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Eight Ways To Kickstart Your Fitness Routine

Rebecca Ruiz

 
 
 
If you've sworn this month to get in shape, you can skip the humdrum of the treadmill and instead pick up a toboggan.

That's because sports like sledding and snowshoeing are among the season's hottest fitness trends. Also getting the couch-bound outdoors: Lightweight, breathable and flexible clothing, versatile sporting gear and ski areas with something for everyone, including spas, adult yoga classes and terrain park lessons for teens.

Demographic changes and warmer than normal weather are behind these trends.

Though the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a cold and snowy winter for the eastern half of the country, states west of the Mississippi will likely experience a mild winter with less snowfall than normal. Such erratic weather patterns in recent years have forced ski areas, in particular, to start developing new tactics to reach potential customers and satisfy loyal ones.

 
Many resorts are paying closer attention to clients' needs and creating services and programming to keep all age groups content regardless of whether there's fresh powder to ski.

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"They'll have restaurants with fine dining that speak to the baby boomer generation," says Troy Hawks, a spokesman for the National Ski Areas Association, "but [they're] also marketing to teenagers who wear iPods and hang out in the terrain park at night."

Since 1997-1998, the number of visitors to the nation's ski resorts ages 45 to 54 has increased from 14% to 20%, says Hawks. For those ages 55 to 64 and age 65 and over, the numbers have doubled. While younger skiers still visit at the same rate, the surge of baby boomers on the slopes has convinced resort areas to add amenities like retail centers, yoga and exercise classes and relaxing spas.

Those hitting the slopes might be sporting more multi-purpose gear than in seasons past.

Susan Viscon, a director of merchandise management for REI, says that strong performers are pieces of equipment that allow users a level of versatility they didn't have before. These include snowboard boots with bindings that allow for both backcountry and alpine applications and ski boots with bindings that allow for uphill walking.

Winter Workouts
Sledding and snowshoeing are other outdoor activities gaining traction. Snowshoeing, especially, says Viscon, is "a very approachable winter activity that anyone can do," and "a great way to get out without having to worry about coordination." Snowshoes, which cost about $100 for an adult pair, have been a major draw for families. The company has observed record turnouts at its snowshoeing clinics offered at local stores, including at a Boise, Idaho, session where 100 people attended in one night.

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Whitney Phillips, president of the sled company Mad River Rocket, has helped transform sledding from a family sport into an extreme one. Unlike old-fashioned sleds, Mad River Rocket sleds allow riders to sit on their knees, using their free hands to maneuver. As a result, the sleds can dart between trees, fly off of small embankments and speed down the side of a mountain.

Phillips invites people to submit videos of their sledding adventures to the company's Web site and says he's "inundated" with clips. While he won't release company sales, he does note that they have doubled every year for the past seven years.

"People are more active and more willing to try new things," he says of sledding's growing popularity. "The stigma of the difference between snowboarding and sledding is going away."

What will sporty types be wearing as they take to the slopes? Lighter than normal clothing.

Breathable and flexible clothing, especially tops and shells, is this season's top seller, according to Jason Gee, director of retail sales tracking for the research firm Leisure Trends Group. Though warmer weather has dampened sales of heavy jackets and coats--with insulated parkas as the exception--shells and fleeces have performed well during the opening months of the season. Gee says that consumers can expect early discounts on outdoor winter clothing if warm weather continues to persist.

Fitness Fix
While warmer weather may induce more outdoor exercise, this time of year is when millions of people begin feeling paralyzing anxiety about their fitness.

The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association, however, are trying a novel approach to get more Americans to exercise: Prescribe it like you would a drug.

In November, the two organizations launched a campaign called "Exercise as Medicine," which is designed to encourage doctors and patients to think of exercise as prescription to improve health. According to the ACSM, about two-thirds of patients surveyed in a recent study said they would be more interested in exercising for health reasons if advised by their doctor about options and routines.

The campaign's goal is to have physicians record physical activity as a vital sign during visits and advise patients to log 30 minutes of exercise and 10 minutes of stretching and light muscle training five days a week.

The idea has already caught on with Joe Moore, the CEO of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. In addition to officially supporting the initiative, Moore has also appealed to members of the health care industry to plan for growing demand and create services based on the "exercise prescription" model.

If this trend gathers momentum, and helps to address the obesity epidemic and rising health care costs, it could have far wider public health and economic implications than any other winter 2008 trend.