Finding Fitness In Stability — And Vice Versa

TRENDSPOTTING | by MOLLY MARTIN

FUNCTIONAL TRAINING still seems to be driving a lot of new equipment in the fitness world, and for good reasons:

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  SOURCE: VALSLIDE.COM

  Many folks find that integrating exercises that strengthen core abdominal and back muscles can help recovery from old injuries and prevention of new ones.

• Movements that mimic the constant fluctuation between stability and instability of everyday activities feel more natural than isolating muscle groups on complicated machines.
• Plus, they’re often simply more fun.

A few recent ones that caught my eye from FIBO 2010, the world’s largest health and fitness event, held this spring in Germany:

• TRX Suspension Training uses a portable system of straps and grips for “leveraged bodyweight exercise” — often with one or both arms or legs off the ground.
• The Val Slide uses simple foot-sized pads for sliding exercises to strengthen the core as well as the lower and upper body.
• The TOGU Jumper in effect downsizes the BOSU to expand the possibilities on the unstable surface.
• Ropes Gone Wild proves that double-dutch rope-turners were getting a pretty good workout along with the jumpers.

Often, though, I’d like to forego the equipment altogether. A few years ago, I longed to do capoeira. Now (if it weren’t for the fear of likely sprains, breaks and months inactivity), I dream of join up with the kids doing parkour.