Now that the rush of January resolutions is over, we can finally settle in to the goals we really want to keep this year. And what better way to regain focus than to look at what’s trending around the world? Wellness trends can range from the absurd (celery juice diet, anyone?) to the ones we can’t believe we haven’t been doing forever (digital detoxes, meditation). From health and fitness to technology and cultural changes, here are the 8 trends we’ll be seeing this year:
1. Alt-Meat
Veganism is going nowhere – and with it, comes plant-based meats. Long gone are the days of a sad soya patty being your only option, though. Plant-based meat has become more accessible and more tasty, with people increasingly becoming aware of the need for making eco-conscious choices.
Oumph! Pulled Strips
2. Stretching
The humble hammy stretch is finally getting its dues, with fitness warriors realizing the importance of regularly giving your muscles deep stretches. This is more than yoga and definitely a lot more than the perfunctory two-minute stretch after your CrossFit class, with hour-long stretch sessions being offered at more and more gyms and fitness studios.
Body Sculpture latex aerobic band
3. Purifying Devices
With a lot of focus on air pollution at the moment, the gaze will turn inwards towards our own homes. Indoor air quality can be just as bad – especially in this region, where we recycle the same air through the AC 24/7. Chemicals from cleaning products can also linger in the air, which is why home air purifiers are becoming increasingly popular.
Dyson Pure Cool Me personal purifier
4. Home Fitness
We love a fancy gym as much as the next fitness freak and definitely need the motivation of a trainer on most days, but in 2020, home fitness equipment will be more sophisticated than ever. State-of-the art smart machines will give your gym workout a run for its money.
EZX by EZ Lab Cycling bike with LCD display
5. Mental Health Focus
It’s been bubbling around for years, but 2020 will be the year mental health is finally taken seriously as part of a holistic wellness plan. Self-care is about so much more than taking a candlelit bath, with people starting to prioritize and discuss their mental health in practical ways, be it through journaling, meditation, therapy or digital detoxes.
Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice by Michelle Obama
6. Experimental Wellness WELLNESS
Spa retreats, wellness workshops and festivals, nutritional events… in 2020, we will want to experience wellness like never before, with immersive classes, services and trips. Have your next girls’ getaway at a yoga retreat, or do a day-long nutritional course – it’s all about creating a mind-body-soul connection through experiences.
Holdereight calming shell yoga mat
7. Focus on Sleep
We know we need it, yet we never seem to get enough… sleep, that is. Daily stress and anxiety – not to mention that attention-eating device in our hands – all eat into precious sleeping hours. But experts are predicting this to be the year of better sleep, thanks to sleep apps, weighted blankets and workplaces having dedicated nap rooms or pods.
Cooling weighted bamboo blanket
8. The end of Bikini Body
The tiny bikini’s reign of terror is over! Finally, the term “bikini body” has been relegated to the history books, with women everywhere reclaiming their bodies and relinquishing unattainable, unrealistic goals of washboard abs and long-line thighs. Have a body? Have a bikini? Congratulations, you have a bikini body! There’s no such thing as being “beach ready” – all bodies are beautiful.
