The Year's Biggest Health And Fitness Trends
The diet and workout trends keeping us fit through 2018.
Keto Craze
A low-carb, high-fat diet might just be the secret to dropping pounds - fast. The keto diet, also called ketogenic, is a diet that all but eliminates carbs. When your body doesn't use carbs for fuel, it creates ketones, which help your body process its own fat for energy instead. The good news? You can eat as much cheese as you want. The bad news? Some followers find the diet hard to stick to in the long-term.
What The Health
A little Netflix documentary, What The Health, made waves in 2017 for its dramatic denunciation of the standard American diet. It argued that a plant-based vegan diet was the key to unlocking optimal health. As message of the film spread across social media - dozens of stars spoke up about adopting a vegan diet for health, ethical, or environmental reasons. Even Kylie Jenner went vegan - briefly.
Intermittent Fasting
One of the biggest diet trends is not a diet at all. It's a timer. Intermittent fasting (sometimes called IF) is a a weight loss strategy that involves squeezing in all your day's calories in a short amount of time. The most popular way to go about it is with the 16:8 diet - 16 hours of fasting followed by 8 hours of eating. Giving your body a fasting period is said to regular insulin and blood sugar for a healthier overall body fat percentage.
Box It Out
What's old is new again, at least when it comes to fitness. Boxing was (surprisingly) one of the trendiest workouts this year, thanks in part to supermodels like Gigi Hadid who love how it keeps them lean but toned. In New York City, models and non-models alike flock to Gotham Gym (where Hadid and her sister Bella train).
Vitamins Gone Chic
This year saw a crop of new multivitamin startups aiming to disrupt an industry that has so long neglected aesthetics and consumer transparency. Ritual vitamins (shown at left) claim to boost energy levels and improve nutrition all while being vegan, non-GMO, and free of allergens.
Train Like An Angel
Victoria's Secret Angels don't look that good because of genetics alone (though, that does help). To show just how hard models really train, Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes began documenting their intense workout sessions on a dedicated Instagram account called @Joja.
Inner Beauty
Like a protein powder for the fashion set, a new bunch of anti-aging, wellness, and health supplements spiked in popularity this year. Throw a spoonful into your smoothie, coffee, or yogurt - whatever. The blends of ingredient like probiotics, vitamins, caffeine, and minerals, claim to do everything from improving skin clarity to boosting energy levels.
The Climb
Climbing gyms have been climbing in popularity for the last few years. That's because the workout is challenging but low impact, and can burn 500 to 900 calories in one session. Dedicated spaces for climbing have popped up in California, Texas, and New York City (like Dumbo Boulders, pictured at left) lately, with more climbing gyms on the way.
All Matcha Everything
It's pretty-green, it's tasty, and it's as spiked with caffeine as a cup of coffee - there are so many reasons why matcha was the hottest ingredient of 2016. The powdered green tea can be added to desserts, savory meals, or just your daily latte. And while it's touted as being a superfood for its anti-inflammatory and stress-reducing properties, it can also be harmful if over-ingested (since you're consuming the whole tea leaf, which may be contaminated with lead).
Meditation Goes Mainstream
Ommmmm - do you hear that? It's the sound of hundreds of New Yorkers finding inner peace and relaxation at trendy new boutique meditation studios like Inscape (pictured at left) or MNDFL. At the latter, you can book a class with an expert teacher who will guide you through the session, or just pop-in on your lunch break for a quick moment of peace and quiet. Inscape, which just opened in November 2016, is the brainchild of Khajak Keledjian, the co-founder and former CEO of Intermix. Meditation lessons at Inscape are guided by a soothing, ambient, electronic voice - both in the studio (so there are no instructors) and on the brand's app. This unique feature makes Inscape's experience cohesive, whether you're doing it in a group setting or when alone and on the road.
Enter Adaptogens
Adaptogens have been top-of-mind for health and wellness junkies for the last several years. But now there are more ways than ever to work their stress-fighting, normalizing abilities into our everyday routines. These natural and herbal substances (like ginseng, ashwagandha, and activated charcoal) regulate the adrenal system to cause less spikes of inflammation and stress throughout the day. You can find them in everything from juices to skincare, but the most typical route is through a powdered supplement boost you can add to your favorite smoothies and meals.
Hello, HIIT
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), the practice of combining short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest, doesn't just burn fat and build muscle - it's also ideal for any woman short on time (so, all of us). With some workouts taking only 15 or 30 minutes, there's no wonder HIIT has become a household acronym this year. Plus, dozens of dedicated HIIT gyms have popped up to help us train harder, better, faster, and stronger. In New York, try the Fhitting Room, Dogpound, or Kore for your HIIT fix.
Selena's Sweat
Selena Gomez made headline this year when she told ELLE about her unusual secret to staying fit: burrito sweat beds. "I have a sweat bed, which looks like a burrito that I wrap myself up in, and I sweat for about 45 minutes," she said. "I started going to a place called Shapehouse...and you lay in these beds in a sweatsuit, and they wrap you up and you sweat for 45 minutes and it releases all the toxins of your body, and you kind of feel ... kind of the equivalent of a sauna, but it gets your heart rate up, and it gets everything flowing in your body." Shapehouse claims that one of their sweat sessions can burn between 800-1,600 calories.
The Kayla Effect
Kayla Itsines has nearly six million followers on Instagram. And no, she's not a celebrity (well, I guess that depends on who you ask). Itsines is a fitness guru and creator of the Bikini Body Guide (BBG) workout, which you've no doubt seen on a slew of influencers' social posts. Her jaw-dropping transformations, easy-to-follow guides, and positive outlook on body image has made Itsines gain a cult-like following.
