Wealden Times | WT260 | January 2024 | Good Living Supplement inside

The Priceless Good Living Supplement sponsored by
TO TRY
OR NOT
TO TRY
Sarah Maxwell gives her
opinions of the fitness
trends for 2024
istockphoto.com/dima_sidelnikov
Welcome to 2024, where
the future of health,
fitness and wellbeing
is filled with inventive technology,
sustainability and a much greater
emphasis on our mental health. So, if
your health, wellbeing and fitness is
on your priority list for this January,
let’s hit the ground running and look
at some exciting new trends you can
look forward to this coming year.
All change at the gym
Fitness providers across the board
are waking up to the importance
of including holistic health* into
their programs and recognising the
undeniable connection between
physical and mental health.
Fitness centres are increasingly
providing mindfulness and meditation
classes alongside the traditional
weight training and HIIT classes.
*Science is now backing up many holistic
practices that were often disregarded.
Wearable tech
(Smart watches, clothing and even smart
jewellery to monitor your health)
Love or hate them, they’re here to
stay! Pros include goal setting, activity
tracking, accountability, progress
recording and syncing with other
devices and apps to have all of your
data in one place. Cons include
the battery life, which can let you
down at the wrong moment, security
issues and the potential to develop
anxiety and obsessive monitoring.
Sustainable fashion
More fitness and leisure brands are
offering eco-friendly workout gear made
from organic cotton – grown without
fertilisers or synthetic pesticides – or
recycled polyester! Due to my long-time
love affair with second hand/vintage
clothing, this certainly ticks my eco box.
Take a look at wearetala.com
and sosactivewear.com.
Hybrid training
Prior to the pandemic, many people
were reluctant to exercise online (many
instructors too). Now the emphasis is
on a mix of in-person and online fitness,
with rapid advances in technology and
availability making it more accessible than
ever. By combining in-person and online
coaching, now you can look after your
health, fitness and wellbeing wherever
you are in the world and take your pick
from a huge pool of experts worldwide.
Virtual training (VR)
The rise of virtual reality workouts,
gamification and immersive training is
rapidly gaining popularity. Workouts
and wellbeing sessions in a virtual
world has enormous potential.
Headsets are currently cumbersome
(no doubt these will change to be tiny
devices in the future) and tracking of
limbs is still not brilliant, however.
I have to admit, I love VR (I’m
charging mine as I write this). Virtual
Reality fitness and wellbeing is still in
its infancy but progressing rapidly. It
can be isolating but it’s advancing so
quickly, the hope is that more multiplayer
activities will be developed so
social interaction evolves. We all need to
connect with others, and understandably
VR won’t be everyone’s cup of tea,
but for many it will be a lifeline to
keep active and engaged. If you get
the chance give it a go – it’s magic!
Inclusive fitness
Inclusivity has finally now become an
important topic in the world of fitness.
Gone are the days when you plucked
up the courage to walk into a gym for
the first time, signed up to a group class
and felt intimidated – where exercise
was reserved for a select few who could
afford it or were physically able to keep
up with others. Adaptive fitness programs
– for example, provision for the elderly
and specialised support for people with
disabilities – is starting to become the
norm rather than the exception.
The barriers have now been broken
down, enabling everyone to participate in
and benefit from a welcoming, supportive
fitness community that embraces all.
This year, why not start experimenting
and finding what makes you feel good,
recalling that famous advert, ‘Because
you’re worth it!’ Happy New Year!
Sarah Maxwell is a multi-award
winning Lifestyle Wellbeing and
Fitness coach. You can find her at
sarahmaxwell.com. Get in touch via
email at sarahmaxwell@mail.com
and on social @sarahmaxlife
75
priceless-magazines.com