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The Future Of Fit
Exercise, Nutrition &
More For 2004
by Amy E. Lemen
 W
hile some are certainly willing to work harder than others
to achieve a fit, healthy physique, ultimately, we’d
all like to be in great shape. Period. Forget about the glossy
magazine covers. They’re usually airbrushed anyway.
Besides, fitness is about realistic expectations for your
body, not someone else’s ideal. And according to recent
top 10 fitness trend predictions released by the American
Council on Exercise (A.C.E.), that’s just the way it
should be.
The A.C.E. trends include the need for time-sensitive workouts
for busy lifestyles, advanced equipment and back-to-basics
nutrition, among others. In short, many of the same approaches
that have worked since people started wanting better bodies
still work today.
“The bottom line is that balance and moderation is the
best way to go for the long term,” says Marsha Beckerman,
registered dietician and “food coach” to athletes
at the University of Texas at Austin. “And the biggest
thing in terms of fitness is movement — it really counts
when you park your car far away and walk into Wal-Mart.”
The fact is, growing concerns about obesity and related effects
of inactive lifestyles have really motivated consumers to
get on the exercise bandwagon — and none too soon. In
2001, Texas was the sixth fattest state in the United States!
They say everything’s bigger in Texas; in this case,
that’s not a good thing. Even more worrisome, the present
direct and indirect medical cost of obesity-related disease
in Texas is more than $10 billion annually!
We asked Beckerman and other local experts for their perspective
on A.C.E.’s trends, as well as some down-to-earth advice
on how to simply be healthy in the New Year.
Prediction No. 1: More efficient
workouts will be available in less time.
In a perfect world, A.C.E.’s predictions show that what
we want is a faster workout we can do in half the time with
the same benefits that also blends mind-body practices with
traditional activities and that emphasizes functional fitness.
We don’t ask for much, do we? The good news is that
trainers, coaches and clubs are delivering.
“One of the biggest challenges for people is time,”
says Jim Martino, A.C.E.-certified trainer and director of
member services for BodyBusiness on West Anderson Lane. “We’ve
tailored our classes so people can get in cardio and weights
in 30 or 45 minutes.”
 Prediction
No. 2: Mind-body programs will blend with traditional workouts.
A.C.E. says many clubs, personal trainers and group fitness
instructors will introduce elements of Pilates and yoga into
workouts, programs and club offerings for a more holistic
approach to wellness. That’s already happening here
in Austin.
Gold’s Gym offers a wide array of Pilates, yoga and
other classes with a mind-body emphasis. Another good example
is BodyBusiness’ “Spinning into Yoga” class,
which combines 30 minutes of high-intensity cycling with 30
minutes of power yoga.
“We tend to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to
trends,” says Martino. “People started asking
for more mind-body classes, and we thought, ‘Why not
blend that with more traditional offerings?’”
Prediction No. 3: “Functional fitness” will become
more important.
You’re not fit if you can’t easily lift grocery
bags or even your child, or get up the stairs without wheezing
or pausing to take a breather. That’s functional fitness,
and A.C.E. says that incorporating functional strength-training
into any existing exercise program will do wonders for enhancing
coordination, strength and endurance in doing everyday activities.
“Hiring a professional, or recruiting your health club
staff to help you design a well-rounded program including
aerobic, strength and flexibility training will help you achieve
functional fitness,” says Margo Kamin, certified fitness
trainer, nutritionist and owner of One-on-One Fitness Training.
Prediction No. 4: Lifestyle
and performance coaching will be more important — and
more accessible.
 A.C.E.
says the phone and Internet now make having your own coach
affordable, so more people will be doing it. Couple that with
the increased use of heart rate monitors and other measurement
tools that allow downloadable and real-time feedback, and
it’s a win-win fitness situation.
“We’re starting to do more small-group personal
training, which makes it much more affordable,” says
Martino. “People are also asking for more advanced training
in different areas of fitness, like Spinning, yoga, Pilates,
kickboxing and triathlon training.”
Prediction No. 5: Health
care providers and companies will provide (and partially subsidize)
preventive lifestyle programs.
An apple a day really does keep the doctor away — and
research has long shown that the cost of preventive medicine
is far below the cost of treating lifestyle diseases. In Texas,
for example, type II diabetes is more prevalent here (in 6.4
percent of adults) than in the United States as a whole (5.7
percent of adults). Overweight and obese individuals (those
with a body mass index — BMI — of 25 and above)
are at increased risk for physical ailments such as type 2
diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease. And corporate
America is finally catching on, with more companies offering
gyms, yoga classes and nutrition counseling to help fight
the war on these very preventable lifestyle diseases.
