Stiletto Strength, Forza and Intensati

Some fitness trends that defy common sense.

Getting people to stick to a fitness regime is like trying to get your children to eat their vegetables. Both are difficult and require some deceit and some patience.

That's why the fitness industry, especially in the US, is always trying to come up with new trends, some of which, as you read the rest of this article, will leave you wondering about the sanity of those creating the trends and those willing to follow them.

One trend that has a few followers is Stiletto Strength. In this, women do a 30-minute routine that is a mix of Pilates and strength training. And then for 15 minutes they wear three-inch heels and use moves from classical dance that are supposed to help tone their legs.

Then there is a fitness routine called Forza where members wield two-pound wooden or plastic swords. No doubt this has been influenced by some Hollywood offerings like The Last Samurai, Kill Bill, The Mask of Zorro and Pirates of the Caribbean (though the question here is, are people hoping to look like Johnny Depp or Keira Knightley?).

If that doesn't sound like your stuff, try Gyrotonics. This tries to combine different disciplines like yoga, dance, gymnastics, swimming and tai chi. But Gyrotonics has to be done on special machines that are meant specifically for this exercise form. Oh and there is also Intensati where you do "moving meditation".

Zumba, another fitness option, is a mix of Latin dance and aerobics. In a 60-minute programme, footwork and body movement from dance forms like salsa and flamenco are incorporated.

As one person who tried it said, "It's like going to a nightclub without the smoke, the drinking and the bad pick-up lines."

These trends are yet to hit Indian shores, and hopefully they never will, but the promise of washboard abs and goodlooking pins is enough to make even the most sensible person turn to desperate measures.

And some of these can only be classified as such. If you fall for Stiletto Strength, there is no knowing what you will do next, maybe that designer handbag will replace dumbbells.