Trends and predictions. They fill our newspapers and magazines at this time of the year, don’t they? But where most focus on things that are hot, but potentially only relevant to a few people, in this case the experts at Aspria have compiled a list of five important trends you absolutely need to bear in mind if you want to be truly well in 2020.
Let’s count down from number 5 to the all-important number 1…
#5 – Clean eating
Detox? It’s so last year.
With the foods we eat impacting everything from our immunity to our mood, the realisation is growing that food is in fact medicine. Your body needs it – it just needs it to be good.
So, push aside that lemon water, forget the limited calorie diet, and focus instead on the quality of the nutrition you’re putting into your body.
This year, we’re likely to see a societal shift towards ‘clean eating’: an avoidance of processed foods in favour of real, wholesome ingredients that boost our health.
Aspria expert Monica Schettino explains: “If your diet revolves around junk food, ready meals and ultra-processed foods, even dietary supplements will not help much. We must eat first and foremost to nourish our body, not just to fill our stomachs.”
#4 – Wellbeing gets emotional
There is, at last, a growing realisation that working out isn’t just about looking good – that arguably the most important, and certainly the most immediate, benefit of exercise is in fact the boost to mental and emotional health.
It means the world is catching up with our belief at Aspria: that true wellbeing isn’t about how you look, or even how fit you are. It’s about how you feel.
It also means we’re seeing more interest than ever in the field of mind-body. Xavier Pereils, Sports Coordinator at Aspria, comments: “The mindful nature of mind-body classes can help lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, lower stress, sharpen focus and boost memory. From Yoga to Pilates, stretching to meditation, these classes are the perfect opportunity to focus on your emotional, as well as your physical, wellbeing.”
#3 – Digital detox
2020 is set to be the year when we embrace the importance of mobile-free time.
Research suggests use of mobile phones is negatively impacting our self-esteem, relationships, sleep, decision-making skills, productivity, memory… The list goes on.
By chronically raising our levels of the stress hormone cortisol, mobile phone use may even have long-term health consequences; raised cortisol levels have been linked to higher risk of a whole range of serious health conditions, from high blood pressure to stroke to type 2 diabetes.
Of course, going totally tech-free in our digital world would be a challenge, but even if you just allocate some phone-free time – leaving your mobile in your locker while you work out, for example – you’ll be taking positive steps towards improved health.
#2 – Recovery goes mainstream
With stress a significant and growing issue across society, recovery is emerging as one of the most important trends in wellbeing. Relaxation is no longer seen as an indulgence, but as an investment in our health.
Recovery can be active: mind-body classes, for example, which offer time and space for breathing and contemplation. It can be about restorative ‘me time’ in a spa, with the proven benefits this brings for physical and mental health.
Or it can simply mean scheduling days off from exercise, recognising that we don’t have to push ourselves to our exercise limits every day just to reach our goals. In fact, says Florent Rivault, Wellbeing Manager at Aspria: “The key to maximising the impact of our workouts is to build recovery time into our routines, as this is when muscles rebuild and ‘upgrade’ after a workout.”
Which just leaves #1. So, what is the most important trend for your wellbeing this year? Find out here