Fade Frenzy
We didn't think any music video could make a splash quite like Kanye West's "Famous" video. We were wrong. All it took was model Teyana Taylor, her killer body, a gym, and West's track "Fade" to make the most inspiring fitness video of all time. Taylor later announced that she was working on her own fitness tapeinspired by the video. Take all our money.
Say No To GMO
One of the biggest battles in the food and health space right now is the controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While there is a scientific consensus that GMO foods are safe, the public at large still isn't convinced. But regulations on U.S. farmers is getting stricter, and the debate over labeling GMO and non-GMO food is growing more tense.
Kim's Transformation
Kim Kardashian's weight fell off before our eyes after she gave birth to her son Saint. And for that, she had the low-carb Atkins diet and an intense workout schedule to thank. "I did a strict Atkin's diet. Strict, strict, strict," Kardashian told WWD. "It was really hard for me to diet [with the] first baby. This time was so much easier and I realized [it comes down to] the food. I mean, I love to work out and you definitely have to work out to tone up, but so much of it is how you eat. I had to really stay focused. I had to cut out all the sweets and I had such a sweet tooth. After-baby body? I welcome that challenge. It's so crazy to see what your body can go through and what it's capable of." Kardashian's success with the program gave the once-popular diet newfound fans.
The Avocado Crisis
If you can't live without your fix of avocado toast, you're not alone. And that's exactly the problem. Everyone's favorite health food had a massive shortage this year, inciting hysteria among fans. The weather and drought in California, as well as a workers' strike in Mexico, caused restaurants and grocers to pull avocados off their menus and shelves. Prices surged, and we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but next year's crop isn't looking too great, either.
The Death of Diet Soda
As green juice and Le Croix have surged in popularity among the fashion community, Diet Coke might have seen its end of days. Soda consumption in the U.S. reached a 30-year low in 2016, while diet sodas have contributed to 94% of all soft drink declines since 2010, according to Business Insider. And in October, the New York Times reported on a study that shows diet soda consumption can undermine your weight loss goals.
Fitness Tracker Backlash
Fitness trackers are the biggest thing to happen to the fitness community since lace-up sneakers. But a study published in JAMA in September 2016 found that they might not actually aid in weight loss. Participants who wore a fitness tracker for 18 months lost fewer pounds throughout the experiment than those who did not track their activity. So while it may be cool to have data about how many steps you've taken, how long you've slept, and how many calories you've burned - you might be better off with a little less knowledge.
Clean Eating, Not Cleanses
Last year was the year of cleanses, this year was the year of clean eating. The premise is simple: eat as much unprocessed, natural foods as possible - then Instagram the hell out of them and tag #cleaneating. The more colorful, the better. Jokes aside, the clean eating phenomenon is just another promising extension of the movement toward healthier eating and fitness habits in this country, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Drip Drop
Maybe you had a little too much to drink last night. Or you're feeling under the weather. Or both. The fastest way to get back on track? New mobile IV drip services that deliver souped-up hydration and nutrients in a hurry. They're a little strange (and nausea-inducing if you hate needles), but fans of the practice say it brings their health back into tip-top shape faster than you can say "ouch."
The New Milks
Dairy-alternative milks officially went mainstream last year when Starbucks added coconut milk to their menu (they already had soy and almond). There are now nearly a dozen alternatives to cow's milk, like cashew, rice, pea, and hemp. But this year, a new tech start-up has aimed to formulate a dairy-based milk made without cows. So whether you've quit the white stuff over environmental, animal, or health concerns, there are now more options than ever before.
FODMAP Foods
If you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, then you probably already know about the low-FODMAP diet. Sticking to approved foods on the plan, and avoiding the long list of triggers like sugar and carbohydrates , has seen remarkable results in IBS patients this year (some studies have shown as much as a 61 percent improvement in symptoms). So it's no surprise that the diet is gaining popularity even among those without severe gut problems. In October, Newsweek reported that Nestlé Health Science is even in the process of formulating its own low-FODMAP foods called ProNourish, essentially bringing the strict diet to the mainstream.
Inside-Out
Fans of Amanda Chantal Bacon and her wellness supplement company Moon Juice - you're in luck. The vegan and health guru has just released her first cookbook jam-packed with recipes like Hot Sex Milk (your guess is as good as ours) and Chocolate Chaga Donuts. You can pick it up online or at her boutique in Los Angeles, alongside a wealth of various trendy health ingredients packaged in chic little jars.
Speaking Out Against Body Shaming
Never has the topic of body and fat shaming been more in the public consciousness than in 2016. On one end, celebrities like Bella Hadid and Zendaya have come out defending their health because of their ultra-slender frames. While on the other end, even more celebrities and models like Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne (and even Olympian Simone Biles) have come out swinging in defense of their own body shapes and weight. But at the end of the day, it's about being healthy and fit at any size.
New Superfoods
Spinach. Quinoa. Bone broth. Pomegranate. Goji berries. Bee pollen. What do all these foods have in common? They're touted as superfoods - a kind of souped-up dietary wonder that can do just about anything regular food can't. Feel a cold coming on? Superfood. Want to fight signs of aging? Superfood. In reality, there's little evidence to support such claims. But that's not to say these foods aren't rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other elements your body needs to be healthy. Experts do warn that too much of a good thing can be dangerous, so get your fix of superfoods without overdoing it.
The diet and workout trends keeping us fit through 2018.