The new year has arrived. Like many, you’ve probably made a list of resolutions or goals to tackle in 2017. And like many, a better commitment to fitness and attention to your own wellness have landed somewhere on there.
If you’re looking for new ways to approach fitness and wellness, check out these five trends experts say will be big this year:
1. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
Bursts of vigorous exercise alternating with brief rest times prove more efficient and beneficial than slogging away at a monotonous pace over a longer period. Studies show that going all out for one whole minute equals 45 minutes of lighter activity.
2. Hygge (hue-gah)
Hygge is a Danish word to describe the warm, cozy feeling you get from simple pleasures. It is an emerging trend people the world over are putting to practice in how they work out, eat, and live daily life. So many other fitness and dietary fads are based on restrictive principles by cutting things out. On the contrary, hygge encourages you to simply do what makes you happy without following any stringent rules or feeling regret.
3. Matcha
Matcha is a powdered form of Japanese green tea. Health experts are mad for matcha due to its healthy antioxidants and metabolic boosting properties without the harsh effects of caffeine. It can be prepared as a latte beverage to satisfy your regular coffee craving.
4. Wearables
Wearable technology for fitness has only just begun. Fitness trackers were a good start, but experts predict that even more hi-tech modes to help merge fitness seamlessly into your daily life are on the horizon. Look for fitness tracking fabrics in the near future…
5. Rest and recovery
In response to the immediate and continuous data streaming to us all day long on our body’s vitals, there is a renewed focus on rest and recovery at night. Doctors say that “unplugging” several hours before bed is the key to a good night’s sleep, as the body and mind both need to wind down and literally recharge, just as devices do.
