Over the next couple of weeks I will tell you about the latest popular fitness trends. I will give my opinion of the benefits and negative points to be aware of.

CROSSFIT Right now Crossfit is huge. It came into the UK two years ago after incredible success in America. There are more and more Crossfit gyms opening up. Twelve months ago we had none in Oxford – now we have three.

What is Crossfit?

CrossFit is training that builds strength and conditioning through extremely varied and challenging workouts. Each day the workout will test a different part of your functional strength or conditioning with the goal of building a body that’s capable of practically anything.

Lisa says: Crossfit is an incredible way to workout. Yes it is hard, but the great thing is that it gets more and more people, especially women, into lifting weights, doing functional movements and getting stronger for everyday life.

Is it for everyone? Crossfit says it is, and they say everyone can do it. But this will depend on the quality of the coach. There are challenging lifts that need to be learnt and, if done incorrectly, there is a risk of injury.

It is definitely not for someone looking for a nice, easy workout. It is ‘hardcore’ but that’s why it also produces fantastic results. Give it a go but make sure you find the right coach.

ZUMBA When Zumba first started five years ago it was massive. Anyone and everyone was attending – it was the ‘in’ thing to do. Since then its popularity has dwindled but, depending on the location and instructor, it still brings in good numbers.

What is Zumba?

Zumba is a dance fitness programme created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez in the 1990s. Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements and its choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo and martial arts.

Lisa says: This is a fantastic way to get people moving and it’s fun. Is it the best way to lose weight or burn fat? No. It’s pretty low intensity unless you get really good at it and do energetic dance moves.

I would never advise people to do this to lose weight unless it’s someone who does little or no exercise. And then, this would definitely work – in the beginning.

In my opinion the main benefits are the fact that people are dancing, moving and having fun. It’s also sociable and is a stress reliever if you like to dance. Doing Zumba alongside other forms of exercise will benefit you, but it will depend on your goals as to how effective it will be.