There are no brand-spanking new classes or trends, but there are some fun twists on old favourites on the horizon.
Classes that involve intervals – think high-intensity interval training (HIIT), Tabata and boot-camp classes – will continue to gain popularity.
Selfishly, this trend excites me. I love interval workouts, especially one called Barry's Bootcamp in New York. In Barry's class, you alternate between 15 minutes of treadmill intervals and 15 minutes of weights for an hour.
Lucky for me – and you – other gyms have started to adopt the concept. In Toronto, Track Fitness has a version called Circuit 60. Drenched Fitness in California is based on the same format. In fact, according to Women's Health magazine, Britney Spears recently used Drenched to get into shape.
As long as intervals are done safely, and people adequately recover between workouts, intervals are a great way to improve one's fitness level.
Body-weight training will be another trend to look out for. It is free and can be done anywhere, so it is makes being active accessible and realistic.
What I call "mindfulness through technology" – think Jawbones and Fitbits – will continue to be big . The difference is there will be a growing emphasis on using these devices to share and compare your data with others.
On a connected note, this emphasis on friendly competition will be integrated into group exercise classes. CrossFit members have been recording their stats on a communal board for years. I love FlyWheel cycling in the United States; their studios have bikes that wirelessly upload each participant's information to a display board that the entire class can see, a concept that other spin studios are starting to adopt.
Kathleen Trotter has been a personal trainer and Pilates equipment specialist for over 10 years. Her website is kathleentrotter.com.