Hot Fitness Trends for 2010

The best advice for staying fit is eat less and move more, experts agree. But every year people come up with new ways to make the drudgery of diet and exercise more fun. Here are the 10 top fitness trends for 2010:

1. Group training. Exercise is more fun when you share the pain. Find classes and small group training at health clubs, senior centers and community centers.
2. Timed workouts. Increase the intensity but shorten the time. That's the idea behind timed workouts. Great for busy folks.
3. Exergaming. Mix fitness with video games. Adding element of competition to exercise motivates you to keep going. Wii even makes exercise fun.
4. Cost-conscious workouts. Forget expensive health and fitness clubs; more folks are exercising at home. Turn up the tunes or plug in an exercise or yoga tape. Save while you shave off those pounds.
5. Boomer programs. Exercise routines targeted to baby boomers are aimed at lowering blood pressure and cholesterol to promote healthy, independent living.
6. Functional workouts. Exercise wherever you are and whenever you have time with suspension training tools and resistance bands that you can use at home, work or on the road.
7. Online training tools. Online meal planning and exercise guidance programs allow folks to get information they need 24/7. iPhone interaction lets you check calories, download recipes any time. Online support groups help you stay motivated.
8. Health and fitness awareness. Fighting obesity has replaced smoking as America's next big health challenge.
9. Specialty exercise classes. The success of TV's Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance have sparked interest in ethnic dance, pole dancing, Zumba and other unusual dance techniques. Dancing provides great exercise. Attendance is increasing at Arthur Murray and other ballroom dancing schools.
10. Professional credentials. More health clubs and fitness centers are hiring credentialed pros to provide higher-quality, knowledgeable, accurate fitness help.