Chessboxing

Sporting bedfellows don't come any stranger than chess and boxing. Participants box for two minutes and then play chess ringside for four minutes, alternating between the two activities over 11 rounds until a winner is decided by checkmate or knockout.

It sounds mind-bogglingly bizarre, but then, chessboxing did originate in a comic strip by Enki Bilal, a cult Serbian writer. In 2003, it was brought to life by Dutch artist Iepe Rubingh who spent three years promoting the sport. Six months after its launch here, the UK Chessboxing Club now boasts 51 members.

So what does this lightning switch from physical to mental exertion feel like? I have a go at Islington Boxing Club in North London. After a two-minute round, I'm exhausted and wheezing as we step out of the ring and sit down to play chess. I'm blinded by sweat as I strain to force the mental switch. Then my opponent takes one of my pawns. It feels like another blow.

While chessboxing is a tough proposition, it's proving especially popular with City workers such as Rajko Vujatovic, chess master and Deutsche Bank employee. “Before taking this up, I was always out of breath after running,” he says. “My recovery is quicker now. The switch from chess to boxing helps you think strategically too. No matter how badly things have gone in the ring, you have to concentrate at the chess board.”

It's this ability to adapt quickly when faced with “neural hijacking” - panic in the face of stress - that is chessboxing's major selling point. “You learn to reverse the fight or flight response to stress and be calm,” says Ken Way, a sports psychologist from Vision Sports, a Nottingham-based company that coaches top athletes.

“Imagine it, someone in the ring has been whacking you. The natural reaction at the chess board is to lose your temper and make mistakes. Chessboxing trains the ability to go from one frame of mind to a more constructive one.” A training session with the Great Britain Chess Boxing Organisation in Islington costs from £7 a session (Saturdays 12pm, Tuesday 7.30pm). For more information, visit www.gbcbo.co.uk .

BodyWeb

Think Spiderman without the costume and you'll get an idea of what's in store at BodyWeb classes, which launch this year in the UK.

A huge hit at the trendy Crunch gym chain in New York and Los Angeles, the workout uses suspension training devices - adjustable straps and stirrups that allow you to hang in any position, including upside down. Attach them to a wall or pole and you can perform more than 300 moves, including push-ups and knee tucks while you're partially suspended.

The point of these gravity-defying workouts? Advocates claim that you can't help but engage the core muscles in your midriff while exercising partly or fully upside down, which is great news for posture, strength and all-round toning. For more information, visit suspensionfitnesssystems.co.uk .

Indo Boarding

Cameron Diaz is reportedly a fan and Zac Effron, the High School Musical 3 star, received an Indo Board for his 21st birthday. This balance-training device features a wooden deck on a cylindrical roller that simulates the instability of a snowboard or skateboard.

Push-ups, weight training and squats done on the board will be more gut-busting than usual. Just staying upright will challenge your co-ordination, strength and flexibility.

It's also a great way to strengthen your lower body before you set off for a skiing holiday.

Classes are already running in Edinburgh, Devon, Dorset and London, and are expected to roll out nationwide this year. For more information, visit www.indoeurope.com .

Kaatsu Training

This involves the use of a special belt that is tightened near the joints of your upper arm or leg. The temporary blood-flow restriction then increases the pressure on your muscles. It sounds bizarre, but this system has undergone 40 years of development in the UK and is about to gain recognition in other countries, such as the US and Japan. So far, researchers have shown that weightlifters who practise it grow stronger and more toned, even if they use lighter weights than they usually would.

The method is also said to be less stressful on joints, muscles and ligaments, making it particularly good for elderly people and athletes. Personal trainers and athletics coaches are already introducing the Kaatsu methods, which is set to become the weight-training trend of this year. For more information, visit www.kaatsu.com/english .

Standing Pilates

We know about Pilates on a Reformer - a machine with a stable platform on a sliding carriage with sets of pulleys and weights - mat-based Pilates and Beautcamp Pilates with added weight training. Now there's Standing Pilates, the latest incarnation of the core-strengthening workout. The Crunch Gym in Los Angeles offers classes using a harness that has the resistance of a Reformer, but you use it while you're standing. Proponents say that this adds a “challenge of imbalance” as different moves shift your weight and body placement from one or both legs.

Nathan Gardner of Body Control Pilates in the UK says that his company now runs courses for instructors in the new technique. “Adding resistance with equipment adds a different dimension,” he says. For more information and for qualified instructors ande classes, visit www.bodycontrol.co.uk .

Fresh Air Fitness

The credit crunch means that local parks and recreation grounds are set to become the gyms of 2009. Alfresco military-style circuits and kettlebell (cast-iron weights) sessions are now common, but outdoor exercise equipment that simulates gym workouts takes the concept a step farther.

Camden Council in North London has announced plans for ten free outdoor gyms, featuring treadmills, cross-trainers and weights with the aim of attracting “people who otherwise might not consider going to the gym”. Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire also have begun installing outdoor gyms.

And it's not just your body that will benefit. Mind, the mental health charity, says that ecotherapy - getting active in a green environment- is the best way to improve psychological wellbeing. A survey from the charity has found that about 71 per cent of people who exercise outdoors confirm that it helps to boost their mood. For more information, visit www.fresh-airfitness.co.uk .

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