Top health and wellness trends 2020

Experiment with virtual at home workouts

The recent proliferation of online instructor-led classes means that exercising in the comfort of your own home has never been easier or more effective. Being too busy is no longer a good enough excuse. Fitness classes (HIIT, yoga, biking) as well as personal training sessions can now be streamed effectively online to your preferred digital medium at home. .

Leading the trend for virtual at home workouts is ‘The Mirror’, a new exercise tool which serves as a regular, full length mirror when switched off, but doubles as interactive fitness studio, when switched on. When on, stream unlimited classes (more than 70 are on offer) or join one of the many on-demand workouts at any time of the day. In the mirror you will see yourself, your instructor and fellow ‘class participants,’ as you sweat your way through your chosen routine. Embedded with a camera and speakers, The Mirror’s virtual instructor will guide you through your exercise, real time, and offer personalised ‘shout outs’ to keep you motivated.

Top up sleep at wellness pods

Increased awareness of the synergy of mind, body and spirit has led to a surge in meditation, mindfulness, breathing and relaxation-based classes across London. Indeed, some of the capital’s trendiest gyms now offer dedicated relaxation rooms to ‘rebalance’ after the burn of your workout. Sleep, which is vital for maintaining good mental and physical wellbeing, will continue to top the priority list for 2020.

Pop & Rest (Holborn & Old Street) offers busy, sleep-deprived and stressed-out Londoners private peaceful spaces to recharge away from home. The wellness hub rents out specially designed pods, in which you can meditate, ‘sleep on the go’ or simply take time out to clear your headspace. Settle in to your pod for a minimum of 30 minutes, to a maximum of 4 hours for a restorative zone out.

Prices start at £8 for 30 minutes.

Personalise fitness and nutrition with DNA testing

Health and fitness programmes are becoming much more personal thanks to leaps in technological advancements. Many companies now offer in depth analysis of your bodily make-up, including gut microbe analysis, stool sampling (offered by Healthpath), bespoke supplements (Bioniq) and DNA testing kits. The results from such tests should help you make informed and healthy decisions about your nutrition and fitness plans.

Why? Because our genetic make-up plays a part in how we metabolise foods; our ability to build muscle; and our predisposition to excel at various different forms of exercise. DNA testing kits can be ordered online, a saliva test submitted, and the results received within 10 working days. Uniquely personalised packages of diet and exercise information is then prescribed to promote optimum health.

DNAfit is one such company offering personalised genetic insights. Included in its package are 11 different measures of food sensitivity as well as nutrient reports assessing levels of 13 nutrients in your body. This information along with fitness insights into body types, strength and aerobic capability, and injury predisposition helps you to make informed choices about your health and fitness routine.

While it’s a nice idea, does it really work? Recent science has raised questions over the efficacy of DNA plans, suggesting that environmental stressors could play a far greater role in how the body responds to food and exercise than our DNA.

CBD Skincare will continue to make waves

Cannabidiol (CBD) products will continue to play their game changing role in the health and wellness industries in 2020. CBD sits neatly at the intersection of three major health preoccupations: natural beauty, general wellness, and anxiety treatment.

Whilst its natural calming properties have been lauded in the medical world for decades, CBD – the hemp derivative – is taking the skincare world by storm. CBD has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties which will help reduce signs of ageing and help to give you radiant and glowing skin.

Beauty brand CBD of London harnesses the powerful ingredients in CBD in a trio of products in its new range: an eye repair serum; an anti-ageing cream, rich in CBD, collagen and retinol; and an advanced skin reviver night repair cream containing CBD.

Try a new fitness class

Across London new gyms and niche studios, offering a wealth of innovative and inspiring group classes, are keeping pace with public demand for endless exercise variety. The below fitness options have really piqued our interest.

Friend-ercise

Right Path Fitness studio has launched a new Friend-ercise class, which aims to help Londoners find pals whilst exercising. During the 45-minute total workout, you will ‘buddy up’ for 45 second-bouts of team building exercises. After the sweaty bonding session, grab a snack or a mocktail at the bar with new friends.

