The future of fitness: Innovative exercise and dancing

You're not going to win the war on your holiday boozing and bingeing alone.

So call the drill sergeant, channel your inner Spice Girl or get better acquainted with your new friend, the stripper pole.

Fitness experts say 2008 is going to bring some innovative exercise programs.

So what's going to be hot in '08? We polled some fitness gurus to find out.

Dance is back

Thanks to "Dancing with the Stars," we'll be dancing through 2008, says Kathy Smith, author of "Feed Muscle, Shrink Fat Diet." Gold's Gym is introducing Stripaerobix, a class that will have you "moving across the floor like a cheetah." Other clubs and gyms will offer a new cardio dance workout, with salsa, hip hop, and cowboy boogie; Temple Dance, "a powerful, exotic and sexy workout guided by candles and colorful scarves"; Zumba and bellydancing classes.

Children hit the gym

As the childhood obesity crisis continues to grab headlines, youngsters will be finding workouts outside of gym class. More parents are hiring trainers to help their children lose weight. Also watch for more children and teens to start doing yoga.

Fusion-Fusion

One workout doesn't do it for us anymore. People want to mix cardio, strength and flexibility into their routines. For example, mixing traditional dance and pilates, or resistance training, breathing techniques, Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts), Kwando (kickboxing) and yoga.

Retro

Expect more classes based on childhood experiences, such as bouncing on a mini trampoline, and hoop dancing.

Specialty fitness

More people are going to choose small boutique fitness centers, including pilates and yoga studios. (The perception is those classes are better than ones at mega health clubs.)