Women’s Fitness
What’s on our fitness radar in 2024? We reveal the workouts that will be keeping you active for the year ahead
As we grapple with modern living, it’s clear to see that our pursuit for optimal health and wellbeing has never been more critical. Which helps to explain why wellbeing is at the forefront of the Women’s Fitness team’s workout radar for 2024. Whether you’re choosing to take up a new “non-traditional” sport to increase your social interaction, or pick up heavier weights to boost your lifespan, you can be sure that holistic workouts that fit into your lifestyle, improve your mental health, involve other people and, importantly, work, will be huge for next year. Read on to find out more.
PILATES POWER
Considering that New York Magazine coined the immortal phrase “Pilatespocalypse” back in 2015 to announce the demise of the Pilates industry, we find it slightly ironic that Pilates features not once but three times in PureGym’s global report on the Top 20 Fitness Trends for 2024*. As one of the biggest trends of 2023, Reformer Pilates is still riding high at number 18 in the chart, but the increased popularity for Mat Pilates – with a 50 per cent rise in interest year on year – is no doubt evidence that more people are seeking to reap the strengthening and lengthening benefits of Pilates.
You only need to look at the new online and in-studio timetables for Dynamic Pilates brand Heartcore Method (weareheartcore. com) and see the addition of three new Mat Pilates classes – Strength, Cardio and Flow – to recognise the demand for simpler ways to feel strong from the inside out.
And it doesn’t get much simpler than Wall Pilates, which takes the number one spot for the top fitness trend of 2024 (with a 4,461 per cent rise in internet searches). ‘Wall Pilates is very similar to standard Pilates, with the addition of a wall to provide stability and resistance to the movements,’ says PureGym PT Macallum Livock. ‘This can help to put a greater focus on certain muscle groups and provide a greater challenge for anyone who wants to go up a level from basic Pilates moves,’ he adds. ‘But it’s also great for beginners, as the wall provides stability and enables them to build up confidence while being more supported than with bodyweight alone.’
* Based on Internet search rankings on fitness trends with the highest growth in interest for 2024
STRENGTH AND MOBILITY
The popularity for functional fitness is set to reach new heights as we seek to optimise our strength and mobility to cope with everything that life throws at us. ‘In 2024, we are going to see a rise in functional fitness in our home workouts – think CrossFit- and Hyrox-style workouts featur
