No matter where you’re from, exercise is one of the most common recreational activities in our society. This is in part due to the increased sedentary nature of how we go about our day to day work – there are less physically active roles in the workforce and in their place more office and/or travel based opportunities. This does not just apply to Western culture as most developing countries are following the trend of migrating from the fields to the cities to find employment. This increases the need for people to engage in planned physical activity to keep fit and healthy in both body and mind. Let’s see what’s happening in your neighbour’s backyard:

Australia

Australians are blessed with beautiful beaches and weather. This means that as a nation we tend to spend more time with our shirts off than many other cultures which have colder climates or are more conservative. Therefore, we have developed a fitness culture focussed on developing more muscular physiques to show off at the beach but that can still “get the job done” when it comes to the more quintessential activities associated with Aussies – working the land and DIY projects. In this way we have taken to functional fitness trends that tick all of those boxes: increased lean tissue, decreased fat mass, increased strength, and increased endurance. Exercise with kettle bells and body weight performed in a circuit are some of the examples of this functional fitness craze.

India

There are no surprises here when it comes to the most popular styles of exercise and physical activity that Indian’s partake in. Being that it is the birthplace of yoga, this is the most commonly practised exercise in this large and beautiful country. Other common physical activities in India have a similar theme to yoga – breathing exercises, Pilates, and stretching. These types of exercise have great health benefits, in particular for mental health and mindfulness of one’s own thoughts and the ability to control our emotions by incorporating breathing exercises into daily practice.

China

When you think of Chinese physical activity often images of vigorous martial arts, such as Kung Fu, spring to mind as popularised in films in the last four decades. However, a very common form of exercise in China (and gradually increasing in popularity in Western cultures) is the art of Tai Chi. This style of martial arts is not usually as vigorous or conditioning-focussed as some of its counterparts but can still provide a great workout. The benefits of Tai Chi are best seen in older persons or people with poor musculoskeletal health. The nature of the slow controlled movements helps to increase balance and stability without excess wear and tear on the joints and ligaments.

Great Britain

Similar to their cousins across the pond, Brits enjoy high intensity circuit style exercise. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is in vogue at the moment and is the kind of exercise that lets you know you have worked out – lots of sweat but hopefully not too many tears! This exercise mode requires maximal, all-out bouts of exercise followed by short rest or lower-intensity intervals. The benefit of this style of exercise is you can be more efficient with your time by burning a similar number of calories as well as the same health and fitness benefits compared to a longer session of moderate intensity exercise.

Brazil

Famous for giving the world beautiful and powerful female models like Gisele Bundchen, Brazilian exercise is often about lean physiques and “toning” up. Ballet and dance inspired exercise are common fitness trends as well as boxing and abdominal/core focussed home-style exercise. These exercise modes are not conducive to building large muscles but are more suited to producing leaner physiques – still maintaining a healthy muscle mass but with minimal fat mass to cover the curves of the muscles. They are also functional in nature due to the complex motor skills required to master them.

Russia

In Russia, it is popular to exercise without equipment so there is less grinding it out in the gym, and more sweating at home or in the street! Functional body weight exercises are popular as are short and sharp routines to get more bang for your buck. The benefit of this style of exercise is it increases the likelihood you will complete it on a regular basis as there are less barriers – minimal time and no equipment required. Popular exercise routines such as the 7 Minute Workout employ this style of minimal equipment and minimal time for your exercise session.

Safety

Always check with your Doctor before commencing a new exercise regime, and discuss the possible risks and benefits. This can be managed in coordination with an Exercise Physiologist or other health professionals.