DAN’s, London’s first Latino dance-fitness studio, is a place where ‘wellness, socialising and positive energy’ unite through a shared passion for dance. At DAN’s, anything goes: dance the Rumba ’till you drop, strike up a conversation in the Rhythm Bar, or work up a sweat during one of the diverse classes on offer. What more could you want from your workout?

The cardio fitness newcomer

The Ski-Erg is a newcomer to the cardio fitness equipment scene. Based on the principle of Nordic skiing, the Ski-Erg is an effective endurance exercise tool, (when set on low intensity), but can be ramped up to provide effective high intensity cardio to give the user a functional full body workout. Expect to see it introduced in gyms countrywide in circuits classes or as an individual piece of equipment.

‘Extinction Training’

Gymbox now offers ‘Extinction Training’ as part of its repertoire of interesting classes. Kitted out in asphyxiation masks, with limited water supplies, and in high temperatures in a basement in Farringdon, you will be put through your paces in a simulated Armageddon scenario. You squat, bear crawl, push up and sweat your way through this 45-minute extreme HIIT session. This class will test your resistance and stamina in the hypothetical event of irreversible climate change.

Embrace the greens

More and more people are choosing to embrace a plant-based diet – for reasons that include animal welfare concerns, health and wellness maximisation, environmental pressures and personal taste.

Well planned plant-based diets can be part of a healthy lifestyle at any age. But if you plan to embrace this dietary framework, it is vital to ensure that you eat a variety of wholefoods to make it sustainable and balanced. It may be wise to consult a nutritionist or nutritional therapist for advice. In the meantime, check out our round-up of the best vegan restaurants in London.

Team bonding through group exercise

Companies are waking up to the benefits of team bonding through collective exercise. Boozy company offsites, which take their toll on the workforce psyche and the corporate wallet, are being cast aside in favour of sweaty and motivating workforce workouts.

In some instances, teams are heading to the gym for an hour of stimulating cardio, or signing up for buddy-friendly team sponsored events – marathon runs and cycle rides are particularly popular. The concept is extremely versatile, and time and cost effective, too. Exercise promotes endorphins, engendering a feeling of wellbeing, collaborative spirit, and motivation – a winning formula for health-conscious corporates. You could also sign up for a group sweat with your friends! There’s no need to keep it between colleagues.

Go on a retreat to restore physical and emotional balace

Residential meditation, detox and yoga retreats in the UK and abroad have long been popular. But short retreats or workshops focusing on specific problems are gaining more attraction.

These include everything from sound bath healing workshops to meditative yin yoga sessions. Among the workshops that have recently caught our eye, though, is a two day non-residential ‘divorce retreat’ in Sussex, managed by Sara Davison, a Divorce and Breakup Coach.

The workshop aims to dissolve the deep-rooted ball of emotional pain resulting from divorce, and replace it with a warm, fluffy blanket of acceptance. Participants are given advice on how to move forwards in their life and can expect to emerge with new intentions, a functionally friendly attitude to their ex-partner and a new-found confidence to embrace what life throws at them.

Wearable technology

Wearable technology in the field of health and fitness has been around for some years: smart watches, smart jewellery and fitness trackers are among the most popular products in the field for their ability to motivate you to lead a healthier life.

New to the wearable tech market are Ayo Light Therapy Glasses. Promising to increase energy, help with insomnia, beat jetlag and help to combat mild depression, these glasses emit a special, scientifically proven blue light, which stimulates sensory cells in the eyes and in turn helps with the adjustment of the internal body clock.

Expose yourself to AYO light for about 20 minutes a day to achieve optimum sleep and energy levels. With the continued hubbub surrounding the importance of sleep we picture this trend really taking off.

Sustainable activewear

From biodegradable yoga mats to organic cotton knit underwear, sustainable activewear has taken the fitness industry by storm. As the call for conscious consumption grows louder, more and more activewear brands are responding to the cry with ‘eco-friendly’collections. Look to longstanding favourite Stella McCartney for ethical swimwear; EcoYoga for mats made out of plant-based materials; and Alternative Apparel for eco-friendly post-exercise loungewear.