Fitness trends are meant to be exciting, positive, and to cause a buzz in the air. What are some of the top trends you can think of thus far in 2022? Are there any trends that impact your fitness goals?

Maybe it’s HIIT Training, CrossFit, Keto Diets, etc. Typically, if something has become a trend it means that there are so many people interested and following this idea, that it has to have positive results – right? 

What if they aren’t though? What if you are caught up in a trend that is having more of a negative effect than a positive one?

Consider this. Just for a moment. What if what is popular is actually wrong?

Why Top Fitness Trends Aren’t Always Good Trends

As humans, we tend to follow the masses. We see what others are doing and claim success, so we automatically follow. We want the same success, so we assume we should do the same things.

This is especially true the more we desire instant gratification. We want results, and we want them now. We want those results to come as quickly and to be as easy to achieve as possible.

Because of this, we tend to follow the masses. This is why fitness trends occur and gain so much popularity – even if they are bad for you. We live in a society where people only think about the here and now. We aren’t concerned so much with the long-term effects, but the short-term results we may be able to choose.

Take a look at how rampant the use of steroids was back in the 80s and 90s. Athletes and other individuals were not concerned with the long-term effects, they just wanted the short-term results. They weren’t concerned about the adverse effects, but they should have been. Right?

What top trends are you following that could be causing more harm in the long term?

Let’s take a look at current top trends and how they could be setting you up for failure now, or much worse down the road.

The Top 4 Fitness Trends That Are Causing You More Harm Than Good

These are the Top 4 Fitness Trends that could be keeping you further from your goals than you realize. You may see positive results, or what you think are positive results, early on. However, are you really going to see the results you want in the long term? Are you going to be able to sustain these long enough to make a true difference?

1. Lack of Sleep.

How many times have you heard people say, “I’ll sleep when I die,” or “if I’m resting, I’m not working”? This is one of the fitness trends that has created the concept in our society that if you are resting then you aren’t working hard enough. If you aren’t up and working until 3 am or aren’t training for hours on hours, then you have more to give.

Rest is vital to your success, especially when pertaining to your health and fitness goals. It’s important for us all to understand, and appreciate, the need for our body and mind to rest. If you aren’t able to recover, how do you give your best the next day?

Here’s the good news: the more efficient you become, the quicker you can recover. It may not take 48 hours for you to recover from a hard workout. Instead, it may take 10 -12 or even 8 hours. The key is that when you aren’t burning the candle at both ends you’re able to rest better, recover more efficiently, and perform better.

2. Poor Posture.

Poor Posture can be caused by a number of things. Whether it be an injury, genetics, too much sitting, or how you carry your purse or backpack; your posture can be affected negatively over time.

Everyone today has a cell phone, tablet, or other electronic device that they seem to be looking at almost constantly. This is a trend that has made it convenient to communicate, learn and work. Everything we need is literally at our fingertips.

Many don’t think about how posture can affect your workouts, performance, and ability to move freely. The inability to hold your head over your shoulders for a long period of time can cause fatigue, reduce your strength capacity and limit your range of motion. Each one of these factors can affect your ability over time to reach your goals and be successful. They can also lead to injuries and increase the time it can take for you to recover from those injuries.

One may not notice on a day-to-day basis, but over time this top trend could single-handedly be keeping you from reaching your best results. Social media, having email on our phones and the ability to browse the internet from our phones is convenient and gives us the leverage we’ve never had before in terms of gaining knowledge and communicating. But, how is it affecting your ability to sit up straight and keep your shoulders in line with your collarbone so you can have a full range of motion and strength in your shoulders and upper back?

It may seem insignificant now, but ignoring your posture and paying more attention to your phone can lead to weakness, headaches, frozen shoulder syndrome, and other negative effects over time. On the other hand, putting your phone down and working on improving flexibility and building strength in the right areas could make you more successful in your goals and more productive overall in the long run.

