According to the latest survey from the American College of Sports Medicine, your body is going to be working overtime in 2014.
They surveyed over 3,800 people in the fitness industry to get predictions for what will be two top trends in the workout world next year. The number one pick? High-intensity interval training, or the Back and Forth, as I like to call it—exercising at a mid-level range, switching to the give-it-all-you-got range for few minutes, then back to the mid-level, and so on. In second place is good old-fashion bodyweight training, like push-ups and pull-ups.
Nancy Clark, registered dietitian and author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition, told USA Today that she feels the high-intensity interval training fad will appeal mostly to the Type A personalities (you know, those of us who have a ton of energy to burn). And while this type of workout certainly has its benefits, finding the most effective workout comes down to liking your chosen activity.
"The 'e' in exercise should stand for 'enjoyment' and not for 'excruciating', she said. “We all need to exercise for health reasons for the rest of our lives, so finding a sustainable program is key.”
As for the popularity of bodyweight training, Walt Thompson, lead researcher on the trends report and a regents' professor of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University in Atlanta, told USA Today that he feels this choice is a reflection of the economy. It makes complete sense—it doesn’t cost a dime to do a sit-up!
Bodyweight exercising is as Old School as it gets. It’s all about strength training. Crunches, squats, leg raises, Plank …your equipment is with you all the time. No purchase necessary. So no excuses!
A few of the other 2014 workout trends that made the top 20 list are group personal training (which tend to offer discounts or group rates), outdoor activities and yoga.
Over the years I have read, and been told by fitness experts, that interval training is the way to kick your metabolism into high gear. In fact, a super-session could actually encourage your body to burn fat and calories up to 24 hours after your workout. Yes, even more so than "just" jogging. It looks like I’ll be in the “In Crowd” in 2014.
Ronnie Koenig is a contributing writer at iVillage.com. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.