We are already well into the swing of 2023 and with the fitness industry constantly on the lookout for the latest gadget or gimmick to keep you enthused enough to move, as a Coach and trainer, I am so pleased to acknowledge that for once the trends are focused on fundamentals. Mobility, Posture, Cross-training. Here is whats trending now:
1. Mobility Training
In addition to all the workout varieties that already make up a well-balanced fitness routine (think: strength training, cardio, and low-impact workouts), one of the biggest 2023 fitness trends is further emphasis on prioritising mobility training. Mobility training is working to improve your ability to safely move a muscle or muscle group through a range of motion within a joint. And it’s about so much more than just being flexible. Developing your mobility helps improve functional movement, prevent injuries, reduce pain, and more. Mobility training will be crucial for making sure your joints are fully functional and you’re able to move pain-free.
And while mobility is totally different from flexibility (mobility is your ability to move a muscle or muscle group through a range of motion, while flexibility is your connective tissues’ ability to temporarily lengthen) stretching is also primed to have a major moment in 2023. Focus on the fascia, not the muscle, however.
2. Posture Workouts
As more people experience the side effects of weak postural muscles (think: tech neck, dowager’s hump), they’re seeking exercises to improve posture for a comfortable, pain-free daily life. Posture workouts train and strengthen the muscles that support your spine (such as the erector spinae, transverse abdominis, and pelvic floor) and lumbopelvic hip complex (your lumbar spine, pelvis, and hips), which are key in keeping you upright.
Pro tip: If you want to add more posture exercises to your life, skip the gimmicky posture trainers advertised on social media or late-night infomercials, and add bodyweight move to your daily routine instead.
3. Primal Movement
Another one of the most-predicted 2023 fitness trends, primal movement refers to the movements humans have been doing naturally for hundreds — even thousands — of years, such as crawling, lunging, reaching, pushing, and more. Forget the complicated exercises that don’t have any basis in real-life movements (after all, have you ever seen someone do a Turkish get-up outside of a workout?). Instead, think of primal movement as a subcategory of functional training — aka training your body to perform the moves necessary for daily life. Get in on the trend, which is really more of a back-to-basics approach rather than a timely fad, by adding squats, deadlifts, bear crawls, and farmer carries to your workouts.
5. Exercise as a Mental Health Tool
The last few years have been difficult — to put it mildly — and it’s become key to find ways to prioritise mental health and self-care. More and more people are turning to movement as a way to protect and enhance their mental health. After all, exercise has been proven to reduce stress, help with depression and anxiety, improve sleep, and even improve brain function. Holistic health cannot exist without movement and we are designed to move daily.
Finding a form of exercise that you actually look forward to doing just adds joy to your life — plain and simple. Instead of forcing yourself to power through a gruelling HIIT session, it’s time to reject any pressure that makes you feel like you have to exercise a certain way for it to “count.” Instead, a big fitness trend for 2023 is all about moving in a way that will make both your body and brain feel good. So whether you live for a cardio dance class or hitting a punching bag non-stop, finding a way to exercise that you love goes a long way in feeling your best.