These 4 Top Fitness Trends Are Negatively Impacting Your Fitness Goals
These 4 Top Fitness Trends Are Negatively Impacting Your Fitness Goals

3. Fad Diets.

One of the top fitness trends that have been around for years is the fad diet. We could talk on and on about fad diets, but let’s keep it simple. A fad diet is an idea out there that is telling you to eat one thing and eliminate another. No carbs, all protein. High fat, low carb. Any diet out there that will get you fast results by putting enough stress on your system in a short amount of time is a “Fad Diet”.

Fad diets will get you results and you will get them fast. There’s no doubt about that – if you are following the strict regimen and not “cheating”. The concern, however, is how those results are being obtained and what it’s truly doing to your system over the long haul.

Another cause for concern when discussing this fitness trend is your ability to maintain it for a long period of time. Once a short-term goal is reached, are you likely to continue eating foods you hate, or are you more likely to binge and eat all the foods you’ve missed over the last week or two?

There is a lot of research out there that shows that those who follow top diet trends and utilize fad diets to lose weight will gain back the weight they have lost plus extra pounds that they didn’t have before. This is a concern over time which is why, though it is a top fitness trend, it is not a viable weight-loss option.

A better solution for your goals and your body is to use a nutrition program to add in food that contains fiber, proper amounts of protein, and healthy fats versus processed fats.

Fad diets and other diets that limit your calories and cut necessary nutrients can lead to hormone imbalances, a weakened state, and even lead to injury. Is it worth it? Some trends are meant to be broken, and this is certainly one of them.

4. Weekend Warrior Syndrome

Nothing is more popular these days than participating in a race with your friends. Whether you are running a 5k, 10k, marathon or participating in one of the many styles of obstacle course races, this is where the fun is. It has become another one of the top fitness trends because these types of events encourage people to be active to set a goal. Many participate and train with friends.

The truth is, many don’t train. Think about when you participated in your first race or event. Did you train and prepare as you should have? Or did you sign-up and go out and run the race with your friends leaving you sore and in discomfort for days if not weeks?

It is great that there are more and more opportunities available for you to be active and to motivate you to be and stay active. This is exciting for the wellness and fitness industry. The key is what you are doing to prepare for these races.

When there is no training, no preparation, and no effort made to participate, success moves from finishing the race happy and satisfied to just finishing. Do you just want to finish, or do you want to finish well?

Over time, the lack of preparation is causing more injuries than necessary. People are having to miss work due to their soreness. Many don’t return to activity again for long periods of time, which causes them to fall further behind and further away from obtaining their original goals.

Races, events, and recreational sports are a great way for us to stay active and motivated as busy adults. The key is what you do to prepare for those activities. It’s exciting to be part of a popular trend, to post your finish line photo on Facebook, and to complete something you never thought you could. Do yourself a favor; don’t fall into this top trend and be another “one and done” Weekend Warrior.

How are you going to fight back and take charge of your fitness goals?

These 4 Top Fitness Trends are part of our society and, for most of us, at least one of them is a part of your reality. So what are you going to do? What should you do?

It’s clearly time to make a change and here’s how to do it:

1.    Take Inventory. It’s time for you to be honest with yourself and understand how these trends may be affecting your life and ability to truly reach your goals.

2.    Educate yourself. Many don’t make changes because they don’t know what they need or how to proceed. Our online resources and coaches are available to help you gain more information about how you can start making changes to gain success in a healthful way.

3.    Make a Change. Once you understand which of these top trends are affecting your ability to be successful, it’s time to make a change. Small changes can go a long way. Start small and go from there.

Start a New Fitness Trend – A Lifestyle Trend

It’s time to start a new trend. Make a lifestyle change that will be long-lasting, easier to maintain, and give you lasting success. Start now! Change is hard, but what’s hard will become easy and will become a habit over time.

Always remember, knowledge is power. If you don’t know, ask questions. Contact us NOW! Our coaches are available to answer your questions and help you get set up for success! Contact us today!

If you’re ready to add something to your routine that has been proven to work, download our FREE Kettlebell Checklist today!