The year 2020 has affected us in ways big and small—in ways obvious and in ways we likely haven’t even started to understand. The year 2020 has transformed us – affected our health and wellness trends. Even at the end of the year 2020, our transformation journey is not done. We still have challenges ahead. We are still learning and growing.
We are pushing to make a healthier society—through things like metabolic health or accessibility to fresh, whole foods or at-home and outdoor fitness.
Here what we predict the health and wellness trends for 2021 will be:
1. Metabolic Health Connection
Metabolism is the process your body uses to get or make energy from the food (carbohydrates, proteins, or fats) you eat. Your body can use this fuel right away, or it can store the energy in your body’s tissues, such as your liver, muscles, and body fat.
A metabolic disorder occurs when this process is disrupted. There are different groups of disorders. Some affect the breakdown of amino acids, carbohydrates, or lipids. Examples of metabolic disorders include obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
In this pandemic year, we found out that infectious diseases (covid-19) and host metabolic processes are intimately connected [1]. Having obesity increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 [2].
As we approach, there will be more focus on reducing factors that will improve metabolic health and obesity. This includes a healthy diet and daily physical activities.
2. Prioritizing Mental Health.
After a taxing year of pandemic-exacerbated mental health challenges, there is a growing emphasis on mental health and non only taking care of our physical bodies but also our minds. Consider it mental fitness. Research has already shown that there’s been an increase in the risk of mental health problems in the last year. Lifestyle changes that promote mental health will be important in 2021. This includes meditation, prayer, mindful exercises like yoga, walks outdoors, and more.
3. Emphasizing Immune Boosters
COVID-19 was a reminder that health is transient and can change at any time. Since we did not have treatment options, there was more emphasis on products supporting a healthy immune system to better prepare for illness.
According to Market Research, over 50% of consumers reported taking more supplements to support their immune health in 2020.
This growing interest in immune health will continue to be a top focus of the health and wellness industry in 2021. Rather than focusing on treating conditions, many consumers will strive to prevent them via a strengthened immune system.
Alternative remedies are expected to continue to increase in sales in 2021. Elderberry, echinacea, astragalus, turmeric, and ginger are some of the top-selling herbal supplements claimed to help boost your immune system.
4. Remote Medicine
Telemedicine is not a new concept, but it was greatly utilized in 2020. In the early days of the pandemic, telemedicine was limited to acute care visits. The lockdown affected chronic or ongoing health issues due to concern over catching covid-19 or reduced health services availability. There is now a growing trend for using remote medicine for managing patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
In 2021, we can witness telehealth moving from one-off treatment to more chronic management, like a virtual primary care practice.
With the advent of emerging wearable health devices that can track heart rate, glucose levels, blood pressure, and more, virtual ongoing care is becoming more and more effective[3].
5. At-Home and Outdoor Fitness
With the closure of gyms and public workout places, more and more people resorted to working out at home and outdoor. Even the big gyms and many individual personal trainers adopted online classes and virtual gyms. Peloton and other home “smart bike” makers witnessed a shart increase in sales as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic [4].
People are biking, walking, running, and doing more outdoor activities to keep themselves healthy, improve metabolic health, and boost the immune system.
This trend will be going to continue in 2021. There are going to be more options for online fitness classes and outdoor exercises. As people continue to work remotely, this will be a great way to keep up with physical activity needs during the day.
Related: Easy and Effective Home Workouts.
6. Daily Home Cooking
As many of us spend more time at home, home cooking has become part of our daily routine. Many individuals have learned to cook and made new recipes. As we have not many activities outside the home, cooking became an opportunity for quiet time during the lockdown. Since there is more and more push on metabolic health and immune boosters, cooking at home allowed one to control the ingredients and make the food healthier compared to dining out.
In 2021, this will not go away. Home cooking will continue to be part of our lives.
7. Personal Health Metrics
Personal health technology will rise greatly in 2021. Wireless health technology is advancing rapidly. It not only has sophisticated wearable health tools but now going into hearable tech as well. The latest wearable brands feature more micro-tracking features such as pulse oximetry and heart rate variability.
Wearables and apps that monitor mental health also will be popular in 2021 as we continue to monitor emotional and mental fitness. Apps and tools that include relaxation and visualization exercises to strengthen resilience and mental fitness will gain more popularity.
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