Looking Back: WORST Fitness Trends of 2023

New fitness trends crop up all the time; they guarantee you’ll quickly lose weight or get in shape fast. 2023 Started out with several new weight loss fads. Few finished strong. Top trainers agree that since 2023 came to an end, so should some of the year’s fitness trends…

FAD DIETS
If you’ve decided to lose weight, you probably want results sooner rather than later. That’s understandable. You’re sure to find lots of diets that promise you quick results, but remember — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So how can you tell it’s a hollow fad? If the diet promises you’ll lose more than two pounds a week, involves eliminating certain foods, drastically reduces calories, or comes with a set of rigid rules, it’s likely a fad.

While fad diets can work, they generally only produce temporary results because you’ll go back to a ‘normal’ way of eating once the diet is over. If you want sustainable weight loss, you need to eat in a way that fits around your lifestyle and incorporates foods you love, because you’re never going to avoid them forever.

“NO PAIN, NO GAIN” MENTALITY
You must understand the fundamental difference between pain and discomfort. During exercise, feeling uncomfortable is normal. This is because you’re challenging yourself and feeling muscles get stronger. It doesn’t always feel great, especially in the beginning. 

While you can power through the discomfort to an extent, you should immediately stop any exercise that causes pain. Pay attention to cues to avoid injury. Pain is how your body communicates that there’s a problem. It can be sudden and sharp, an irritation in your joints, or an ache deep in your bones. It grabs your attention purposefully so that you’ll listen and act on it.

OVERUSE OF TECH AND GADGETS
Trainers, physicians, and coaches will tell you that the only effective way to lose weight and get in shape is to exercise and eat a balanced diet of healthy foods, and yet people still rely on gadgets to do the work for them. Gimmicky products often have little or no evidence to back up their claims. Too many companies would rather cash in on desperate and vulnerable people than tell the truth. It’s easier to believe in technology or gadgets when you’re intimidated at the gym or scared of dieting. 

However, it’s good to have gadgets to track your goals, but relying entirely on data from these tracking devices without listening to your body isn’t a healthy sign. Many people push themselves beyond a point to achieve some goals, but many of these devices don’t consider or understand the concept of wear and tear in the muscles after a workout and the need for rest days. Some devices can underestimate or not estimate the body’s fatigue, and one should not over-rely on these gadgets.

DETOX TEAS AND CLEANSES
Detox teas and cleanses suggest they can remove toxins from your body, which will help you lose weight and achieve optimum health. They claim to do this in a variety of ways and require you to drink only certain teas or juices, fast, eat specific foods, take certain herbs, ingest dietary supplements , or get enemas, take laxatives, or purchase other colon cleansers.

Studies and reviews often show that no compelling research supports teas or cleanses for weight management. They don’t remove toxins from the body. They may cause initial weight loss because they limit calories. However, once a person resumes their normal diet, their weight increases. 

“WHAT I EAT IN A DAY” VIDEOS
An omelet, blueberries, and an organic espresso shot for breakfast. Grass-fed beef jerky sticks, followed by gluten-free brown rice noodles. Wild salmon, a baked sweet potato, and so on. Welcome to the 15-second highlight reel of what some wellness influencer ate over the course of a day. Such videos have been viewed more than 14 billion times on TikTok—and experts say they could promote unrealistic expectations and an unhealthy body image.

“Most times, the people posting these videos have a small body size, are attractive, and covertly imply that if you eat what they eat, you’ll feel better, manage your symptoms, and achieve the results you want,” says Emily Tills, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York. But that would suggest a cookie-cutter approach to nutrition—which doesn’t work. “No one has the same genes as you, no one processes food the same exact way you do, and no one has the same dieting history,” all of which impact how your body reacts to certain foods.

Every membership at Success Studio starts with a personal strategy session, because we don’t want you to waste your time with exercises that won’t work for you. We want to make sure you get the results you need and expect by offering you an individualized training program, which takes into account age, fitness level, health history, past injuries, physical limitations, nutritional habits, body fat, training history, and specific goals…your own prescription. They also include range of motion, flexibility, and stability evaluations.

2024 Is no doubt going to include more “new” fitness trends. Some will be revolutionary while others will need to exit the revolving door. But what’s always on trend is a Success Studio membership. Check us out. Get your complimentary strategy session today so you can have a healthy 2024.