“Clients want the preventive treatment, but insurance
companies only pay when it’s an acute service, and that’s
unfortunate,” says Donna Dodgen, registered dietician,
owner and president of Austin Nutrition and Wellness, Inc.
“The key is making the basics easy for people.”
Prediction No. 6: Fitness
equipment manufacturers will make equipment that is “smarter,”
more efficient, and geared toward users’ varied lifestyles.
Equipment manufacturers have been positioning themselves to
take advantage of our increasing participation in fitness
programs by creating brand awareness through aggressive advertising
and marketing campaigns.
Remember the SoloFlex guy? Who doesn’t? And that’s
affecting market demand for the latest, greatest stuff.
According to analysts from Frost & Sullivan, a company
that tracks trends in the fitness industry, some companies
are even offering Web-compatible fitness equipment that allows
users to log onto the Internet, monitor their fitness progress,
watch television, or listen to music while working out.
“Heart rate technology is being incorporated into everything,”
says Skyler Vaughn, manager of HEST Fitness Products on West
Anderson Lane. “It’s been an eye-opener for people
because they think they can run and burn body fat and be fine,
but staying in a particular zone can actually help you burn
even more fat.”
 Vaughn
says the machines that top the exercise pyramid are treadmills
with all the bells and whistles (heart rate controls and resistance
equipment) and elliptical trainers.
“The elliptical trainers have been out about five years
now, but they’re really great for knee, ankle and foot
problems and allow for a zero-impact workout,” he says.
Other popular innovations include PowerBlocks — complete
sets of weights that take up just a 2x2 area; rowing machines
with a submerged water mechanism that provides drag for a
more realistic experience on land; and collapsible dumbbells.
Prediction No. 7: More clubs
will offer pay-as-you-go pricing instead of long contracts.
A.C.E. says more and more customers are demanding alternative
pricing systems that are more flexible, and many clubs have
responded. Gold’s Gym, for example, offers convenient
month-to-month options, as do Austin YMCAs and many private
studios. There also are many more options for classes with
drop-in rates, including Pilates, yoga and even ballet.
Prediction No. 8: We’re
choosing “Back-to-basics” options for weight-loss
and nutrition.
According to A.C.E., the millions of Americans following such
restrictive diets as Atkins and others haven’t had the
long-term success they want. So the trend is back to basics:
regular exercise and sensible eating.
“You can only do Atkins for so long, so once you go
back to your normal eating pattern, you gain weight,”
says Dodgen. “I have seen people regain weight on Atkins
and even after gastric bypass surgery. The key is balanced
eating, less fast-food and exercise. There’s no quick
fix.”
Beckerman from the University of Texas has managed the diets
of top athletes for more than 27 years and frequently speaks
to triathletes and runners’ groups about nutrition.
She’s observed how athletes eat for more than 14 years
and remembers when red meat was at the center of every plate.
Now her students prefer boneless, skinless chicken and fish.
“There’s been a big shift away from red meat and
more of an emphasis on other lean proteins,” she says.
“Keep it colorful — everything on your plate shouldn’t
be pale white or yellow.” (For more of Beckerman’s
athlete nutrition tips, see sidebar above.)
Prediction No. 9: Exercise
will continue to be preventive care for a growing senior population.
Many clubs and trainers are focusing on senior balance, stability
and strength training to discourage declines in health and
fitness. These programs condition muscles, tendons, ligaments
and bones to help fight osteoporosis, keep seniors more limber,
stabilize joints and help them lower the risk of everyday
injuries. Specialized classes are all over Austin, including
at the YMCA, Jewish Community Center, Gold’s Gym and
others.
Prediction No. 10: There
will be an increased emphasis on simple programs aimed at
unseating the sedentary.
Many states and cities will have walking programs, and several
more communities will be adding sidewalks, walking trails
and parks to make it easier for people to be physically active.
Austin, of course, is way ahead of the curve on that one —
it’s virtually impossible not to be active for lack
of facilities here.
Of course, the main thing is keeping exercise fun. You may
have heard experts and trainers say that the best exercise
for you is the one you’ll do — and that’s
the truth.
“If you’re bored or not mentally stimulated, you’ll
find a way to stop exercising,” says Martino. “We’re
constantly offering new programs for members to keep them
motivated and having fun.”
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