Moving our bodies is essential to good health and well-being, not just physically, but mentally too. Just like making walking a part of your daily routine to offset the damaging effects of our increasingly sedentary modern lifestyles, finding a workout you love—one that you feel you can commit to—will pay dividends in terms of your mood, fitness levels, and overall longevity. Here are some of the top trending workouts on Google right now, along with advice from the experts on how to make them work for you.
Strength training
Long gone are the days when strength training was regarded as being reserved solely for men—walk into any space with weights these days and you’ll find just as many impressively honed women as there are men. Celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Ashley Graham are big fans. “Increased strength doesn’t just improve your quality of life (especially through old age), it also improves your confidence,” notes trainer and boxing coach Ruth Raper. “Another important benefit is improved bone density. Estrogen decreases when women reach perimenopause, which can cause brittle bones and increased chance of developing osteoporosis, so lifting weights is especially important.”
It is also a great form of training for those whose goal is weight loss or management. “When we do this kind of workout, we’re effectively breaking down our muscles, which means that we’re still burning calories long after we have finished training, unlike cardio sessions,” explains Raper. “This is because the body has to work to repair muscle tissues.” Studies have shown that strength training may also improve your metabolism over time.
She advises starting with a full body program, including push/pull movements for the upper body, hip and knee hinge movements for the lower body, and unilateral movements, too. “It is worth investing in a coach to get you started as they can make sure your technique is correct, and subsequently prevent injuries,” says Raper. “But the most important thing with strength training is consistency. An average program performed consistently is better than an amazing program done inconsistently.”
Reformer Pilates
Countless models and celebrities (from Kendall Jenner to Harry Styles) tout reformer Pilates as their workout of choice—it has become enormously popular in recent years, and social media is full of wellness girlies doing their Pilates workouts. But it’s much more than just a fad: “Reformer Pilates is incredible for targeting muscle imbalances, honing in on the smaller, stabilizing muscle groups that can get neglected in traditional gym workouts and equipment,” explains Louisa Drake, founder of the Louisa Drake Method. “For this reason, clients often comment on how difficult an exercise feels when we take them from the gym to the reformer.”
From improved posture and increased muscle definition to a better range of motion and stability, there are many benefits to a consistent reformer Pilates practice. However, its benefits don’t are not solely physical. “It’s about connecting the mind and body through controlled movements and focused breathing, so you’ll find a sense of calm that’s similar to yoga and the ideal solution in today’s fast-paced world.” Drake combines a mix of classical and contemporary Pilates in her classes and combines it with strength training for optimal results.
Bouldering
It’s one of the more unexpected workouts on this list, but bouldering is taking the world by storm right now: Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, and the famously stacked Jason Momoa are all fans of the functional workout. Predominantly done indoors on a climbing wall, it “delivers a full-body workout, exercising major and minor muscles and tendons from your feet all the way to the tips of your fingers”, explains Ollie Rooke, from London Climbing Centres. “It’s not just a physical workout either—part of the challenge is working out the solution required to reach the top of the route in front of you.”
Power yoga
Power yoga takes a more fitness-based approach to a vinyasa yoga practice, and often pulls from other strength-based workouts, however the class and tempo will vary from studio to teacher. “I think there is a benefit to all types of yoga— and I understand the appeal of power yoga, especially if someone is looking to build strength—but I personally think that it’s often too quick in tempo and can often do more harm than good, especially when taught in a group setting,” says Jaime Hepburn, founder of Basic Space. “Slower movements will focus more on control, which will still build strength and develop stability. Slower classes place more emphasis on the breath, which is one of the most important aspects of a yoga class.”
Whether you choose to do power yoga or engage in a slower practice, yoga can help you build strength and stability, as well as mobility and flexibility. “It’s important to build strength if you’re overly flexible, and focus on flexibility if you over-train and are really tight in the body, with a lack of mobility,” says Hepburn. The trouble with a lot of power yoga classes is that you don’t often get enough time to sit in the postures, she adds.
Instead, Hepburn recommends classes that put emphasis on the breath, because it has the ability to reduce stress, improve our focus and concentration, reduce anxiety and depression, and keep us living in the moment and not focusing on things that are beyond our control. “It improves sleep and enhances resilience, and has completely slowed down my reaction to things. For anyone who doesn’t think they’re a yogi, I recommend trying different styles, because there is something to suit everyone.”
What power yoga is excellent for, she says, is introducing fitness-obsessed people to mindfulness, and from there the journey can be incredible. “There are styles that emphasize music, some that emphasize breath. Classes that are more physically challenging, and those that are more restorative. Classes that move one breath at a time and very fast, and others that ask us to hold postures for longer,” says Hepburn. “It’s an incredibly subjective experience, so find the one that makes you feel the best and start there.”
