The fantastic fitness trends you need to be on in 2021

The fitness industry, quite aptly, does not sit still. Life here is far from sedentary, what with the wicked water-based sports and marvellous mountain trails that sit right on our front door.

But that doesn’t mean fitness innovators are resting on their laurels. We’re never far from the latest health and wellbeing revolution, which is why we’ve targeted some of the biggest this year has to offer.

Ready to make a move?

Don’t stress, be ’appy

Okay, so screens and devices aren’t something we usually associate with keeping active, quite the opposite in fact. But sometimes we need to think outside the box when it comes to making sure we stay fit and healthy. Apps can be a great tool to encourage the whole family up and off the sofa, and provide plenty of inspo even if you don’t follow the programme to the letter.

Why try fitness apps: Many of them are free to download and provide bite-sized information on some critical health concepts. Plus, you’ve always got access to the latest deets and workouts at your fingertips.

Fix your peepers on the eye yoga movement

Yoga by its very definition takes many different forms, but we don’t doubt a few eyebrows were raised when eye yoga peeped into view. The practice, it is claimed, can help strengthen and condition the muscles around the eye in a bid to improve vision, treat symptoms of dry eye, and decrease eye strain. Yogic eye exercises include rapid blinking followed by a long shutting of the lids, following figures of eight with your gaze, and shifting your focus from left to right. Fitness trends shift very quickly, so don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

Why try eye yoga: So you can continue reading Time Out for many years to come.

Logging in for online classes

Seemingly some of us haven’t had enough time online to last a lifetime. Such was the dramatic shift in the way we all attended our fitness classes over the past 18 months, it was inevitable that some would still be sticking it out – and sweating it out – over broadband even as restrictions eased up. From HIIT classes to Pilates, there’s not a lot you can’t deliver over a fibre-optic connection.

Why you should be logging on to break a sweat: Online classes are a great way to begin your fitness journey in the comfort of your own home. Getting started can be tricky when taking the first steps into a new type of activity, so consider your computer screen a security blanket until confidence is on the up.

More and more people are walking tall

It’s both effortlessly easy and surprisingly difficult to take a stroll in the UAE. To address the former, lacing up those hiking boots to hit a rugged mountain face or meander the streets is facilitated by carefully maintained trails and the kind of curbs skateboarders dream about. But the obstacle to putting your best foot forward comes in the stride-stopping impact of the local scenery. Be it endless stretches of horizon over a rock formation, or neck-spraining glances at the country’s glittering architectural triumphs, there is plenty that can stop even the most seasoned walker in their tracks.

Why try walking: It’s low impact, great for building up stamina slowly, and you get to take in some of the awesome sites the UAE has to offer. Combine with a road trip and you’re off to a fitness flyer.

Plug in and play fitness console games

To exercise or to game; that is the question. Or is it? Who says can’t you enjoy the best of both worlds? When video games first exploded on to the scene all those years ago it was inevitable that their march would eventually leave them at the door of the fitness industry – before they promptly kicked it down. Today, they have mega appeal for those fed up of the tired fitness staples. So what are you waiting for? Plug in and pump up.

Why try fitness gaming: Because it’s all gain without the pain (at least that’s what we’re telling ourselves).

Reach the summit Everesting

What could eclipse conquering the world’s highest mountain? Summiting on two wheels, that’s what. Adventurers have had to exercise patience more than anything else over the past couple of years, but Everesting has given super-fit friends a chance to push themselves to the limit and bag a real sense of accomplishment in the process. Everesting is an activity in which cyclists ascend and descend a given hill multiple times, in order to have cumulatively climbed 8,848m – the height of (you guessed it) Mt Everest.

Why try Everesting: To say you’ve scaled the world’s highest peak on two wheels, durr.

Upgrading performance with wearable tech

When did a watch that counts your calories become a fashion statement? Whenever the timepiece transition occurred is irrelevant because, much like time itself, we can’t turn it back. Wearable tech has invaded the mainstream, and while pro footballers can often be spotted sporting a vest that relays all their vitals to coaching teams, much of the same gear has been condensed into watches for the convenience and continued development of us amateurs.

Why you should be wearing fitness watches: From first-hand experience, they plug you into your fitness regime like never before. From counting steps and measuring optimum ‘zones’ during training to tracking the quality of your sleep, watches can point you in the right direction if you aren’t seeing the desired gains.