Back into that gym, several types of physical fitness training are worth mentioning as they stay popular, according to that survey. Emerging in popularity is body weight training, where, like it sounds, our own body weight is used rather than external equipment. This form of resistance training includes classic, ancient exercises like sit-ups and pull-ups. Meanwhile we still want our weights, as many of us continue to love traditional strength training, lifting free weights or using weight machines. Core training emphasizes supporting the spine by strengthening and conditioning the abdomen and trunk, with balls, boards and rollers as aids. Growing in popularity is circuit training, groups of six to 10 exercises in a specific sequence. Although it has decreased slightly in popularity in the last couple years, “boot camps” — high intensity military-style callisthenic workouts — should stay strong.
Senior fitness is key. Programs designed for older adults are expected to increase as baby boomers age and that population segment grows. Many retired people have the time and money to focus on fitness, and as Jane Fonda, Kathy Smith and Denise Austin get older they are still making videos to inspire seniors.
At the other end of the spectrum, as we segue into healthcare in general, is a renewed focus on ways to combat the “epidemic” of childhood obesity. Big cuts in school programs combined with processed fast foods and a more sedentary lifestyle due to technology all contribute to this problem. Exercise programs that are fun and motivating for kids are crucial for staving off an even bigger health care crisis as they all become adults.
As a smartphone app like Kayak lets us plan our own trip without the aid of a travel agent, technology is enabling us to be more hands-on when it comes to health choices, too. The Internet and a mushrooming wealth of apps from RunKeeper to iTriage let us be more directly involved in and have some extra control over our own healthcare. They measure our progress and motivate us to get fit or calculate cost estimates and show consumer ratings of healthcare providers for comparison.
Keeping workers healthy in proactive ways is a relatively new focus for employers able to provide health insurance benefits for their employees. Health education and incentive/reward plans are strategies they are using to decrease the need for curative health care as opposed to preventative, keeping costs down for both employers and insurers, who are working in tandem on this. For a variety of reasons, however, a majority of workers are non-compliant in controllable measures at improving health. The challenge remains. Workplace-based programs for quitting smoking and diet and exercise are only as successful as the workers are motivated, but a culture of encouraging self-healthcare can’t hurt.
Of 82 employers surveyed by The National Business Group on Health this year, 48 percent plan financial incentives in 2013 to attract workers to wellness programs, with $450 being the median amount, about $375 for dependents. Over one in five said they will fine non-participating employees.
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