Exercise and diet trends have come and gone over the years, as doctors and fitness trainers have concluded that instead of extreme diets or rigorous workouts, it’s best to cultivate a “healthy lifestyle” — embracing both moderate exercise and nutritious meal plans. Here’s a trip down fitness memory lane, and the current trends that have replaced them:
Then: The grapefruit diet was a hit way back when, promising rapid weight loss by consuming a great many citrus fruits throughout the day. The result? Rapid weight loss initially (mainly water weight, according to experts) followed by inevitable weight gain after one presumably tires of eating all that grapefruit.
Now: The current craze is gluten-free food, which is actually used to treat patients with celiac disease. Popular with a number of celebrities, this diet eliminates gluten, which can be found in foods such as wheat and rye.
Then: Aerobics became the craze in the early ’80s, and developed legions of fans who followed in the footsteps of Jane Fonda to group classes in gyms across the nation. “Step” aerobics took off in the late ’80s, promising a more rigorous workout by jumping on and off the “step,” thereby increasing one’s heart rate.
Now: You can’t throw a stone without hitting a Zumba enthusiast these days. The workout is more of a dance routine set to peppy Latin music. Its popularity appears to be based on the idea of revolving a workout around fun dance moves, which feature aspects of Latin dance.
Then: Dr. Robert Atkins hit the jackpot with his revolutionary low-carb Atkins Diet, which no doubt made him a very rich man at the height of the craze (although Atkins Nutritional eventually filed for bankruptcy). The low-carb fad was popular for many years until some health experts started questioning its benefits, and dieters gradually opted for more balanced meal plans.
Now: A new trend comes courtesy of Twitter. Dieters are actually tweeting about their food intake and overall weight-loss progress.
Then: Commercials featuring Suzanne Somers and the Thigh Master bombarded TV sets in the ’90s. The small, simple contraption was designed to exercise your lower and upper body, and proved to be a hit — it’s still on the market and has inspired copycat versions.
Now: Bikram or ‘hot’ yoga studios are springing up everywhere. Hot yoga requires a sequence of 26 postures. The catch is that you do this in a hot room –at a temperature of 105 Fahrenheit — which, according to founder Bikram Choudhury, helps make the body more flexible.
Dr Family Fitness 