It seems that health is on everyone’s mind lately. And because life is so different these days due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, focusing on nourishing your body with healthy foods and diversifying your at-home workouts is not only essential for your physical health, it’s beneficial for your overall sense of well-being too. There are so many new, easy, and healthy ways to refocus your diet and workouts nourishing your body and your mind. Here are five innovative health and fitness trends in 2021 to make you healthier, fitter, and more disease-resistant this New Year.
1. Overnight Oatmeal
As you know, oatmeal itself is not an innovation. However, overnight oats are a new twist on an old classic.
There are many reasons to eat oats, including minerals and soluble fiber, which your body needs to function correctly. You may be thinking, it sounds great so far but is oatmeal good for weight loss? It is! Unlike a breakfast pastry or even a smoothie, oatmeal is digested slowly and will keep you feeling full all morning.
There are two benefits to eating overnight oats, rather than cooked oats. The first is that you will not have to cook it in the morning. Overnight oats are prepared with the liquid of your choice in a jar. They prepare themselves overnight in your refrigerator. In the morning, just grab the jar and go.
The second perk of uncooked oats is that no nutrients are lost in the process and uncooked oats provide many pre-and probiotics that are necessary for gut health because they encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria.
2. Red and Green Superfoods
The term “superfood” refers to nutrients found in fruits and vegetables, respectively. It’s no secret that fruits and vegetables are full of the vitamins and minerals needed for good health. Although everyone knows they should be eating at least five fruits and vegetables a day, this isn’t always easy.
Superfood generally comes in the form of a powder that you add to liquids like soups or smoothies. They fill in any gaps in nutrition and supply vitamins and minerals from hard-to-find produce you may never even have heard of before.
3. Smart Water Bottles
Water is often overlooked as a necessity for good health. Up to 60% of your body is water and you need to keep up that percentage if you want your body and brain to function correctly. It’s also important to keep your skin looking young.
Water leaves your body due to daily temperature and humidity levels. Caffeine and alcohol also cause too much water to be expelled due to their diuretic properties. By the time you actually feel thirsty, your body is well on the way to becoming dehydrated. The remedy for that is to drink water all day long.
There is a new generation of smart water bottles to help you with this goal. Some have encouraging markings on the side, some light up and others report progress to your phone. Choose one that you think will help you with your water intake goals.
4. Stationary Bikes
Stationary bicycles have been around for generations. However, no motivation was provided with the older models. People either watched the news or looked out the window while pedaling, which was not very inspiring.
The new breed of stationary bicycle includes a large screen that enables you to join an actual live spinning class or follow along with over one thousand pre-recorded classes. Of course, if your thing is just pedaling, you still have the option to look out the window as well. Choose whatever works the best for you
5. Workout Mirrors
The most surreal new exercise innovation is the exercise mirror. Although it may at first conjure up images of Snow White’s evil stepmother, it is actually a personal trainer that hangs on your wall.
When turned on, you can follow along with live exercise classes from many different genres, or choose pre-recorded ones. Your friends can join the same sessions and there is data at the bottom of the screen that shows how well you’re meeting your goals.
In Summary
It’s easy to make healthy and convenient choices as long as you’re informed and have an open mind to trying new things. If your health routine needs a new kickstart, one or more of these innovations could be just what you need. And If you think about the food you eat as serving a purpose for your body and mind, you will be well on your way to improving not only your diet but your lifestyle as well. While sometimes these new trends can sometimes be more expensive, health innovations have payment plans, so even if you can’t afford them now, you can pay over time while you improve your health.
Read some additional survey results about health and fitness trends in 2021 as reported by a poll of over 75,000 health and fitness, or medical professionals.
