Fighting fit, or turning into a mermaid are all in 2018’s plans

Some trends are going to be obvious, some might be a bit more bonkers reckons Liz Connor

If 2017 was all about boxing, wearables and getting your “Om” on with mindful workouts, this year is set to be a whole new ball game, and forecasters have already picked out the trends predicted to dominate. Here are the ones to have on your radar… DNA TESTING Unfairly, your genetic makeup might be hindering you from torching the same amount of calories in a gruelling HIIT class as your neighbour, who’s blessed with a superior ancestry. Thankfully, there are sneaky ways to even the playing field this year. Through DNA testing, fitness fans can get a detailed breakdown of macro and micronutrient needs, as well as handy hints for tailoring your approach to exercise so that you’re working out in a way that best suits your body. These types of programmes used to be the reserve of top athletes, but now at-home kits like DNAFIT and Fitnessgenes are bringing the method to the masses. Simply swab your saliva, post it off, and wait for the experts to send back their insights. LIVE STREAMING CLASSES The trend for working out in your living room isn’t going anywhere next year. While we’ve been punching and kicking in front of Youtube for years, expect to see a live broadcasting element dominate in 2018. If you’re a digital nomad that can’t commit to the same weekly classes and sessions, you’ll soon be able to take part in interactive, live classes with top trainers from anywhere in the world. COMPETITIVE FITNESS You might not have fallen out with your friends over who can do a better handstand since school, but a swathe of new classes will prove that your pals can inspire just the right sort of shallow and fervid motivation to push you further in the gym. Anyone who’s worked out with a contemporary will know that having a rival can drive you into

0 Live streaming classes will make home workouts more fun picking up a larger kettle- bell, going faster on a bike, or holding a plank for 30 seconds longer. This element of friendly competition is a theme that’ll shake up the format of group training sessions this year. VERSACLIMBER Looking not too dissimilar from a Victorian torture device, Versacimbers are set to be the new method of punishing your core into tighter and sculpted ideals. It basically utilises the same natural cardio movement as rock climbing, and according to experts, the machine – which is a near-vertical rail with pedals and handles – burns more fat than treadmills, ellipticals, stepper and bike. STRENGTH TRAINING If you’re firmly in camp “strong not skinny”, you’ll be pleased to know that Pinterest’s 2018 forecast picked out strength training as one of the biggies for this year, optimistically claiming that exercise is moving away from size to strength. Instead of squatsport. ting and spinning to hit a goal weight, we’ll all lifting barbells to build a healthy amount of muscle. Thanks to female celebrity fans like Megan Fox, Millie Mackintosh and Khloe Kardashian, the weights area will truly be a gender neutral utopia (although there may be some fighting over the bench press). COMBAT SPORTS Want an impossibly toned midsection like a Victoria’s Secret model? Then you’ll need to take on a combat Boxing ruled the roost last year, but 2018 will see a progression into martial arts disciplines and kickboxing. Plenty of celebs are already hyping up the trend: model Joan Smalls told Vogue that she amps up her workouts in the weeks before a big show with Muay Thai, a boxing discipline. MERMAIDING Ever wanted to be a mermaid? Well, now you actually can – in fact, according to experts, you can also get a six-pack at the same time. Dubbed “mermaiding”, the slightly bonkers trend for donning a fishtail and performing aerobic exercises in a swimming pool took off in Colorado last year – and has already started causing slight ripples in the UK. The head-to-fins aerobic classes involve pulling on a sparkly mermaid tail, then learning how to swim like one, by swishing your legs in a rhythmic movement. The classes are said to engage the abdominal muscles, giving you rock-solid abs and a core of steel. Time to dig out your seashell bra.

“Rest is going to be a big fitness trend for 2018”

REST AND RECOVERY Yes, you heard correctly. Rest is going to be a big fitness trend for 2018. Most trainers know that getting enough recovery time after workouts is essential for achieving high-level performance, and the same is true of the average gymgoer. That’s why this year will see a shift to advanced recovery plans that will target specific areas. If you’re bending, flexing and crunching, it’s time to take things down a notch and pack in some decent recovery time, to reduce the risk of injury and allow you to perform for better and longer. See you in the sauna.