5 Quirky fitness trends!

Trotting along like a horse; hitting an imaginary ball on an imaginary court in your own home; moving your hips hula style while sitting down; risking injury with dangerous physical challenges; and walking to the next bar; it seems there is no end to the interesting, strange and downright weird trends some people follow in the name of fitness. While some quirky fitness trends turn into international sensations, such as the party-atmosphere vibe of Zumba, others fail fast. What's definitely constant is that there is never a dull moment in the world of wacky workouts.

Prancersice

Developing her own unique exercise style in the 80s, before the advent of social media, Joanna Rohrback saw her Prancersize routines go viral as she became an Internet exercise star with many fans galloping alongside her. Prancersize involves a way of moving that resembles the trotting gait of a horse as you move forward with a spring in your step. It certainly looks different than the usual run in the park!

Wii Fit

For legions of couch lovers, the Wii brought sport into the living room and brought whole families in from the sidelines of spectator sports into the real action. From tennis to soccer and golf, where there's a Wii there's a way to enjoy virtual activities. However, while the competitive spirit may soar and you may work up a sweat developing balance, agility and skill with intense Wii sessions, is it really a substitute for working out?

Hawaii Chair

The humor of the idea of a chair that will apparently keep you fit while you are sitting down didn't escape Ellen Degeneres, who featured the Hawaii Chair on her show. What looks like an innocent enough chair is transformed with the touch of a button as the seat moves to create a hula style movement from your waist down. While the informercial seems to suggest that this is a great exercise device to use at work, some might prefer to get up and walk over to where we are at instead…

Bar crawl

Hiking to inns along a scenic route may sound a little healthier than hopping from bar to bar in an urban setting, however, make no mistake a bar crawl is just that, no matter how wholesome-sounding you might dress it up. Of course, it can be fun to go for a long walk and find yourself at a refreshing watering hole or inviting restaurant at the end of your jaunt. However, calorie-rich liquid carbohydrate beverages are not usually on the menu during an effective workout!

Extreme obstacle courses

If you have ever been part of an exercise boot camp then you may have some understanding of just how effective a good physical challenge can be, especially when exercises are varied with obstacle-course style workouts. However, while high intensity interval training (HIIT) may be a fitness trend hit, intense does not equal dangerous. Being covered in mud, exhausted and attempting a physical feat that might leave you injured is not a demonstration of fitness. Extreme fitness events can involve all sorts of wacky physical challenges and while there's no reason that fun needs to be taken out of fitness, safety must come first.