The Biggest Health And Fitness Trends of 2023

It's that time of year again when we reluctantly kick into action and try to kick the bad habits of the previous year. Most people start the new year kicking something with - gym - diet and quitting the booze top of the lists fo things to do or not too do.

As always the health and fitness industry (which is worth £2.58 BILLION in the Uk alone) is one step ahead with trends forecast years in advance. Capitalising on everything we hate about our bodies we are subjected to a non stop swarm of faddy gadgets, classes, gym wear and diets.

Sifting through all of this can feel overwhelming, so the team at NU-U have researched the best of what 2023 has to offer.....

TRENDING IN 2023

MEAT FREE

Dry old bean burgers and nut roasts are thankfully becoming a thing of the past. Hail the new wave of simplicity foods and natural, fermented zero waste "meats"

BRIDGING THE GAP

Once upon a time the gym was a place for the 20 - 45ers...NO MORE! A surge in men and women from 45-75 have taken over our gyms and are getting match fit., prolonging life, vitality, mobility and mental health. We are now more responsible than ever for managing our health and fitness. The real beauty of mid life body management is the positive impact this has on our NHS as people remain more mobile and are driving down the risk of diabetes and heart attacks.

TECH WEAR

Wearable tech wear is hot on the fashion trends for 2023... with sensor-enabled apparel (check out WHOOP and KYMIRA) to infra red embedded fabrics which help produce nitric oxide which helps with blood flow.

CARDIO

Post pandemic cardio is on the up with gyms across the country seeing a surge in cardio training. This steady increase has now superseded weight training in most gyms with treadmill, SkiErgs and spin biking activity becoming more and more popular as they can't be replicated at home.

THERAPEUTIC WORKOUTS

Gym as a therapy? Really? Mental wellbeing is now a rising motivator for training. It used to fall really low on the list of benefits but now a staggering 38% of all gym goers sight mental health benefits as the number one reason for joining! In future we could very easily witness a fitness culture that is less scented on physical optimisation and more as a space for self expression and mental wellbeing.

ICE TUB CHALLENGE

We have all heard of or done the ice bucket challenge, but super cool (well freezing actually) Ice baths are 2023's much have for home (yup ... see ya hot tub!) Ice baths are amazing for increasing metabolism, injury healing and post workout recovery.... Get them while they're "hot"!?

VR TRAINING

Virtual wellness events are on the rise... as is VT tech for home. Real world trainers and VR technology is rapidly expanding and with companies like Les Mills and Metabike on the rise... momentum for this movement will be huge.

HEALTH TRACKERS

It comes as no surprise that not only can we track our steps, calories, blood sugars and our sleep... we can now track our health. Monitoring heart rate, blood oxygen levels and yup - even our poo... Check out the latest apps such as HealthView to help you stay on track.

MOTIVATIONAL DRINKING

....... sadly not what you think... the soft drinks industry are producing drinks to remember (not to help you forget) Functional drinks ands smoothies are on the rise touting the ability to increase performance, concentration, sleep and even anxiety (CBD drinks now corner 27.5% of the global soft drinks market!!) BOTTOMS UP :-)

LOW INTENSITY WORKOUTS

It comes as no surprise that 81% of UK workers spend 4 to 9 hours a day sat behind their desks, thus feeling more aches and pains than ever. As such low impact exercise is on the rise and can easily be done in a quiet office space. Yoga and pilates are at the top of the list and require only your good self to make the workout happen (plus no sweaty pit smells around the office!) The body likes mild to moderate stretching and works better when in a balanced state.A good stretch workout can also help you refocus the mind.