Jazzercise is expected to come back as one of the biggest fitness crazes of 2023, with searches for the dance party workout up a massive 238% in 2022.
1. Jazzercise
Experiencing a record level of interest in the UK, Jazzercise looks like it will be making a big comeback in 2023.
First invented in 1969 in Illinois by a student, Judi Sheppard Missett, it blends jazz dance, Pilates, kickboxing, resistance training, and yoga in fast-paced, energetic routines designed to improve endurance, strength, and flexibility.
Pro dancer and yoga and well-being master, Kristina, explains: “Jazzercise incorporates resistance training into every single class. This not only helps target and tighten muscles but is key to maintaining muscle mass and tone which boosts metabolism, increases bone density, and helps maintain an overall healthier body. It’s a fun but furious fitness class and is a great way to get in shape for those who love dancing but shy away from gym workouts.”
2. Pilates
Search interest for Pilates peaked in 2022, the highest search interest since 2010, almost doubling since the start of the year (up 92%). First invented by German personal trainer Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century and is now practiced worldwide.
“There are two forms of training – Mat Pilates and Reformer Pilates (on the reformer machine),” adds Kristina, “While you can perform the same series of exercises on the reformer that you can on the mat, the workouts are notably different. Mat classes utilise the body weight for exercises, while the reformer adds resistance to the Pilates exercises via the use of the springs that form part of the machine. I am a big fan of Reformer Pilates workouts as they are so versatile!”
3. VR fitness
Currently taking off across the US, with search interest increasing by a whopping 317% in 2022, virtual reality workouts could take off in 2023.
A very new age way to get fit, users with a virtual reality headset, such as the Meta Quest 2, can download various fitness apps to play games and do workouts from the comfort of their own homes.
4. Barre
Brits searching for Barre fitness has gone up by 134% in 2022, showing this low-impact, strengthening workout is growing in popularity.
Barre workouts are a blend of yoga, Pilates, and ballet, with many health and well-being benefits, such as increased strength, balance, and posture, as well as helping to alleviate stress.
Kristina said: “During my childhood, ballet classes were essential along with my ballroom dancing. Ballet training is the foundation of all dance styles and provides a correct system of using your body, developing postures, and correct techniques. No surprise here that Barre class’s popularity is increasing – we all love ballet exercises done to exciting modern tunes.”
5. Zumba
Whilst Zumba isn’t a new trend, it is experiencing a significant peak in search interest in the UK, up by 200% in 2022.
This dance workout involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance, having been founded in 2001 by Colombian dancer and choreographer, Beto Pérez. By 2019, it had 15 million weekly participants across 180 countries, which could well go up in 2023.
“As someone who has been dancing for 35 years, I can’t recommend dance workouts enough,” Kristina explains. “The physical movements of dance have been shown to reduce levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Dancing also promotes the experience of “flow”, which is an almost meditative state that allows the dancer to focus solely on the movements, music, and rhythms instead of worries and stress.”
