Move over celery juice and digital detoxes, the future is about to get a whole lot bigger when it comes to health and wellness. The benefits of keeping physically and mentally well are becoming a whole lot more mainstream, especially with an increase of influencers and public figures promoting the importance of self-care.
So, what can we expect to be the biggest #healthtrends for the 2020's? From the rise of home workouts to calming your mind with sound, here’s our forecast of the health trends everyone will be investing in for their future.
Plant based diets
While there’s already been a rise in veganism and conscious meat eating over the past few years for ethical and sustainable reasons, Netflix’s The Game Changers documentary, has seen many health and fitness orientated people switch to plant-based diets. Having previously believed that the best way to build and maintain muscle was through consuming meat proteins, many gym enthusiasts are now testing out the benefits of going plant-based.
Home DNA testing
Sending off a swab of your DNA to have it tested isn’t just for movie characters trying to find their biological parents and is now being used by the general population to discover more about their genetics and bodies. Without going to visit a doctor, you can learn about vitamin deficiencies, food intolerances and how your hormones are behaving. It’s not cheap, but the number of online companies offering these services has risen.
Restorative biohacking
Previously, everyday people have been focused on simply getting in their daily workouts, but as more and more health enthusiasts learn about the benefits of recovery, nutrition and stress management in addition to their training, the idea of ‘biohacking’ to improve the way our body functions is becoming more popular. In 2021, we can expect to see more gyms and studios providing services to cater to these.
Wearable devices
Thanks to the likes of Fitbit and Apple watches, wearable fitness devices have become a huge part of keeping people accountable to their everyday habits. Originally designed to track steps and simple workouts, newer devices can monitor levels of sleep and analyse your heart rate. With newer concepts of wearable clothing and even fitness tracking implants, more devices are likely to hit the market next year.
Sound bath healing
More people are taking time to focus on their mental health state with practises like yoga and meditation. Now, the ancient practice of sound bath healing is emerging as a new way to do this. By ‘bathing’ in an atmosphere of calming sounds produced at specific frequencies, it’s believed to trigger specific points within your brain that allow for relaxation and the relief of tension. The ultimate goal? Achieving a zen-like state of relaxation.
Breathing apps
There’s no doubt that people love having everything in the palm of their hand (or smartphone), and breathing apps are a simple way for people to practise mindfulness and calmness during their morning commute or coffee break. Studies have shown that 10-20 minutes of paced breathing each day can help to reduce stress and lower your heart rate.
Wellness retreats
Just like taking time each day to exercise and look after your mind, wellness retreats go that one step further. While most holidays can be full-on and leave you coming home more exhausted than when you left, wellness retreats are centred around total mind and body revitalisation, incorporating things like daily yoga, sunset meditation and inspiring seminars.
Kundalini yoga
With yoga studios popping up everywhere, people are becoming more educated about the different types of yoga and their varied benefits. Kundalini yoga is centred around raising your internal consciousness, helping you to increase your energy levels and improve brain function. The ancient form of yoga uses a combination of movement, breathing and mantras to do this.
Home workouts
Gone are the days where you had to book a class from your local gym’s timetable and were only able to make the busy, peak hour classes. Fitness apps and home workouts are making a comeback, with many different options so you can get the same benefits of a gym session from the comfort of your own home. Thanks to companies like Peloton, you can experience a spin class from your living room while apps like SWEAT give you the option of full-body workouts with no equipment required.
Healthy snacks
Who said buying a muffin with your morning coffee was the only option for a mid-morning pick me up? More places are creating healthy snacks for busy people on the go, from antioxidant-filled protein bars to choc-coated chickpeas, you can expect planning your mid-meal snacks in 2021 to be more exciting than ever before.