Developing healthy habits can help us start the new year on a positive note. Whether we’re embarking on new projects or maintaining steady progress toward our existing goals, keeping up with health trends can guide us to the best practices and recipes for peak mental and physical performance. Here are the top health trends to watch this year.
In 2019, many health trends will encourage us to embrace simplicity and minimalism, making our self-care routines less about appearance and more about substance.
With the rise of Pinterest and Instagram, we learned that self-care could be something to show off. We shared beautiful studio photos of our workspaces, outdoor adventures, and home-cooked meals, often recording these experiences.
However, this performative self-care has become a source of stress for many. This year, it’s time to reclaim self-care for ourselves and streamline our routines to focus on what we truly enjoy.
This often means bringing relaxation activities into the home, allowing us to create a life without the fear of missing out.
As scientific understanding of the mind-body connection grows, we become more comfortable examining the technical aspects of our workouts. Consequently, workout trends are shifting toward training specific muscles and achieving particular physical outcomes, using scientific principles. Rowing machines, for example, are gaining popularity over spinning bikes in many studios.
Focusing on technical excellence often results in less glamorous, shorter workouts, prompting more people to exercise at home. Intense 30-minute sessions are becoming popular to avoid triggering cortisol, the stress hormone that can harm the body if unregulated. Resistance bands are also gaining traction for effective home workouts.
Sleep tracking is increasingly crucial for structuring our daily lives and is a significant health trend this year. Our circadian rhythm regulates two essential hormones: when these hormones are out of sync, they can make us feel tired during the day and wide awake at night. Cortisol’s link to stress might explain why we often feel anxious when we can’t sleep.
Disrupted circadian rhythms can lead to weight gain, diabetes, and high blood pressure. As a result, many people are focusing on establishing stable sleep cycles. Awareness of blue light from screens has led to blue-light blocking glasses and night modes on electronics. The next step involves going to bed and waking up at consistent times and adjusting the environment to support good sleep.
Consumers and brands are increasingly recognizing that personal well-being is closely tied to the planet’s health. Regenerative agriculture is becoming prominent in the food industry, promoting sustainable practices like preserving topsoil, conserving groundwater, and encouraging carbon sequestration.
Another emerging trend is plant-based fish. With growing concerns about overfishing’s environmental impact, many are turning to plant-based seafood alternatives made from ingredients like pea and potato starch, enriched with protein from beans.
Planners and journals are no longer just for scheduling; they’re evolving into tools for tracking activities, setting goals, and expressing creativity. Bullet journals, in particular, serve multiple purposes, such as habit tracking, mood tracking, meal planning, and more. People from all walks of life use journals to organize their lives, develop goals and hobbies, and keep their thoughts in order.
Journaling simplifies everything from brainstorming and list-making to budgeting and problem-solving. Whether minimalistic or elaborately color-coded, journals help clear the mind and prioritize objectives.
Many health-conscious individuals are also reducing alcohol consumption. This trend is visible in the increasing number of restaurants that don’t offer alcohol and those that serve non-alcoholic cocktails.
Choosing to drink less alcohol can enhance mental clarity and help people eliminate addictive substances from their diets. It also benefits the budget. Additionally, the growing market for organic wine features options made without pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic additives, providing a healthier alternative for wine lovers.
As we progress into the new year, we’re mindful of the impact of our health practices and their environmental implications. This year’s top health trends focus on simplicity, appreciating home, and dedicating our energy to what truly matters.