Weird Workout Trends

The fitness industry is full of gimmicks, ploys, choreography and any number of other inventive ways to get people off the couch. When it comes down to it, though, a person will only get fit and stay healthy if they want to; if they don’t, then they won’t.

There’s a lot of diversity in the way that people get and stay fit: some people try to “be cool” and impress others when exercising, while others try to have fun. And some – well, some exercise trends are just plain weird. Now that Spring is officially here, a lot of people are looking to trim down and get their summer beach body ready with their regular workout routines. As strange as they might seem, adding some “weird workout plans” can cut down the boredom and monotony that sometimes come with sticking to a regular routine.

What Are Some Weird Workout Trends

Kangoo shoes

This idea is rather simple but the appearance is somewhat absurd. Kangoo shoes allow virtually anyone to do rebound exercises (think running or plyometrics, which increase blood and lymphatic circulation). The shoes reduce the impact from regular running shoes by nearly 80%, so that impact on the knees or ankles is minimal making it less likely that you’ll experience joint pain or stress.

That being said, the trend hasn’t really taken off. Workout routines involving Kangoo shoes mostly require exercise to be done outdoors, meaning everyone that exercises in Kangoo shoes gets seen exercising in Kangoo shoes … bing-bonging down the road. Though reminiscent of moon bounce shoes from childhood, Kangoo shoes are probably just a bit too weird to be part of consistent workout plans – but their site says they work.

High Intensity Dance Workouts

For the girls that want to get flirty, the guys that want abs like a hip hop dancer, and everyone Zumba-ing their way towards a trimmer waistline: y’all are silly. Of course dance is a great workout; varying styles of dance serve as great cardio exercise. Dancing With The Stars unequivocally and scientifically proves a high-intensity dance routine is equal to or greater than some workout routines.

Doing it at home may save some embarrassment, but it’s likely your cat is still watching, and the dining room table chair being used for a sexy workout routine accessory is not forgetting. The instructors and models in these videos keep a high intensity workout routine going while engaging the full core to tone the abs and glutes.

Kranking

Kranking is like cycling, but with your hands. While seated on a Krankcycle repeatedly cycling the hand pedals creates resistance that strengthens the arms and shoulders while elevating the heart rate. There are probably better options for engaging your core and back, as far as a total body workout goes, but watching someone during a Krankcycle workout routine is both humorous and intense.

Running and Walking Backwards

This is actually a thing, and some people are really quite serious about it. It apparently puts less strain on the joints, and supposedly was practiced by monks in ancient Asia for centuries. The reverse motion also engages each leg muscle, as opposed to forward motion that primarily engages the hamstrings and glutes.

Running backward is a bit weird for practical reasons: the eyes are on the front of the head. It isn’t uncommon to trip while walking or running backwards, so it’s not likely a huge difference that would revolutionize workout plans. It may, however, give a different perspective. Some treadmill goers swear by it, others snicker.

Inversion

In order to elongate the spine, reduce pressure on your back muscles and stimulate blood flow some people exercise upside down (but this isn’t a practice I would recommend for anyone with blood pressure issues or heart disease). The primary advantage to inversion therapy is that it allows for better engagement of the core muscles.

While hanging upside down by the feet on an inversion table, reaching toward the toes involves greater resistance from the body’s weight and a larger range of motion than the same exercises done on the floor. It’s kind of funny to look at, but adding some inversion strength training to workout plans can bring quick results, though the practice is not an end-all-be-all to build workout routines around.

Poi

Though more of a performance art than workout, Poi involves dancing while spinning objects (like glow sticks or fire) around the body to the beat of music. The tradition originates from the Maori of New Zealand, but is now used in many younger circles as a fun “trance” state of fitness. Similar to the calm Zen of meditation, yoga or tai chi, Poi increases coordination and mental focus. The practice is both hypnotic and impressive to watch.

ElliptiGo

You can think of the ElliptiGo as the love-child of a bicycle and an elliptical. There’s an entire race circuit and everything. Designed to take the no-impact elliptical out of the gym and onto the road, it’s pure cardio and low-impact strengthening for the legs, but involves minimal core strengthening. Riders can reach 20 miles per hour, but still look silly as they go. It’s a bit weird – naturally – but ElliptiGo exercise isn’t a bad addition to workout routines. It’s an easier way to make workout plans outdoors when previously unable.

There will always be new products to hit the market, strange trends for workout routines or pop-up crazes like Zumba and Crossfit. Either way, the thing that works is often what gets you moving.