No.6 - Smart carbohydrate diets
Right to the point, high carb diets have teamed up with wide-spread inactivity to make type 2 diabetes (previously adult-onset diabetes) a huge threat to health and livelihood. The amount of carbohydrates needed by most people is directly proportional to the amount of medium-to-high intensity activity they perform. Since most people don’t perform much, if any, of this type of activity, most individuals should probably be consuming 30% to 40% of their calories from carbohydrates -- all of which should come from fruits and vegetables. All non-fruit and vegetables sources of carbs should be consumed within 60 minutes of training to help facilitate recovery. As rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity remain high, more people will turn to this “smart carbohydrate diet” to improve the way they look and feel.
No.7 - Foam rolling
Have you ever felt like no matter how much you stretch, your muscles just aren't responding? Well, foam rolling could be your solution. For less than $25 (sometimes as low as $5), you can get a round 3-foot-long, 6-inch piece of stiff circular foam that will last for years. By rolling your legs and upper back along the foam roller, you can improve the length and quality of soft-tissue (muscle) by breaking up restrictions, knots and adhesions. This process, termed "self-myofascial release," can make your muscles more responsive to stretching and leave you feeling noticeably better after only a few minutes of work. It’s cheap, it doesn’t require much time and it delivers huge benefits, which means that foam rolling is something you are going to see a lot of in 2009.
No.8 - Planking and glute training
Front planks, side planks and glute bridges are the most effective form of core training. These exercises have been found to activate core musculature to a greater extent than more traditional exercises (like sit-ups and crunches), reduce the likelihood and reoccurrence of lower back pain, train the core’s true functions of generating spinal stability and trunk stiffness, as well as improve the posture and aesthetic appeal of the midsection. These results-oriented exercises will dominate the programs of both athletes and the mainstream public in 2009.
No.9 - Slideboards
Slideboards are 6- to 8-foot sheets of a slippery material with two stops at each end of the sheet. Compared to bikes, elliptical machines and treadmills, slideboards are extremely cheap, as they can be built for about $50.00 and purchased for only a few hundred dollars. Slideboards are great for training the lateral musculature of the hip (which is drastically under-trained in almost all populations), high-intensity interval training, strengthening the lower body and core musculature, and promoting good posture. Slideboards can also be used for several unique, highly functional muscle-strengthening exercises, such as reverse lunges, diagonal lunges, hamstring curls, and miniband-resisted push-ups. As a more fun, more functional, more effective training tool than any other machine, slideboards will begin to enter the homes of people everywhere in 2009.
No.10 - Mainstream creatine use
Creatine, an energy shuttle found naturally in meat, has been scientifically proven to help improve muscle size and strength in individuals of all ages, as well as many clinical populations. This is extremely important given that improvements in muscle mass boost metabolism, which results in increased fat burning while at rest. As meat quality decreases, most people aren’t getting sufficient creatine from their diets and can benefit from use of this inexpensive supplement. Contrary to popular belief, proper creatine use (and protein use for that matter) is not detrimental to kidney or liver health in individuals that don’t already have some sort of organ damage. Along with some other supplements on this list, a small jar of creatine will inhabit the cabinets of an increasing proportion of the population in 2009.
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