Holistic Health Trends 2021 – Campus Rec Magazine

Holistic health trends are emerging in 2021. Ashley Demshki reflects on the impact of the past year and shares ideas for how your campus can take advantage of this trend.

During this abnormal year, it was interesting to see what trends would emerge in 2021. Would we come back stronger than before or would we cease to exist? Would physical gym facilities even be needed in our future or would they return with a vengeance?

While we’re still waiting to see how some of these challenges play out, we’ve seen a push towards holistic health. According to WebMD, holistic health “considers the whole person – body, mind, spirit and emotions – in pursuit of optimal health and well-being” not just medical treatment. As students become more aware of their immunity, and their bodies in general, due to COVID, we are seeing a shift from the traditional “gains” or “bikini body” mentality towards mental health and self-care in the fitness industry.

Holistic Health Trend: The Proof in the Numbers

According to the CEO of MindBody, the platform has seen customers make their mental and emotional health a priority by seeking out more classes like yoga and those that focus on mindfulness.

Equinox Media CEO Jason LaRose explained, “We have seen an incredible increase in meditation since the start of the pandemic” with a 25% increase in meditation classes. He continued, “It’s a testament to how people’s thinking about overall wellness has been broadened.”

As students continue to train from home, they have recognized the need for mental health to take center stage. They did this by researching yoga and meditation classes at popular gyms and booking sites, MindBody and Equinox noted. There is no doubt that 2020 has been a trying year, not only with the disease as a whole, but also with political and cultural unrest. It’s no surprise that we see members putting their mental health first.

What does it look like?

Holistic health also explains a need for exercise as medicine. The idea of ​​exercise and immunity has gone hand in hand with the rise of COVID. Although the impact of exercise on COVID is unknown, it is still true that exercise contributes to our physical well-being and may have immune-boosting properties such as:

• Reduce stress
• Prevent unnecessary weight gain
• Improve sleep.

As college students began picking up these habits during their lockdowns, home fitness is now entrenched. We must, however, discard the idea that home fitness is simply an on-demand exercise class or whiteboard workout. The idea of ​​holistic health is pushing the boundaries of what these new habits look like, which now include self-care and what Beth McGroarty, vice president of research at the Global Wellness Institute, calls the “pillars of wellness.” i.e. “emphasis on exercise, healthy eating, sleep and stress reduction.

ADDITIONAL CREDIT: The 2020 pandemic has resulted in many unique wellness offerings in the industry. Find out what the departments were doing.

With this, we should see a decrease in detox teas and supplements and a greater focus on general preventative care. No, I don’t just mean having that annual doctor’s appointment. Instead, students are re-interesting in ways to use physical fitness, meditation, sleep, healthy eating, and therapy to take care of themselves before becoming mentally or physically ill.

Although the idea of ​​a “mental health day” is not new, it is taking on new meaning. During the pandemic, we’ve had to cancel our vacation plans – a time when most of us mentally reset ourselves for the rest of the year. With travel anxiety and other restrictions, 2021 will be a year of routine wellness and students will take time for themselves at home without other distractions.

Where does nutrition come from?

Another wellness trend that falls under the holistic health category is intuitive eating. On social media, we’re seeing nutritionists and other food demystifiers take center stage in shifting from diet culture to intuitive eating. Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder believes in 2021, “People will continue to shy away from restrictive diets, especially ones that completely demonize a certain macronutrient, like carbs.”

She goes on to say, “There will be an increase in people embracing food in all its forms thanks to the trend to recycle food, which means that ugly vegetables and wasted food scraps can be turned into meals and snacks. It’s a step towards a healthier, more sustainable and more conscious future.

ADDITIONAL CREDIT: At Old Dominion University, one of the student wellness offerings is to offer nutrition programs through campus dietician Tracy Conder.

This is a big trend that leisure centers should think about for their future programming:

How can we not only integrate nutrition into our programs, but also work with food safety offices on our campuses to minimize food waste and encourage donations to local food banks and organizations?

Bottom Line: Don’t Ignore Holistic Health

Although the pandemic has disrupted many of our day-to-day activities and upended our industry, I believe the shift to holistic health is positive. Our students take a step back from stress and anxiety. Instead, they find ways to manage it in a healthy and preventative way. It is worth investing time and money to help students achieve these goals. In fact, it may change the way we program in the long run.

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