3 Fitness Trends That Are A Rage

You may be bored with the gym, but don't throw your fitness routine off gear just yet. Try something new. Here are three fitness trends that are becoming a rage the world over. Choose the one that best suits your body and health. And consult a doctor and a fitness expert before trying any of them.

Muay Thai

A combat sport from the martial arts of Thailand, Muay Thai is also called the Art of Eight Limbs. Says Amit Lalwani, who has brought this martial arts form to Mumbai, "Muay Thai was a battlefield sport, in Thailand. They have huge stadiums built to conduct Muay Thai matches. It's done using the elbows and knees to strike out." Why is it called Art of Eight Limbs? "You use two fists, two shins, elbows and knees and throw a combination of punches and kicks. When we start a class, you do it solo, then, as you progress, you learn to practise with partners."

Benefit: Besides being a fitness technique, it's a great stress buster because you're hitting out. Says Lalwani, "Muay Thai is a great self-defence technique too, where your body becomes the weapon. It requires a great level of concentration. You can shed around 600 calories, build reflexes and become flexible - all in a 45-minute workout on a daily basis. Plus, with time, your body gets conditioned to take hits, and strengthens in the process."


If you are out early at a park in Pune or Bengaluru, you'll catch a group of fitness buffs trying this new fad - walking a tightrope! Called 'slacklining', this involves a person balancing himself/herself on a nylon or polyester webbing tensioned between two anchor points. The aim is to attain balance and build the core. And judging by the number of people signing up, it's getting quite popular.

Benefit: Says instructor Aalok Bharadwaj, "Walking on a slackline builds concentration and balance, and tests your willpower. You have to keep at it until you learn to stay on the slackline. There are no props, you have to use your own body weight to balance, which tones and builds the small muscles too." There are also other versions such as tricklining (performing jumps and stunts on the slackline), waterlining (walking on webbing stretched across a body of water), highlining (walking a slackline assembled at a great height) and yogalining (performing yoga on the slackline).

Is it safe? Totally. The rope is at least one inch wide, and just two feet off the ground. Plus, there are crash pads on the ground so that you don't get hurt if you fall.


Shimmy your way to a smaller waistline with this fun, sociable form of fitness. For those who love dance, Sh'bam is perfect. Already becoming a huge hit abroad, this is a 45-minute dance-based workout will have you grooving to simple dance steps set to catchy Latin and hip-hop soundtracks. Apart from enjoying the stressbusting dance, you can bust over 600 calories in a single class. You do not need to be a good dancer as there are no rules, you just follow the trainer and stay with the class. Who knows? In a few sessions, you may discover the star in you.

Benefit: Mumbai-based dance expert Ritambhara Sahni vouches for it as a boredom buster. "Sh'bam has dance moves that are blended with aerobics workout. It's very effective because when your body moves to the beats of the music, you start to enjoy it. That's what kills the monotony of a normal gym workout session. It increases a person's stamina and cardiovascular fitness, and burns calories. At high intensity, you can burn up to 800 calories per hour," she says.

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