Happy New Year and Hello to 2016! Happy Birthday too, to all the New Year babies, young and old! Did you know that January is named after the Roman god, Janus, the god of doors because this month is the door to the year? And January originally consisted of 30 days when it was added to the 10-month Roman calendar, which happened around 700BC by Numa Pompilius. However, in 46 BC Julius Caesar added a day making it 31 days long.
The New Year usually brings thoughts of making changes or thinking about making the most of our healthy & fitness during the year. Interestingly, the January birthstone, GARNET symbolizes constancy, quite apt for this time of year. Loyalty, faithfulness, commitment, dedication, determination, tenacity commitment and staying power are all positive words associated with the red gem.
So what’s happening health & fitness wise in the next 12 months? Here is the top 10 based on a survey of 2,800 health and fitness professionals worldwide who were given 40 potential trends to choose from.
1. We see the ever-advancing technological era continue during 2016, wearable technology, including smart watches fitness trackers and GPS tracking devices from brands like Jawbone, Fitbit, Pebble, Garmin and more, are expected to be one of the most popular fitness trends this year. According to The American Academy of Sports Medicine “Tech devices are now central to our daily lives and have changed the way we plan and manage our workouts”. If you are interested in technology, a good site to have a look at would be www.techradar.com/news/wearables/10-best-fitness-trackers.
2. Body weight training, including press-ups, sit-ups and other strength training that doesn’t require weights – fantastic exercise for anyone who travels or has time constraints due to work pressures.
3. HiiT (High Intensity Interval Training), an effective blast of alternating intense bursts of activity, either cardio or weight based and a fixed period of less-intense or even complete rest – great for raising the heartbeat, fat burning and creating lean muscle. An entire workout can usually be performed in 30 minutes or less – so no excuses.
4. Strength training. I believe this is one for everyone and is not just for the young. OK you’ll tone up and build muscle but you’ll also burn fat, burn more calories and protect your bone health and muscle mass. Important to all of us “of a certain age!”
5. Educated and experienced fitness professionals are a must, and I believe that the role of fitness professionals will become more holistic, being more involved in injury management and nutrition and working with musculoskeletal professionals such as myself. We saw in 2015 a rise of the personal trainer/celebrity, which emphasizes the importance of national fitness certifications and credentials more than ever.
6. Personal Training is now offered at most gyms in the Bury area and if you are new to exercise, an older exerciser or looking to reach new fitness goals, working with a personal trainer can be really beneficial. Not only will they prevent you from hurting yourself on equipment you are unfamiliar with or over-doing things, they will encourage and motivate you to help you achieve your ultimate health and fitness goals.
7. Functional fitness is great as the workouts mimic and support our daily activities. Exercises like bending down, picking things up, walking upstairs and pulling/pushing doors are all included – it really makes sense.
8. Fitness programmes that keep older adults healthy and active are still in the top 10. A good call, as research shows that after the age of 40 we lose muscle mass and strength and may suffer from the dreaded “love handles”.
9. Exercise and weight loss. This may not seem like a trend per say, but in addition to exercise, nutrition continues to be a key component of weight-loss programs and can lead to great health benefits.
10. Yoga/Yogalates – I didn’t realise how many different types of yoga there are, new iterations such as fat yoga and salty yoga seem to be “the in-thing”. Other forms of yoga include Power Yoga, Yogalates, Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kripalu, Anurara, Kundalini, Sivananda and much more – the choice is yours.
Looking for something different? You can always have a go at Parkour – street fitness like the Ninja Warriors, Surfing indoors on mechanical boards, great for core stability, Rebounding – you don’t need to don the lycra this time around, but bounce away on your own trampete, Cardio tennis, exercises are performed to up tempo music and best of all you can expect to burn more calories, or Childs Play a retro and innovative adult only exercise programme of British Bulldog, Tag and Capture the flag.
Nutrition in 2016
So that’s fitness, what about nutrition? Well it’s quite simple, as a Nutritionist who believes in naturopathic eating, 2016 will see an emphasis on naturally functional nutrition, which uses food as a healer rather than just as sustenance. This is our strongest foundation for good health, and I approve whole-heartedly. So what else is happening?
1. More emphasis on cutting sugar consumption will be continuing throughout 2016, with many food manufacturers changing their formulations for the current trend.
2. Low-fat eating is continuing to face a long slow death. I cannot think of anything more disturbing than eating heavily processed and chemically enhanced food. Not all low-fat foods are good for us. Go natural, your body will love you for it.
3. Old weight management business models are failing, so many will continue to cash in on the naturopathic nutrition idea.
4. Vegetable proteins are due to fly this year and are more sustainable and affordable than animal sources. Algae, nuts, vegetables, yeast and even insects will be used as ingredients to up the protein punch. Algae cooking oils are due to take the market by storm for anyone interested in their internal health. Algae oil is 75% less saturated fat than olive oil and has the highest level of monounsaturated fat. Versatile and easy on the palette it can be used for cooking and salad dressing.
5. Look for an emphasis on “less is more” – fewer ingredients, and many more products touting their “free from” claims – free-from growth hormones, free-from GMOs, free from gluten and other allergens. Digestive wellness is the secret driver of this and other trends.
6. The good carbs vs bad carbs debate continues but we will probably see the continued rise of good grains such as oats, quinoa, spelt, pearl barley, buck-wheat. Grains are good for the cardio-vascular system, digestive health and even longevity.
7. Unfortunately, a blot on the landscape, which I am all too aware of, will be the prevalence of what the marketing companies call “Snackification”. We will be seeing more & more food products brought to the market to encourage snacking rather than eating nutritious natural foods. Breakfast, mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks are the main ones to be promoted so just be aware when you are in the supermarket. Don’t be taken in by the hype.
At the Delglyn Clinic we take health and fitness very seriously, after all our bodies were designed to move and move they must, they also need to right nourishment and care too. Which is why 2016 will see a few changes in Clinic with more emphasis on a more holistic approach to health, fitness and wellbeing. You’ll be able to catch up with what I’m doing and visit my Natural Kitchen, on my new website, which will be up and running in the New Year.
