Feeling the urge to get a little more in tune with yourself before Spring hits? From virtual fitness training to an increased emphasis on walking, here are six health and wellness trends that local health and fitness pros are buzzing about.
HOT TREND: VIRTUAL FITNESS TRAINING
Renee Pillow, owner of F.I.T. with Renee Studio
FITWITHRENEE.COM, @FITWITHRENEE_INDY
“Because of many gyms and training studios shutting down or limiting sessions due to Covid-19, virtual training has become very popular. Virtual Fitness Training allows a high level of flexibility, convenience, and affordability. It has also allowed every person, from stay-at-home moms to 3rd shift workers—and anyone who doesn’t like to visit the gym—to achieve health and fitness goals in their own homes.”
HOT TREND: PLANT-BASED EATING
LAUREN RIEKER, RD, LD, REGISTERED DIETITIAN AND OWNER OF RENOVATE YOUR PLATE
RENOVATEYOURPLATE.NET, @LAURENRIEKER.RD
“An increased curiosity about plant-based diets is a trend that I am seeing. If you want to add more plants to your diet, I would recommend focusing on what you can add to your diet versus taking things out. A plant-based diet doesn’t mean vegetarian or vegan, so you can just focus on simple ways to add more plants, such as switching up the base of your salads to darker greens like spinach or kale, adding beans to your favorite dish, or adding nuts or nut butters to snacks.”
HOT TREND: MINI WORKOUTS
Shelli Vester, health coach and owner of SHAPE UP SHELLI
@SHAPEUPSHELLI
“Right now you may not have time to do a full workout session, so a trend is to focus on adding smaller, mini workouts to your daily routine by stacking exercises that last 5-10 minutes each with activities that you already do on a daily basis. For example, you can do some squats while you’re folding laundry, walk at a quicker pace during grocery shopping, or even stand on one leg while cooking dinner or doing the dishes.”
HOT TREND: PRIVATE YOGA LESSONS
JENNY SIMINSKI, OWNER OF INDY YOGA DEN
@INDYYOGADEN
“A big trend that I’m seeing this year in yoga is a shift to more private and semi-private lessons, which is why my private yoga studio, Indy Yoga Den, offers one-on-one sessions. This can be a short-term need for a client, for example after someone has surgery or an injury and wants to learn how to modify their yoga poses to help them get moving again, but it also generally provides a more intimate and less crowded space. Every element of the experience in this format can be customized to support the yoga students’ goals matched with their exact level and type of yoga practice.”
HOT TREND: FITNESS PARTIES
MICHEle Merchant, owner and lead instructor at Fire and Ice Fitness
@MSFITMICHELE
“Gather up your besties and have a fitness party! Pick any reason to celebrate and combine it with fitness, such as a 90s-themed birthday party, a glow party, a bachelorette, a football-themed event … even a party for a fundraiser.”
HOT TREND: WALKING AS FITNESS
ABBY KURTZ, CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER AND OWNER OF PEA IN THE POD FITNESS
PEAINTHEPODFITNESS.COM
“Once a highly underrated form of exercise, walking, due to its highly accessible nature, especially during the pandemic, is making a comeback. Walking is essentially free with a low barrier to entry. It can be done almost anywhere at any time, it’s weight-bearing which makes it a useful form of exercise for maintaining bone density, it’s a wonderful form of exercise for pregnant women, it can be maintained for a lifetime, and it’s great for cardiovascular and mental health. So, strap on those shoes and GET WALKING today!”
Stephanie Groves is the Executive Editor of Indy Maven and is excited for the weather to warm up so she can start walking outside more again.
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