Staying fit and healthy will never go out of style, but how we achieve our wellness goals are always evolving…
Just like other industries, trends in the health and wellness industry are constantly changing with the times. As technology develops and new techniques are introduced, there are shifts in what’s popular.
Whether you’re a massage therapist, yoga instructor, or personal trainer, it’s important to stay in touch with upcoming fitness and health trends (and the latest fitness apps).
To help you do just that, we reached out to a few experts in the field to learn the latest health kicks and self-care trends for 2023.
Current Fitness Motivations and Habits
Before we talk about particular trendy exercises, diets, or new fitness technology, let’s take a look at what motivates people to work out and how fitness habits are changing by demographic.
Self-Care and Mental Health
Alex Giblin is an Editorial Associate for Garage Gym Reviews, and their recent study dove into why different age groups work out and what’s motivating them.
The big takeaway? Self-care.
In Alex’s study, they found that “the majority of Gen Z (18- to 24-year-olds) listed mental health as their main reason for working out. 43% of respondents in that age bracket listing mental health as their No. 1 motivator.”
At-Home Workouts
With the world still seeing an increase in remote work and online fitness classes, Alex noted how many people gave up gym memberships and are currently working out from home.
In their fitness survey, they found that “61% of respondents are still exclusively working out at home or at an apartment gym in 2022.”
Cardio vs. Strength Training
Alex’s survey also took a look at how people are working out — based on their age group.
“Cardio is now most popular among those 60 and older,” Alex said.
“34% of seniors choose cardio as their workout of choice. 57% of millennials opted for strength training as their go-to exercise.”
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Get the Guide10 Health and Wellness Trends for 2023
Looking to stay in the know on current health and wellness trends?
From face yoga to fitness cocktails, our experts break down what’s up and coming in the fitness industry.
Reiki
Topping our list of current health and wellness trends, reiki is an energy-healing technique meant to relax you and reduce stress and anxiety through gentle touch.
It’s great for relieving chronic pain and tension, promoting self-healing, and stimulating your body’s immune system.
Greg Wieting is the founder of PRISMA — a framework for overlaying trauma, neuroscience, and energy medicine with somatic and mindfulness-based practices.
He made it clear that people are “hungry for deeper healing.”
According to Greg, reiki is “proving to be a powerful healing practice to support people suffering from the anxiety, depression, and chronic pain symptomatic of unresolved trauma.”
Why is reiki becoming so popular?
Reiki “returns us to our natural state of balance and our innate healing intelligence,” Greg said.
“When we are in touch with this wisdom, we live in a relaxed and alert awareness where healing just happens.”
Reiki-Infused Yoga
Reiki and yoga — together? Yep!
Yoga trends are ever-changing.
Michelle Maslin-Taylor of Live Happy Live Healthy, “people want more restorative practices, slower and more mindful/spiritual practices” these days.
Michelle’s response? Combining reiki with yoga.
Offering a unique blend of “hands-on reiki healing and yin yoga,” she’s noticed a “huge surge in popularity for it.”
Face Yoga
Growing in popularity thanks to celebrity face yoga instructor Koko Hayashi, face yoga involves massage and exercises that stimulate the muscles, skin, and lymphatic system.
This softens and relaxes your face muscles to help alleviate tension, stress, and worry.
Physician Alice Williams told us face yoga is “becoming popular among people who want to improve their skin health.”
There are a number of online tutorials dedicated to face yoga, Alice said, all designed to “tone the muscles in your face” and ultimately relieve stress and worry.
Virtual Reality Fitness
Want to ride a bike in another country? Or hike through mountains you’ve never visited?
Matt Claes is the founder of Weight Loss Made Practical, and he talked to us about the rise of these virtual reality fitness workouts.Â
“Fitness brands like Peloton focus a lot on their workout apps with workout classes,” Matt said. “Something I find especially cool about these workout apps is their immersive walks/runs/rides.”
With videos meant to be immersive and interactive, virtual reality workouts put you in “special locations, implement scenic rides, or add extra twists to your workouts.”
Wearable Technology
Health and Wellness Director Christine Kingsley is predicting a continued rise in wearable technology, such as smart watches.
“With the current rate at which wearable technology devices are going in regards to their health and wellness features,” Christine said, “we’ll be looking at a new year where smartwatches will become the official portable health management portal.”
She also told us to be on the lookout for “a near future that treats smartwatch health feature trackers and monitors data as prerequisites for any health check-up.”
(Speaking of tech, implement music to your classes with these ready-made workout playlists from Spotify: Beast Mode, Nike Run Club, Yoga Acoustics, and more.)
Non-Alcoholic Fitness Cocktails?!
This one sounds too good to be true, right?
A non-alcoholic cocktail with a fitness twist?Â
According to Suzan Eraslan of The Zero Proof, “one of the biggest wellness trends is non-alcoholic cocktails and beverages.”
“A lot of fitness events serve signature non-alcoholic cocktails,” Suzan said, “often with functional, health-boosting benefits, as a post-workout recovery drink that doubles as a fun, social beverage.”
Biophilia Workouts
You may be thinking what the heck is a biophilia workout?!
Good thing health and fitness writer Shari Zink gave us the scoop.
“Biophilia refers to an innate love for nature that all humans possess,” Shari said, “and green activity refers to movement or exercise in nature.”
With these green activities, fitness participants want a “more holistic, sensorial experience. They want workouts with lake views, mountain vistas, and real waterfalls,” Shari said.
“They want to feel the earth under their feet, to smell the grass and flowers and to hear the wind.”
Chlorophyll Water
Trista Best is a registered dietician at Balance One Supplements, and she turned us on to chlorophyll water.
According to Trista, “Chlorophyll water is an easy way to detox, promote skin health, and provide the body with significant amounts of antioxidants.”
It also “improves the quality of red blood cells thereby enabling them to carry more oxygen,” Trista said.
Pickleball?!
Hey, working out can be fun, right? If you’re looking for a little friendly competition in your workout, pickleball is an up-and-coming solution.
Lynn Cherry of Pickleball Fire pointed out how easy it is for folks to get into pickleball and how so many folks are using it as part of their workout routine.
Currently, pickleball is the “fastest growing sport in the USA and Canada.”
As Lynn pointed out, you can play just about anywhere — on tennis courts, basketball courts, and even roller hockey rinks — so it’s accessible to just about anyone.
“It’s a great workout,” Lynn said, “It’s very fast-paced, and you’ll get lots of steps in when on the court.”
Plant-Based Diets
Physician Alice Williams also let us know that plant-based diets are trending up. Plant-based eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants.
Going beyond fruits and vegetables, we’re also talking nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans.
“More and more people are interested in eating less meat,” Alice said, “or no meat at all, for both health and ethical reasons.”
Despite the name, going plant-based doesn’t mean you are a vegetarian or vegan and never eat meat or dairy. Instead, you’re proportionately choosing more of your foods from plant sources.
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