Eating real food, talking about our feelings, and getting more sleep are all beneficial.
For a variety of reasons, the way we care for our bodies, minds, and health changes throughout time. Thankfully, some health trends—like shake weights and low-fat everything—get forgotten, but some garner attention because research supports them and we’re better off following them.
These are some of the wellness fads that gained popularity in the 2010s and that experts predict will be popular in the 2020s.
1.] Making Self-Care A Priority.
Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Ph.D., the science director of the Greater Good Science Centre at the University of California, Berkeley, notes that for several decades, Americans (and people from other nations that suffer from overwork) have attempted to define success as unceasing busyness and personal achievement. According to her, it necessitates that people invest a significant amount of their time and energy in their profession and other pursuits that could impress others. “People are recognising this approach’s shortcomings.”
That’s why self-care is such a big cultural trend, she says, especially the informed kind that prioritises experiences and activities that consistently increase life satisfaction. She clarifies that it’s not about indulging ourselves, but rather making time for activities like eating a balanced diet, working exercise, getting enough sleep, and taking emotional breaks when necessary. It entails devoting a certain amount of our daily efforts to acquiring the social and emotional intelligence abilities that allow us to establish and uphold sustaining, meaningful relationships with others. It entails setting aside time to invest in our shared resources and communities.
She continues, “It’s also realising that those things matter just as much as our success in school and the workplace.”
2.] A Repositioning Of Sleep.
Let the decade of the 2010s be recognised as the one in which we, as a culture, transcended the idea that “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” You can attribute the change to the media’s growing focus on health and wellbeing, the proliferation of sleep monitors, and other technological advancements. However, sleep medicine specialists cite a growing body of research emphasising the numerous, significant ways that regular sleep that is both sufficient in duration and quality is associated with improved health.
Phyllis Zed, MD, Ph.D., a sleep medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine, states that “there is overwhelming scientific evidence that sleep quality and proper timing of sleep are essential for brain, immune, cardiovascular and metabolic health.” It has been demonstrated that inadequate sleep and irregular sleep and waking cycles raise the risk of diabetes, heart disease, weakened immune systems, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, it can enhance public safety and our general quality of life.
We now know that deep sleep—a state of sleep that you can only get if you’re getting excellent, high-quality sleep—is critical for memory and learning because it allows the brain to eliminate “waste” that accumulates during the day. We now know more about the connection between dementia risk and sleep apnea, a prevalent sleep problem, according to Zed. Zed adds that the fact that almost all cells have the genetic basis for circadian rhythms also explains why sleep and the timing of it affect human health in such a wide range of ways. (The finding of circadian clock genes won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology.)
3.] Strength Training Becomes Popular.
The days of bodybuilders being the only people in weight rooms are long gone. Give thanks to the development of CrossFit or the popularity of fitness influencers like as Joe Wicks, Michelle Lewin, and Kayla Itsines. Sculpted and sturdy is in; thin is out.
Strength training is a trend that will undoubtedly continue into the next ten years, according to Todd Schroeder, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California. Research has shown numerous advantages associated with strength training, including decreased risk of disease, decreased risk of injury, and improved functioning in later life. “Increasing bone mass through strength training helps delay the onset of osteoporosis as we age. Furthermore, all ageing causes a loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia), therefore maintaining daily activities—which frequently deteriorate with age—requires maintaining muscle mass through strength training.
According to Schroeder, his team is currently investigating the possibility that strength training could possibly be connected to enhanced cognitive performance. “The outcomes appear remarkable.”
4.] There Are Muscle Recovery Tools Everywhere.
The emphasis on post-workout muscle recovery is another fitness fad that has gained traction in recent years and should stick around. Foam rolling is becoming more and more common. Increased muscle length and joint range of motion are among its benefits, according to research. Because it boosts blood flow to the damaged area, it may also help break up scar tissue and lessen discomfort in the muscles after exercise, according to Schroeder. He notes that while it’s not a panacea, many find that it works wonders for sore muscles.
The introduction of massage and percussion therapy tools (such as the Hypervolt and Theragun) coincides with the rise of foam rolling. According to Schroeder, “both athletes and non-athletes use these devices as personal masseuses because they feel good.” He continues, “There’s not enough data to support the full scope of their potential advantages.” However, they are believed to function similarly to foam rolling; that is, by enhancing blood flow to the affected area, they can aid in reducing inflammation, promoting healing, and enhancing recuperation after an exercise. Schroeder advises utilising these gadgets if they improve your exercises or make you feel better because there isn’t much risk involved.
