a perfect time to be alone and mindful. It’s an ideal antidote to wash away the daily pressures of normal life.

3.Which is the most experimental generation?

Unsurprisingly, it is the Millennial’s (also known as Gen Y’s) who are the most willing to launch into new crazes or unusual, innovative classes such as Crossfit, Zumba and Bootcamp. Additionally, the Millennials are much more enthusiastic about group sports than the generation just slightly older than them, with team sports such as Rugby, Netball and Football ranking highly.

4. What surprising sports made the top ten. 

Yoga, boxing and rowing all made it into the top ten favourite sports in Australia with the time old favourite walking being the most popular overall.

Regardless of age, gender or nationality, 70% of people surveyed said walking was their favourite exercise. This goes to show that all the fancy equipment and ‘miracle workouts’ can’t compete with the most original movement ever for humans. In the same vein, running came in as a close second.

5. For Australians, what are the top ten most common forms of exercise?

1. Walking
2. Running
3. Bike riding
4. Strength Training
5. Swimming
6. Circuit Training
7. Indoor Cycling
8. Yoga
9. Boxing
10. Rowing

6. How do men and women differ in their favourite ways of exercising in Australia?

Aussie guys prefer to practice traditional sports such as squash, football and golf. Women, on the other hand, lean towards lower impact, more fluid ways of movement and exercise classes with Pilates, dancing and yoga ranking higher than for men.

7. What makes the Baby Boomers unique in the way they keep fit?

The top ranking sports for the Baby Boomers like to take it easy and avoid injury, choosing more leisurely activities such as gardening, golf and water aerobics.

8. Who likes the elliptical more Americans or Australians?

It would seem that the elliptical – a stationary exercise used to simulate stair climbing or running – has made more of a mark in America than in Australia. In the States, this exercise machine comes in at number two after running for women. Interestingly, it’s ranked 11 in Australia and is more popular with women than men in both countries.

9. How does the weather impact your exercise patterns?

In the UK indoor activities such as aerobics and indoor cycling are far more popular whereas Australians, Americans and Canadians prefer the great outdoors and taking advantage of beautiful weather. Curling, shovelling snow, snowshoeing and ice-skating all featured in the higher ranks in the UK, Canada and America, but not in Australia.

Fitbit products are activity trackers that measure data such as the number of steps you take, the quality of sleep, the number of steps climbed and other personal metrics.

Visit http://www.fitbit.com/au to compare your exercise habits to the rest of the world.