Every year a fresh crop of wellness trends rule the health news cycle and grab the attention of anyone hoping to improve their health in some way or another. In 2018, we witnessed the incredible rise of self-care—and that’s certainly not going anywhere. So, it’s no surprise that many of 2019’s trends focus on both physical and mental health. The gap between fitness and mindfulness is ever-closing. As a result, the general female population is more and more focused on what’s in the healthy foods we’re eating, how workouts benefit our long-term function, and how the products we use impact us. From natural deodorant to limiting alcohol intake, here are some of the biggest health trends for women in 2019.
Mindful Eating Over Dieting
According to data from Pinterest, there’s been a 475 percent increase in searches for nutrition planning and mindful eating, signaling a shift from a diet-focused mindset. (Research shows that crash diets aren’t sustainable anyway.)
Mindful eating is the act of using your senses to fully engage with your food and listening to hunger cues to nourish your body in the way that it needs. The purpose of mindful eating is to see food as fuel and to avoid thinking of certain foods as “good” or “bad,” a mentality that’s at the core of diet culture.
Not only is eating mindfully known to help with weight loss, but it also promotes healthy eating habits and helps combat emotional and binge eating.
Another sure-fire way to promote weight loss is with a regular fitness routine. Get started with Aaptiv today.
Breath Work
Just like mindfulness became a bigger part of the wellness lexicon in 2018, breathwork is now gaining steam in the health and fitness world. Breathwork is the act of controlled breathing exercises that benefit the body and mind. While there are many types, a common form involves deep breathing, in which you lengthen both your inhales and exhales.
Whether you use it for coping with stress or you incorporate it into workouts such as yoga, breath work helps reduce anxiety, improve concentration, and calm your body. The beauty of breath work is that it can be done anywhere. Taking a few minutes each day to practice it at home or work can improve your mental state.
Breath work with yoga or meditation is a great tool in promoting mental health. Aaptiv has classes in both categories.
Ditching or Limiting Alcohol
Many people partake in Dry January, a month of no alcohol after an often booze-heavy holiday season. But data from Pinterest shows that searches for sober motivational quotes and alcohol-free drink ideas are up 746 percent, meaning more people are ditching drinking and opting for a sober life.
Alcohol can have negative effects on exercise, weight, and sleep, so it makes sense that folks interested in improving their overall health are cutting back on drinking. Plus, a recent global study published in The Lancet found that no amount of alcohol is safe.
Limiting Phone Use and Digital Detoxes
Phone dependency is a real issue, and the overuse of social media has the potential to harm our well-being. The push to limit screen time comes amid a larger digital detox movement, where people are intentionally cutting back on—or stopping—phone use and/or social media browsing for a certain period of time.
Tech giants such as Apple and Google have recently introduced more monitoring features on smartphones, allowing users to track how long they’ve been using their gadgets. Apps such as Mute and SPACE record screen time, which helps people become mindful of phone time.
Digital-free holidays are becoming more popular, too. Shutting off technology while on vacation helps people disconnect from the online world in order to fully enjoy the present moment, de-stress, and have real-life experiences.
Natural Deodorant
If you’ve spotted a growing selection of natural deodorants popping up on shelves, get ready to see more. Large beauty corporations have started to buy natural deodorant companies as the demand for these products continues to grow.
Antiperspirants contain aluminum, which clogs sweat glands and stops you from sweating. Natural deodorants, on the other hand, should be chemical-free and don’t stop sweating. They simply prevent odor. Natural deodorant comes in many forms, including jars, sticks, and sprays.
Oat Milk
While almond milk has been a popular dairy alternative for the past few years, oat milk just might take the top spot in 2019. According to data from Pinterest, searches for the beverage have increased 186 percent on the site.
Even Starbucks is jumping on the bandwagon. In 2018, Starbucks locations across Europe added oat milk to their dairy-free options, and an increasing amount of coffee shops in North America now offer it, too. Oat milk is gluten-free and vegan, so it’s a popular choice for folks with food intolerances or on specific diets.
Tampon Alternatives
Sustainable period products are catching on. With a growing interest in protecting the environment and eliminating plastic waste, more women are turning to greener menstrual products such as reusable pads, the DivaCup, and period-absorbing underwear like THINX.
Even staple tampon brand Tampax just introduced a menstrual cup to its product line, saying that “more women are considering cups as part of their period routines.”
Better Sleep
Many of us don’t get enough sleep, but there’s a renewed interest in ensuring quality rest. Pinterest data found a 116 percent increase in searches for sleep logs, revealing a heightened interest in tracking our shut-eye.
Sleep, after all, helps brain functions, exercise performance, and mood, making it the cornerstone of good health. So power off your laptop, smartphone, or TV, and hit the sack early tonight.
Also, try a sleep meditation with Aaptiv.
This is just a handful of wellness and health trends on the horizon for women in 2019. Keep track of what trends pop up into the health news cycle. Be sure to do research on each trend that interests you and make sure it works for your lifestyle.