Health and fitness trends of 2021

2021 ushered in a whole slew of health and fitness trends, thanks to the pandemic. People believed that exercising could help keep the virus at bay, and social media influencers have taken the opportunity to capitalize on the trend. As a result, fitness trends 2021 included new diets, exercise clothes, and eye yoga. That's right, eye yoga. Here are the top trends that dominated the early half of 2021.

Top Ten Fitness Trends 2021

Running

Running seems to have been making a comeback ever since the pandemic began. Of course, at first, going outside for leisure wasn't allowed, so people made do with the space they had at home. Then, running loops around or inside the house became popular once more, and when restrictions for going out loosened, people took advantage of parks, trails, and surrounding forests in their area. Finally, going up and down the street was acceptable for people who wanted to reduce their carbon footprint by indulging in low-impact exercise.

Parks and trails allowed social distancing since they were big enough to accommodate large groups, and people took enough precautions by not participating in hikes with many people.

Eye yoga

It isn't about making your eyes do the downward dog. Instead, it is part of FaceGym, where all facial muscles are exercised. Since people work from home, they spend more time on mobile devices and laptops or desktop computers. The glare from these devices strains the eyes; eye yoga encourages taking a break from staring at a screen and doing slow and gentle eye movements to ease the eyeballs and sockets.

Fitness clothing

Cute and comfortable exercise clothing has also been making a comeback. Several Tiktok content creators introduced the butt-sculpting leggings and the dolphin shorts as perfect clothes for working out. In addition, athleisure became popular once more, as people combined comfort and utility while exercising.

Wearable technology

It also became popular, such as smartwatches and wireless earpods. Smartwatches could monitor heart rate, speed, steps, and more while telling the time and letting users read messages and emails. Phone appearances became less, thanks to the smartwatch. In addition, wireless earpods were used to listen to music without hampering movement.

With the rise in wearable technology came mobile fitness apps, which measured sleep, speed, heart rate, and even elevation gain for cyclists. Here are some apps that became popular in 2021:

• Strava
• Nike Fitness Club
• MyFitnessPal
• Fitness Buddy
• Runkeeper

Diets

Keto and green diets were two of the most popular diets of 2021, with poke bowls readily available for takeaway. Fruit and vegetable smoothies also became a fad. Here are some specific diets which became famous as part of fitness trends 2021.

• Immune system support diet
• Paleo diet
• intermittent fasting
• Keto
• FODMAP

People believed that proper dieting could also help them fight the Covid-19 surge, and in a way, it was true. Thanks to a healthy diet, developing a robust immune system allows some people to avoid contracting the virus.

Virtual exercise

Gym trends encouraged people to bust out their dusty treadmills, stationary bikes, and dumbbells while following YouTube videos. As a result, instructional exercise trends became accessible content, and the best thing about it is that people do not need to subscribe anymore.

The internet has given rise to online exercise instruction. Even fitness coaches, personal trainers, and nutritionists/dietitians did not have to meet personally with their trainees at the gym to do sessions. Instead, exercise sessions and diet meetings were all done via Zoom or even Facebook Messenger, all in the comfort of each other's homes.

Inclusive fitness

This meant people of all ages could now participate in exercise trends. Senior citizens could do basic yoga, and even toddlers could join in their parents' exercise sessions. Everyone at home, even pets, could indulge in getting healthy by way of exercising.

Fitness coaches and personal trainers hopped on the trend by creating routines for children and older adults, creating waves in exercise trends. People who were usually not allowed at the gym could now get their regular dose of getting fit and healthy.

Weight loss training

Exercise trends included weight loss training, as people, especially women, gained weight while staying at home. Stress eating, anxiety, and boredom were a few causes of the rapid weight gain, and women were desperate to shed off the extra pounds. Since dieting could be extra hard while lounging comfortably at home, weight loss training became the go-to for many women and some men.

Everesting

It may sound like a niche culture, but a lot of people would disagree. The challenge of climbing Mt. Everest virtually on a bike sounded like too good an opportunity to pass up. So people who didn't bike before started purchasing bikes and trainers and registering for the challenge.

Peloton, an international fitness platform, registered record-high minutes from cyclists worldwide since being at home lessened the risks of getting into accidents with other vehicles on the road. In addition, people started spending more time on their bikes at home than they did when they still biked outdoors.

Online sports

Online sports also became famous in 2021, thanks to the lockdowns. Sports such as golfing, cycling, and tennis were among the top sports and could easily be played using a tiny controller. Moreover, it kept people healthy and occupied, allowing them to sweat as much as they wanted while indulging in these outdoor sports.

Conclusion

Health and fitness trends 2021 indicate that more people want to be healthy and fit, in addition to being able to fight off the virus naturally by having well-running internal systems. As a result, people take care of every part of their body, from their eyes and facial muscles to their digestion.

Gym trends and exercise trends became popular once more, not because people were bored, but because the pandemic was a wake-up call to start taking care of their bodies. Medicines just couldn't cut it anymore; people considered exercising a form of preventive medicine, which led to all these health and fitness trends.