FOR THE UNINITIATED, Crossfit is a type of mixed-modality training where instead of focusing on one element of fitness like flexibility or strength, it challenges even the most experienced fanatics with a broader more all-round body workout.
Each workout of the day (WOD) is different, meaning you’ll never do the same routine twice and this is one of the key reasons why people are opting for it, instead of the more traditional three, six or twelve month gym membership packages.
Crossfit is like personal training all the time, so it takes some of the thinking out of your workout…so you can’t go way and text herself for 10 minutes…
Spinning
We guarantee that spinning is one the most popular classes at your local gym and is probably one of the few where you might even need to book ahead to reserve a bike.
Ireland's international rules squad hit the bikes in Perth. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
It’s a low impact exercise so won’t be grating at your joints. It’s highly sociable and it’s a brilliant cardio workout, while helping to tone your glutes, abs and hamstrings.
So what’s not to love?
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Flexibility classes (like pilates or yoga)
Pilates and yoga are two more best-sellers and is no longer the preserve of just women.
Now, people of all ages, and both male and female from all backgrounds are battling for floor space.
Shutterstock / Inga Marchuk
Shutterstock / Inga Marchuk / Inga Marchuk
They’re for the man with chronic lower back pain. The woman with the tight hamstrings. The football team looking to help improve their core stability.
Pilates and yoga make your entire body stronger and more flexible and we guarantee if you’ve never done either, you’ll find them a LOT harder than you anticipated.
Not long after the flag was dropped the competitors were smiling and shrieking in equal measure, despite the mud and misery they were going through. All 12 miles of it too.
A Tough Mudderer takes a log for a spin during this year's event. Tough Mudder.
Tough Mudder.
We’ve all probably seen pictures of those races where the participants are racing in ridiculous outfits, caked in mud, plodding through rivers or bogs, ducking into freezing water or undertaking military-style challenges.
But no one is out to be a world champion here. It’s all about the craic. And we love the craic more than most others. Adventure Racing is here to stay.
Tracking our fitness
Pedometers to measure how many steps we take. Heart rate monitors to tell us how many times a minute or tickers are opening and closing. Sunglasses that beam an image onto the inside of the lens telling us how fast we’re going.
Watches that tell us how close to sea level we are. A fork that helps us slow down or speed up our eating pace. Phones with apps that give us information on how fast we travelled, how far we went and – most crucially – how much faster than the other users we went.
Sure, inspector. 'It's just your Gadget Coat', we believe you.
We just absolutely love tracking ourselves and being able to monitor the most minute of changes in our physiology. We crave the moment we can upload the data and compare it to where we were before.
There’s even a pair of socks that can evaluate how we’ve been running and how we can improve our performance.
Five fitness trends we're now completely addicted to
CrossFit
FOR THE UNINITIATED, Crossfit is a type of mixed-modality training where instead of focusing on one element of fitness like flexibility or strength, it challenges even the most experienced fanatics with a broader more all-round body workout.
Each workout of the day (WOD) is different, meaning you’ll never do the same routine twice and this is one of the key reasons why people are opting for it, instead of the more traditional three, six or twelve month gym membership packages.
Crossfit is like personal training all the time, so it takes some of the thinking out of your workout…so you can’t go way and text herself for 10 minutes…
Spinning
We guarantee that spinning is one the most popular classes at your local gym and is probably one of the few where you might even need to book ahead to reserve a bike.
It’s a low impact exercise so won’t be grating at your joints. It’s highly sociable and it’s a brilliant cardio workout, while helping to tone your glutes, abs and hamstrings.
So what’s not to love?
Flexibility classes (like pilates or yoga)
Pilates and yoga are two more best-sellers and is no longer the preserve of just women.
Now, people of all ages, and both male and female from all backgrounds are battling for floor space.
They’re for the man with chronic lower back pain. The woman with the tight hamstrings. The football team looking to help improve their core stability.
Pilates and yoga make your entire body stronger and more flexible and we guarantee if you’ve never done either, you’ll find them a LOT harder than you anticipated.
Adventure racing
6,000 people took to the start line at Ireland’s first Tough Mudder event last year in Punchestown.
Not long after the flag was dropped the competitors were smiling and shrieking in equal measure, despite the mud and misery they were going through. All 12 miles of it too.
We’ve all probably seen pictures of those races where the participants are racing in ridiculous outfits, caked in mud, plodding through rivers or bogs, ducking into freezing water or undertaking military-style challenges.
But no one is out to be a world champion here. It’s all about the craic. And we love the craic more than most others. Adventure Racing is here to stay.
Tracking our fitness
Pedometers to measure how many steps we take. Heart rate monitors to tell us how many times a minute or tickers are opening and closing. Sunglasses that beam an image onto the inside of the lens telling us how fast we’re going.
Watches that tell us how close to sea level we are. A fork that helps us slow down or speed up our eating pace. Phones with apps that give us information on how fast we travelled, how far we went and – most crucially – how much faster than the other users we went.
We just absolutely love tracking ourselves and being able to monitor the most minute of changes in our physiology. We crave the moment we can upload the data and compare it to where we were before.
There’s even a pair of socks that can evaluate how we’ve been running and how we can improve our performance.
They’re only €100 a pop too…..
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all the rage crossfit Fitness Flexibility pilates Spinning sports technology yoga