What’s New in Wellness for 2021?
What are some of the 2021 wellness trends that affect older women?
2021 was a year of change. With everything going on, we have had to make many adjustments to our daily lives, including our fitness and wellness routines. Although the year is not over yet, I have reflected on the wellness trends of 2021.
Many trends got started in light of the pandemic, but even in the years to come I can see them being a great addition to our wellness routines. Here are some of the 2021 wellness trends along with my thoughts about how we, as older women, can incorporate them into our life.
1. A shift to online
There is no doubt that so much of our life and wellness related activities have moved online. This trend is heavily influenced by the pandemic, as it has caused us to shift a lot of the things we used to do in person to virtual activities.
This has changed how many of us exercise. There are now all sorts of training sessions, exercise videos and even yoga studios online!
This has worked well for some people, but not for others.
Personally, I moved my whole business online. I don’t do in person classes at all anymore. I offer group Zoom yoga classes and all my private one on one sessions online. I also started my private women’s wellness Facebook group (link) and my Bloom Wellness & Yoga membership (link), where we can collaborate virtually to reach our fitness goals.
It is definitely fair to say that yoga classes online and in person are not the same. However, being online has provided us with so many more resources than we could have ever imagined. You can now take advantage of more accessible classes, programs and courses tailored to suit your specific needs. This includes my chair yoga class, perfect for those who want to practice yoga but need more support. It may be hard to find yoga classes in person that do not involve complex poses unsuitable for those with joint problems.
2. The development of new apps and devices
This one is tech related as well. Wellness and fitness tracking apps have sprung up over the last two years.
For example, the Apple watch tracks many of our statistics, including our sleep, exercise, and even our heart rate.
This helps us keep track of our daily numbers, not just for ourselves but so that we can share them with our doctors as well.
However, this may not always be a good thing because we can get obsessed with every little number. Everything in moderation.
There are many other apps that help us keep track of what we are eating, provide us with exercise routines that fit our schedules and even help us with our breathing and meditation. These are some resources that are easier to access now virtually, many for free!
3. A focus on stress management and mental health
In 2021 there has been a greater focus on our mental health. It is safe to say that throughout the pandemic, we have been more stressed and anxious. I think that is why there has been a more open and frank discussion about our mental health issues.
This was not always so comfortable to talk about, so I think it is great that it is more present online and in the media now. We all struggle from time to time with managing our stress and anxiety and it is great to hear more people talking about it.
This has also led to an increase in stress management apps focusing on mindfulness, meditation, and breath work.
Overall, there are more resources available to help us manage when we are going through a hard time.
Mental health should be a priority because it affects all aspects of our lives, including our physical health.
4. A focus on the quality of sleep
Heavily affected by the pandemic, our lifestyles and sleep patterns have been disrupted. That’s why there is an emphasis now on getting better quality sleep.
There are now apps that monitor your sleep, letting you know when you wake up, how long you are in REM sleep and more. Like I said, there are apps for everything! There are even smart mattresses that can be adjusted for our specific needs.
Sleep is so important especially for people over 40, because as we get older, we don't sleep as well. Let’s take advantage of the resources out there, and now there are even more!
5. A focus on functional and immuno-boosting foods
There are now many products and services, including foods that advertise their ability to boost our immune systems.
The pandemic also influenced this trend as many of us want to boost our immune systems to help us to fight off the virus naturally. A healthy immune system is key to our overall wellness. This is why eating functional foods is so great for us - food is our medicine.
Yoga has a place in all these trends! Yoga is great for your overall health and solves or helps to solve many of the issues mentioned above. Yoga is beneficial for stress management, immune system boosting, and sleep related issues such as insomnia.
Plus yoga is also accessible to everyone.
If you are looking to try out any of the wellness trends from 2021, you can start your yoga practice today!
Join the KARIN YOGA LIFE Wellness & Yoga private Facebook group community! Our community is all about living healthy, happy and pain free over 40.
We share about how to navigate the changes taking place in our bodies and lives. We talk a lot about yoga, but also about keeping active, eating nourishing food, managing stress, and self care in its many forms!
And we have fun!
JOIN NOW.