Trends come and go, some quickly vanish as they arrived. When it comes to fitness and health this phenomenon is not very different.
Every year trends keep on evolving, but one thing is for sure: a combination of a healthy diet and a well-rounded exercise regimen is key for weight loss and good health. And as the season is changing from winter into spring one can expect to see health devotees going all out trying new fitness regimes, fad diets and healthy lifestyles.
We caught up with a few experts to find out what are some of the current trends in health.
Fitness trends
Spring symbolises a fresh start, so it is the perfect chance to reboot your stale workouts.
Elzaan Pienaar, a personal trainer from Ignite Fitness in Cape Town, said more people are starting to be active, more health concious, and exploring more fitness options.
With the recent launch of the Pound, a drumstick based workout, gym sessions are becoming more fun. “This trend is on the rise because people want to be challenged and have fun at the gym,” said Pienaar.
Another trend that is becoming popular is kickboxing.
Personal training wasn’t a priority for many South Africans, but now people are looking for expert advice when they go to the gym or train at home. Pienaar said more people are starting to use personal trainers than before.
With summer almost upon us, outdoor training - cycling, hiking and jogging should also pick up.
Kids Nutrition, Fitness
In the past kids used to eat whatever their parents gave them, but Kath Megaw, a clinical paediatric dietitian from Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, said this has changed. Children are now more independent when making food choices and healthy lifestyles.
“We are seeing visible changes in kids’ food choices. They are aware of a lot of good options and lean towards healthy options, mainly because their parents have created a more healthy lifestyle culture. When kids get taught that certain animals or fish are endangered species they refuse to eat these foods. That is resulting in a lot of kids becoming vegetarians or vegans.”
Benjamin Kellerman takes it in his stride on the treadmill with the help of an instructor at a kid’s gym. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane
Besides the normal extramural activities at school, kids often want to be part of other fitness activities outside of school.
She also has seen a trend where parents have taken charge of their kid’s health by avoiding processed foods and convenient takeaways. If they eat takeaways, they try to keep it as close to healthy or organic as possible.
As part of keeping healthy more and more South Africans are also using vitamin supplements.
This trend is, however, also restricted to mid- to high-income groups, as vitamins are considered expensive by the poor.
Health retreats
Keeping healthy and maintaining a sound state of mind is not always an easy task but now people are seeking additional help such as spiritual, yoga and detox retreats to accomplish that.
Marlyn Cox, managing director of Brookdale Health Hydro, based in KwaZulu-Natal, said health retreats are gaining popularity each year.
Cox said people use retreats as an alternative way to relieve stress, relax, and take time out from busy schedules.
Retreats are more popular among women but there has been an increased interest from men, she said.
Yoga retreats are among the most popular, she said. “Recently, people have also been open to healthy cooking retreats and gut rehab to help balance gut bacteria, a very important part of our immune systems.”