Fitness and Wellness Trends for 2019
December 13, 2018
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It’s that time of the year again when we look back at what’s been happing in the fitness, travel, and wellness industry and, before starting to write down our resolutions for the new year, take a look at what the future will hold.
What’s our food going to look like? What types of exercise are we going to do? How do we travel? Are we still dependent on technology for everything? Read on to find the answers to these questions and plenty more.
Ayurveda for all
The ancient art of Ayurveda has spurred quite a few trends, including the use of turmeric. In 2018, the ketogenic diet made fat friendly again, which led to the use of ghee as a cooking staple.
Ghee is part of the Ayurvedic cooking. It is made from butter which had the milk solids removed.
The Ayurveda cleanse got a boost from Hollywood stars, brands, and public figures, which helped make it more accessible.
People are becoming more aware of the body-mind connection which only helps Ayurveda become mainstream. Plus, it’s easy to observe that the diet and exercise routine that works for your friends, isn’t exactly working for you. And Ayurveda helps with personalizing the nutrition movement.
Brain health is very important
Our brain health is influenced by a lot of factors. Unfortunately, we don’t have any control over most of them. Between poor sleep, unhealthy diet, and pollution, we are often left powerless and can only learn so much about the brain fog, memory, and focus.
And then there’s Alzheimer’s, the fastest growing epidemic disease in America. New studies have confirmed that insulin resistance is a major contributor to the brain-damage cascade. We now know that our diets are very important for our brain health.
The food we should eat for a healthy brain starts with the colorful rainbow of fruits and vegetables. The anti-oxidants are very important to protect our brain, eyes, and skin.
Lifestyle changes – such as learning a new instrument, dancing tango – are also important to strengthen the brain. Last, but not least, learn to unplug. Overexposure to information and multitasking are helping absolutely no one.
Back to wellness basics
If you felt inadequate scrolling through all those fitness and nutrition posts on Instagram that all seemed perfect, it’s time to relax. Because 2019 is bringing back what is doable on a daily basis.
Yes, include exercise in your routine because it’s so good for your body and mind, but don’t try to outperform anyone in your gym or your Instagram feed. Let’s not forget that the 80-20 rule still stands for healthy eating, too.
If you are looking for a nutritional plan to follow, the Mediterranean diet is less restrictive than the Keto or Paleo ones and offers a lot of health benefits.
Transformational travel is even more important
Travel is starting to be more about empowering people to make meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. Adding a challenging physical quest or an interesting cultural experience to a trip is normal.
2019 is the perfect year to book that yoga retreat you’ve always dreamed about. Take up a new healthy hobby, make friends, and enjoy lasting benefits for life.
Meditation options for people who hate silence
I am the first to admit that I’m not great with the silence that comes with meditation. So, enter shaking meditation. It involves a series of controlled shaking exercises aimed to relax our muscles and reduce your stress levels. It may defy your concept of meditation, but don’t knock it until you try it.
If you prefer to let your smartphone guide you through meditation, there are a lot of options (but most only offer part of the meditations for free). Whether you are a skeptic or a believer, you’ll be surprised at what the tech world has on offer.
Oat milk is staying in a store near you
Oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk…these are only some of the options available in stores. But oat milk has been really popular in the US lately mostly because it’s been used a lot by baristas (and unlike soy milk, it doesn’t curdle when heated).
People are already used to oats to be part of their meals, so it’s just a matter of time until oat milk will be the main ingredient in “nice creams” and yogurts.
Workout classes are still trendy
If you kept adding workout classes to your new year’s resolution but never managed to get to one, the time is not lost. The workout classes are here to stay in 2019, too.
Between various yoga classes, dance classes, and martial arts, you are going to burn a lot of calories and have fun. And speaking of, the yoga classes seem to be the most popular of all and are constantly reinvented.
Cauliflower is here to stay
If you haven’t been part of the cauliflower craze yet, you’ll be in 2019. Pizza crusts, cauliflower rice, cauliflower mashed potatoes, you name it… you’ll eat it. The frozen aisle is getting a lot of cauliflower products.
What’s in store for the future? Maybe you want to try cauliflower crackers, and chips, pretzels? Our crunchie foods addiction gets a healthier makeover and we love it!
Technology can help with wellness
How many of you rely on your fitness tracker to keep count of steps and calories burned? How about asking Google to search for a yoga video?
Asking the tech to help us with our wellness issues is becoming mainstream. If you cannot sleep, you are likely to ask your mattress what’s the blame; or if you aren’t keen on putting an effort to figure out dinner, you can let your fridge pick up a recipe based on what’s available. Sounds like science fiction?
Amazon has based their idea of a smart house off Star Trek. Meaning, everything should be voice controlled. Alexa now has a hunch, just like you do. She can sense when things are off.
Grocery lists that write themselves? Yes, that’s the future and what’s not enjoy about that?
And before you ask, wearable technology isn’t going anywhere either. There will be even more interesting ways to track our workouts and habits.
Veganism is not going anywhere
Vegan menus have started to appear in many places around the world. Many other non-vegan restaurants are trying to at least add some items for vegans. Vegan burgers, vegan meats, vegan…anything is starting to be mainstream.
With so many proven benefits for our bodies, the vegan diet is here to stay. And spread to even more of us. May I have that vegan burger, please?
Virtual Reality is coming to your workouts
Most of us have chosen to work out in front of our TVs or computer screens when the gym didn’t feel like a place we’d want to hang around in. But come 2019 and the things are getting even better. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are making their way into our workouts. Chances are more and more gyms are going to adopt the trend.
I’m not sure about you, but I’m quite excited at the potential to do Zumba on Mars or meditate on an island in the Caribbean. Meantime, I’m sticking to Just Dance in my own living room.
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Want to start the year in a healthier note? Book a yoga and walking retreat to learn the benefits of both activities.