As another year rolls around a new set of trends pop up in various industries. While I don’t consider myself the trendiest person, I do like to see where wellness is headed and if there is anything new I want to try or old habits I want to expand.
Here are a few trends that caught my eye for this year.
Personalized Wellness Experience
We are all very individual people who have different needs, likes, preferences, dislikes, and so on. It’s no surprise then that we want our wellness tailored to our needs. Yes, there are commonalities in exercise programs and certain supplements we could all be taking more of, but when it comes to overall health, we know our bodies best. There are companies who now use quizzes or surveys to better understand their customers and then offer supplement suggestions, fitness plans, and recipe ideas based on those answers.
As a health coach, it is my responsibility to offer a variety of programs and coaching that meets the needs of my clients. I take the time to listen, understand, and then offer suggestions. The same can be said for yoga or fitness classes. Not everyone will enjoy the same practice. Find what works best and prioritize that one, because that is the one you will actually do.
Smart Exercise Equipment
Over the past few years more and more people are buying and using at home exercise equipment such as Peloton and Lululemon Mirror. We are also buying more weights and overall gym equipment that can be used right in the comfort of our own home. This trend only seems to be growing as people take control of their health. I know I love working out at home for the convenience of my lifestyle and I don’t see this changing anytime soon.
Downloading Health & Wellness Apps
As we continue the working out from home trend, we are also adding more workout apps to keep us on track. Fitbit and smart watches have been around for a while, but I see new technology cropping up. Some of these come with personal trainers and/or health coaches to help with setting goals and accountability. While I don’t use those apps, I have been considering adding a mindfulness app like Calm or Headspace to my routine.
Exercise Recovery Tools
Along with all the at home exercise, recovery is also an important trend on the rise with people purchasing their own equipment such as massage therapy guns or gyms making the investment in recovery tools. So next time you lift those weights or go for a run, make sure you allow time for your muscles to recover as well. I love my foam roller every Saturday after a week of teaching yoga, lifting weights, walking through this city, and throwing other cardio in. My muscles get very happy, especially when I add a bath in as well!
Micro workouts/movement
This is exactly as it sounds, a short quick way to get movement into your day. Dancing in the morning to a 3-minute song while your tea or coffee is brewing, run up or down a flight of stairs in your building rather than take the elevator, a set of pushups or squats before you sit down for lunch, getting up from your desk every hour to do some jumping jacks or walk around the office or your house. It might seem silly, but studies show that it may actually help improve your health and fitness over time. In fact, Ginger Zee on GMA says she does squats while brushing her teeth! Now that is using her time wisely.
Spiritual Wellbeing
This one has been huge for me but has gained popularity over the past few years. People are starting to understand that this isn’t necessarily religious based. This is about connecting to something bigger than yourself, having a daily gratitude practice, meditation, breathwork, living your purpose, and using manifesting and affirmations to change your thoughts and beliefs. Creating a spiritual practice takes time and feel free to play with what works. Not everything is for everyone, but the one I recommend the most is starting a gratitude practice. This can be with a journal or a jar (like I use) to write down one to three things you are grateful for each day.
Sober curious lifestyles
We are seeing people explore quitting or cutting back on alcohol with months such as Dr January or sober October. But many are also opting to keep this lifestyle going all year long. Bars and restaurants are getting in on the trend by creating a slew of fun, tasty mocktails. The time has long passed for shaming a friend for not having a cocktail in their hand. We are all unique individuals who know how to make the best choices for our own health. Looking at our own relationship with alcohol is a part of our self-care and wellbeing. It’s a personal choice that needs no explanation.
Mushrooms!
Not just the psychedelic ones, although those are gaining popularity and acceptance as well. But traditional mushrooms have been shown to have their own benefits. They have high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals. Some to try are, lion’s mane for focus and memory, reishi for stress reduction, chaga to reduce inflammation, and cordyceps to increase energy levels.
No matter which wellness trend you try, just remember to prioritize your own wellbeing in some way every day this year.
Wellness Wednesday
Tashya
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a writer, speaker, educator and coach my goal is to help guide people on their own journey to making a wellness lifestyle work for them.
My holistic approach teaches that it’s not just about the nutrition we put into our bodies or our fitness routine, we also need to take care of our own well-being as well.In order to truly live a healthier life we need to realize this is a shift and change in our whole lifestyle and we must cultivate this lifestyle every day.
I’m a certified health coach with a Master’s degree in Health Promotion with a concentration in Community Education.
This degree prepared me to become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). All of this knowledge is helping me create health education programs for children and adults alike.
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