5.] Increasing The Focus On Mental Health.
According to Simon-Thomas, the 2010s have seen significant advancements in our understanding of the connection between our mental and emotional well-being and our general welfare. “There is a chance to challenge the status quo because of societal issues like the opioid crisis and extremely high levels of stress among teenagers,” she says. “It is not working to simply let mental health emerge in a stigmatised and passive manner.”
According to Robin Stern, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence, decades ago mindfulness and meditation were considered too mystical to be discussed in educational settings. However, throughout the past ten years, mindfulness programmes for kids of all ages (beginning with kindergarten) have proliferated. According to research, there is a connection between mental health and physical health behaviours, says Stern.
Apps for mindfulness and meditation have become more popular. There are more examples of social media users opening up about their mental health issues and getting support as a consequence. Celebrities have supported the cause, including Olympian Michael Phelps and the British royal family. According to Stern, “there is less of a stigma associated with seeking help, and an increasing number of people are willing to admit when they need it.”
6.] Recalling The Benefits Of Spending A Quiet Evening At Home.
In the last few years, several international wellness fads have gained popularity. Simon-Thomas points out that the Danish practice of “hygge” has a profound message. “It’s the notion that enjoyment and material possessions have no bearing on happiness,” she explains. She says that the things that sustain long-term happiness are the people you spend time with and the quality of those moments.
Our bodies are programmed to reduce the pleasure we derive from objects the more we are exposed to them. Simon-Thomas clarifies, however, that social pleasure functions in a different way. The more times people spend quality time together and enjoy each other’s company, the more positive effects result. The bottom line is that this emphasis on fostering happy, lively connections and warm, shared experiences is incredibly beneficial to our wellness.
7.] Eating A Plant-Based Diet Is Growing In Popularity.
According to Raquel Garzon, Ph.D., RDN, President of the Revitalise Project, a health and wellness coaching and training organisation for people, communities, and businesses, plant-based diets have been popular for many years. However, over the past ten years, she claims that both environmental and health considerations have demonstrated its value and contributed to its rising popularity.
“Eating foods derived from animals has a much larger carbon footprint than eating a plant-based diet,” the speaker claims. Additionally, there is evidence that these dietary practices may help reduce inflammation and prevent cancer, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic illnesses. “I think the plant-based trend will last for the next ten years, especially with the ongoing environmental protection movements and concerns about climate change,” she says.
8.] Gaining A Deeper Comprehension Of What Occurs In Our Guts.
“Over the past five years, research on the gut microbiome has exploded,” continues Garzon. Our bodies contain ten times as many microbial cells as human cells, and the ratio of human genes to the genes in our gut microbiomes is approximately 150 to 1. Thus far, research has demonstrated that gut bacteria are crucial for immune system maintenance, serotonin synthesis, anti-inflammatory activity, and vitamin synthesis, among other functions. Furthermore, a number of illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, thyroid problems, autism, mental disorders, digestive disorders, asthma, and almost all autoimmune disorders have been connected to an imbalance of gut bacteria.
“We know that the diet is another important factor, even though many lifestyle and environmental factors impact the type of bacteria we have in our gut,” adds Garzon. As of right now, we know that a varied diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fibre encourages the diversity of bacteria that live in the gut. According to her, future research will provide more detailed dietary advice on how people can particularly alter their own gut microbiomes to maximise the effects of their unique genes and current gut flora profiles.
9.] Developing The Ability To Disagree.
It’s hard to claim that we’ve improved much in this area in the 2010s, but at least we’ve begun to realise that it’s something we should do better in the coming ten years in almost every part of our lives.
According to Simon-Thomas, “the only way that that progress can occur is being able to manage, and constructively negotiate conflict. Conflict is a crucial step in the course of making the kinds of change that amount to human progress.” “I believe that the impermanent state of disagreement in which we currently find ourselves in the United States and around the world is extremely frustrating and disheartening to people.”
How do we develop these abilities? She continues, “We have to work on relearning how to apologise, forgive, and compromise, as well as how to discuss and resolve disagreements in a constructive manner.”
