Over the last few year, fitness has been changing directions. It’s heading out of the weight room and into group fitness rooms, garages, living rooms, lawns and business offices.

Even exercises are changing. With boot camp programs, and the help of the internet, people are learning how to get a good workout without one single weight machine – and many of the exercise look a lot less like body sculpting, and a lot more like regular daily activities.

Functional exercises, exercises that replicate daily living, like squatting down, picking things up, and lifting things overhead, are taking America by storm. Not only do they tone your body, but they improve your quality of life – and they may even save it!

Top 5 2012 Exercises:

Although these exercises may be new to you, these exercises, or variations of them, have been around for a long time. Click on the name of each exercise to watch video demonstration and give them a try!

1. Turkish Get Up - 15 reps on one side, then the other
“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Everyone has had to get up off the floor, and everyone has had to get up off the floor while holding something. This exercise will make you stronger so you can do it safely, and it could even save your life. Get your heart rate up and tone your core, arms and legs.

2. Flat Belly Burpee - 15 repetitions as fast as you can go!
Kids pop off their belly like they are a grass hopper. However, the older we get, a simple move like this gets us winded. Challenge your cardiovascular system while toning your glutes, legs, chest and core. This exercise is the bomb – the mother of all functional exercises.

3. Plate Weight Thruster - 15 repetitions
Imagine you are picking up child and throwing them up in the air – just to see their eyes light up and hear their cute little laugh. Every parent has done it, and every child has giggled “do it again”. This exercise will give you the strength to toss more kids into laughter heaven – and do much more. You’ll tone your shoulders, glutes, legs and core, while burning fat too! If you can’t be healthy for you, be healthy for your kids.

4. Take It Or Leave It Abdominal Crunch - 15 repetitions
Comedian, Mark Lowry said, “I do a sit up. I do half the sit up when I get out of bed and the other half when I lay back down at night.” Yet, there aren’t alot of people doing exercises to help strengthen these muscles. This advanced version of a modified sit-up adds weight to the mix. Use a medicine ball, plate, sandbag or dumbbell (or small cat, as Steve would say!) for a fantastic ab workout.

5. Alligator Push-up - 15 repetitions
We push up for fun when we push up off a surf board or wake board in water sports. We need those same muscles in emergencies too. If you fall and hurt your legs, you’d be forced to push up off the floor and hand walk to the nearest phone. Would you be able to do it? This exercise will strengthen your chest, arms and core so you can have even more fun, and who knows, it may save your life one day too!

Make it a workout.
Do each exercise 15 times for 3 sets or do the entire circuit of exercises and complete 3 -5 rounds, at a fast pace with little to no rest to really get your sweat on!

Exercise demonstration videos by Sears FitStudio

Photo Credits:
Boot Camp workout: DoBCx.com 
Senior: retireathomemississauga.com
Baby: mysterious-kaddu.blogspot.com 
Surfer: denmark-getaway.com