The Craziest Fitness Trends People Around the World Are Into

The cityscape is your obstacle course
The cityscape is your obstacle course | © NATASHA LELENCO/Flickr
Jenn Parker

Regular physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle, so why not have fun remaining active? The more enjoyable a physical activity is, the more likely people are to continue doing it. Be inspired into a new routine with these creative and unique fitness trends happening around the world.

Live Action Role Playing

Live Action Role Playing (LARP) is very popular in Canada, but has also taken off in the United States and other parts of the world. The idea is to act out scenes from books, movies and video games. This action-packed game typically requires medieval accents, exceptional acting skills, and a bit of cardio, too. Fight battles, dodge enemies and kill evil creatures with this fun and intense workout!

LARP knights

Cycle Karaoke

Spin classes are a killer. While it might help people get banging bods, there’s no denying how grueling it can be. In comes Cycle Karaoke. Exactly what it sounds like, this 45-minute spin class, karaoke mix originated at Crunch Fitness and was an immediate hit. People can now workout their vocal chords en route to an amazingly fit body.

Mermaid Classes

Mermaid classes are a popular new addition to traditional water aerobics. This one-hour class is taught in No Ripples facilities across Australia. The class mixes core building exercises, swimming, dance, and aerobics all together. It is led by a mermaid fitness instructor and complete with motivating music, and all participants get to wear a colorful mermaid tail, too!

Embrace your inner Aerial

Parkour

Decades ago, Frenchman David Belle came up with the concept and practice of Parkour. This extreme sport didn’t really take off on a mainstream level until less than a decade ago. Although people ada practice in gyms worldwide, Parkour usually utilizes urban landscapes as the perfect obstacle course, with the object being to get from point to point as quickly as possible. Parkour requires incredible stamina, balance, flexibility, strength, and a lot of fearlessness.

The cityscape is your obstacle course

Capoeira

Capoeria is a famous form of martial arts practiced in Brazil. It involves dance, music, and impressive acrobatic skills. Capoeria requires great concentration, extensive practice, and exceptional strength and mobility. Often inspiring a curious audience, this fun and engaging physical activity was originally created in the 16th century by African slaves to conceal the martial arts that they were practicing.

Mind and body dance

Bossaball

Bossaball has been around for about a decade. Already very popular in Spain, it is quickly gaining popularity in other parts of the world. It mixes elements of volleyball, football, and Brazilian dance, having athletes compete on a giant trampoline with a net. This high energy and exciting game is often played on the beach or other outdoor locations.

Trampoline valleyball

The Electric Run

A nocturnal 5K run that ends in a massive dance party, The Electric Run is a global phenomenon. Everyone is encouraged to wear bright colors and glowing accessories and there is no shortage of glow sticks at one of these runs. Think of it as a rave mixed with a mini marathon, with a variety of themed courses and great body moving music all night long.

Rave run

Weight loss sunglasses

Weight loss sunglasses actually exist in Japan! The blue lens glasses are supposed to make food less appealing with a blue appearance. The claim is that people are less likely to consume something that isn’t visually appetizing. Is this weight loss fad too good to be true? Would you want to eat blue food? Some believe this is the easiest way to control diets and portion sizes and also the best non-exercise way to lose weight.

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