by Shannon Lawrence

Created on: August 19, 2009   Last Updated: August 23, 2009

Fitness advice is constantly changing, causing people who are struggling to lose weight or get fit to run into a wall of conflicting information. Not to mention, people are busy these days, and funds are limited. Fitness experts are always trying to find new ways to get people to the gym or to purchase their home workout videos. Some of these new methods have become the big trends in 2009, including Zumba, boot camps, Wii Fit and a home workout program called P90X. What they bring to the forefront is a desire for a quick, hardcore workout that keeps one's attention and spans all the muscle groups in order to give people their money's worth.

Boot camps meet this definition, and they are springing up in gyms and public parks alike. They tend to be an hour or less and very intense, working multiple muscle groups for a full-body workout that includes cardio and strength training. A fitness expert will run them, often utilizing yoga mats and various hand weights. The workouts may involve a progression or may use a circuit, meaning a series of exercises is repeated over and over in order to change up the stimulation one's muscles are getting. Boot camps are popular because they fit a giant workout into a small package, which saves time and money.

Saving time and money aren't the only requirements, though. Many people need an exercise regimen to be fun in order to drag them out of their houses to workout. This is where Zumba and related classes come into play. Zumba uses Latin-inspired rhythms to give a fun and well-rounded cardio workout. It also integrates some resistance training in order to add some toning to the cardio exercise. Using dance to exercise helps bring in the youth who are interested, but who might be too bored by a more classic method of exercise. Zumba is also very diverse, as it can be done in a group class setting or using DVD's in the home.

Workouts in a home setting are always going to be popular because there are people who can't make it to the gym or who are uncomfortable doing so. It is also cheaper to purchase a DVD and do it on your own time, as compared to paying monthly fees for a gym. P90X is one of the newest and most popular of the home workout series. It claims to get you toned in 90 days, something that catches the attention of those who want results now, and features intense muscle-building workouts, as well as a nutrition guide. These workouts include strength training, weights, cardio and yoga.

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