It’s always interesting to look back on the past and view it with the benefit of hindsight. Remember the 80’s and neon? 90’s and flannel? The health and fitness industry is just as prone to adopting new trends as other segments of the marketplace. Here are the health and fitness trends we’ll likely remember when we look back on 2015:
- Wearable tech – between the Apple Watch, Nike Fuelband, Fitbit, and others, 2015 was the year wearable technology went beyond novelty and finally became a part of the mainstream. But this technology is not only about looking cool in front of your friends; by giving the public a chance to stay on top of their health information at all times, wearable tech is further inspiring health-mindedness. The development of “daily goals”-type apps is especially beneficial, since it turns daily diet and fitness into a game-like scenario that are fun to participate in.
- Social media support networks—along the same lines as wearable tech, the new variety of health and fitness apps also blend well with social media, providing users with new, broad support networks to help them keep themselves accountable and share their successes.
- Online and on-demand workouts—2015 was the year when dozens of new workout video websites enabled the fitness-minded to find any workout program they were interested in. Pay-per-view and subscription models give users additional flexibility to adapt these workouts to their lifestyle.
- Gluten-free goes mainstream—many people have become aware of their gluten intake in the past couple of years, but the trend really picked up this year, with the “gluten-free” label showing up both on restaurant menus and on supermarket shelves, thus lending additional legitimacy to the movement.
- Sober raves—finally giving those who are drug-free a chance to dance it all away, this trend in major urban centers includes rave parties that start early instead of late and feature juices and coffee instead of drugs and alcohol.
- Bone broth—this broth made by cooking the bones of beef, poultry, or fish in order to extract valuable nutrients is having a moment and has been ascribed almost mythical benefits including shinier hair, better digestion, and alleviation of joint pain. Experts question these, though they do agree that broth is nutritious and good for you in a more general way.
- Rewilding—this new trend created by 36-year-old Daniel Vitalis involves getting in touch with your animalistic side by spending more time outdoors in nature, hunting and gathering, and generally living like our ancestors did, in order to promote balance and well-being in our modern lives.
Some of these trends are here to stay, while others will likely be completely out of fashion within the year. But with this many great trends, we can only wonder—what new and fascinating health and fitness trends will 2016 bring?
