For 2020, the emerging health trends veer away from restrictive diets and punishing workouts. People are now feeling the stress that comes with constant movement and unnatural eating habits, and are looking for flexibility and sustainability in wellness and health maintenance.
So step aside, IF, keto and high-intensity interval training. The focus this year leans toward restoration and slowing down, both of the body and mind. It’s deaccelerating and getting away from the frenzied pace that, if continued indefinitely, threatens our balance.
According to the industry specialists, here are the year’s health trends that people will be adapting to sustain physical and mental health, and achieve a meaningful work-life integration.
1. Plant-based Alternatives
Red meat has been labeled as evil for the longest time. But simply telling people to stay away from or limit their consumption doesn’t really work. With the entry of plant-based meats, you can have your burger and eat it too, without guilt feelings.
Source: Flickr.com
Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods’ burger are the most popular now and can be bought at many grocery stores across the country. Fast foods and casual dining restaurants are now offering alt-meat dishes. But expert dieticians and nutritionists point out that, while plant-based meats may help the environment, they aren’t as healthy for the human body as is made out to be, as there’s not much difference in calories and saturated fats compared to real meat.
2. AI in Healthcare
In the medical field, AI will make radical improvements to identify diseases, track epidemics and crowdsource data from medical specialists for various uses. The function of AI-powered robots deliver treatment to patients in rural areas through telepresence, transport of medical aid, and help people in rehabilitation.
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In fitness, wearable tech will go beyond basic tracking of steps and sleep. In 2020, AI in wearables will detect heart and blood pressure issues at an early stage and send reports to doctors for personalized support and treatments.
3. Meditation
This centuries-old Eastern practice has become a modern-world mainstream in recent times and 2020 sees more meditation apps, online courses, websites, and physical centers coming up. Aids to meditation will be in demand, with videos, books, podcasts and streaming content constantly being created. In their busy lives, adults learn to meditate while commuting or stuck in traffic, waiting in line or at airports.
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The Gen Z teens and young adults will be more open to meditation recognizing that holistic health isn’t just mind and body, but also includes emotional and social wellbeing. Heavily infused with technology, they seek the equanimity, inner peace, and calmness that develops with daily meditation.
4. Intuitive Eating
Striking back against the restrictive diets of 2019, people are turning to intuitive eating, listening to their bodies’ natural needs and feeding their hunger without judging the food. The natural cues tell you when you’ve had enough. You develop a cognitive ability to recognize the moods and emotions that may induce an artificial craving for food when you’re not really hungry.
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Intuitive eating’s goal is not weight loss but healthy and balanced eating. There’s none of the forbidden food of diet fads, no counting of calories. The end result? A happier you (no more self-loathing,) and a healthier you.
5. Home Fitness Gym
Source: Your House Fitness
The home fitness gym is the perfect answer to the endless circling of a parking lot for an open spot and then joining a packed crowd in a gym. With the new interactive fitness devices, there’s no need for a big space for these sleek equipment. The AI-powered gadgets stream exercise classes for all levels that one can follow at any time, making alibis not to work out obsolete.
6. The Mindful Workout
The fitness regimen shifts from purely physical activity to adding a mindfulness component to it. Both practices offer similar benefits – anxiety and stress relief. Mindful meditation goes further; it develops an awareness of the present, which can breed compassion and kindness.
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How to do a mindful workout? Start with a 20-minute meditation. Notice your surroundings using your five senses. Warm-up and stretch. As you begin your workout, focus on the body parts you are moving instead of mindlessly flailing around. Cooldown when you’re done. A few minutes of stillness and silence will help bring down the cortisol levels in your body, making you feel calm and peaceful.
Trends that have a holistic approach to health and fitness become classics and cease being limited to a time frame of a year or so. Wellness is always an ultimate goal and a total body-mind-soul integration completes the circle of life.
