E227: Top Wellness Trends of 2023
E227: Top Wellness Trends of 2023
As we enter a new era of health and well-being, we've seen a surge in innovative practices and techniques that promote physical, mental, and emotional wellness. From mushroom stacking to mindful drinking, the options for enhancing our health seem endless. Join us as we dive into the latest trends and insights on how to live a healthier, happier life…
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Welcome back to the Women’s Empowerment Podcast, I am your host and Healthy Habit Mentor Valerie LaVigne.
If you’re new to the show, it is so wonderful to have you with us today, and if you’ve been listening for a while, thank you so much for joining again for another episode.
As you may already know, this is a podcast all about health, wealth, and happiness! Because I believe that empowering our lives truly begins with our tiny habits, routines, and rituals that really are the seeds, and the small steps to helping us GROW and EXPAND and LEVEL-UP our transformation!
In today’s episode we are exploring the top wellness trends of the year! Whether you're a wellness enthusiast or just starting your journey, this episode is packed with valuable information and expert advice.
Let's explore the top wellness trends of the year together!
[01:28] No.1 Cold Water Therapy
I debated on adding this “trend” to the list because I feel like the trend was bigger last year, HOWEVER just in the last few weeks I’ve noticed a lot more people in my health and wellness network getting into it more and more.
You might have even heard a past episode all about this with our special guest Ashely Orr.
Episode 151: Creating Lasting Change Through Cold Therapy with Ashely Orr
Cold Water Therapy, also known as cold immersion therapy or cold hydrotherapy, is the practice of using cold water to treat certain health conditions or activate health benefits. The water is typically around 15*C or 59*F – but I can tell you first hand that I’ve done it in much colder temperatures!
While the practice itself has been around for several years, there definitely seems to be an increasing trend in ice baths, cold showers, and cold water immersion therapy.
Some of the many incredible health benefits include: helping to reduce muscle soreness, cool you down after exercise, improve your immune system, and metabolism, and even boost your mood!
In my own experience it’s helped me be more resilient and push myself a little harder in other areas of life such as my weight training workouts. I’ve also found it helps with improving my sleep and definitely my mood.
An article I found that goes deeper into the other health benefits of cold therapy here
[03:48] 2023 Wellness Trend No.2 Mushroom Stacking
I’m noticing this more and more as a big buzzword this year, the term was originally coined by mycologist Paul Stamets – from the Netflix Series Fantastic Fungi – it’s all about combining medicinal mushrooms with other adaptogens and antioxidants to enhance their benefits.
There is more awareness around the power of mushrooms, which is increasing the number of people looking at how to consume functional mushrooms to support aspects of health like sleep, immunity, memory, energy, skin, performance, libido, stress, and more.
Here are some of the mushrooms we’re seeing more of and their known benefits:
Turkey Tail: immunity, liver and gut health
Chaga: immunity, energy, skin
Lion’s Mane: focus, memory, digestion
Reishi: destress, calm, immunity, sleep
Cordyceps: energy, physical performance, endurance
I have taken/tried a few of these mushrooms, on their own and also in combination. I don’t know if I noticed a CRAZY difference in my health, but it certainly didn’t make me feel worse. My brother actually harvests Chaga and I do enjoy a warm cup of chaga.
Because of this growing trend, you’ll probably see a lot more powders, tinctures, and blends of these mushrooms. It’s worth looking into the quality and sourcing of the product before purchasing/consuming!
[05:23] Our third wellness trend of the year is No.3 Micro Workouts // Incidental Exercise
When I was first reading/learning about these I thought it was kind of funny. BUT then I rolled my eyes at myself and was like DUH! This is a fantastic IDEA!
Micro workouts are things like one-minute dances or fitness challenges you see popping up on Instagram or TikTok. It might seem like one-minute of jumping jacks, or a quick set up push ups is meaningless, but that’s the beauty of this trend!
It’s so bite-sized and easy to do, that people are ACTUALLY doing it! AND it’s becoming a habit in people’s everyday lives! I know people who have started a habit like doing two push-ups after going to the bathroom and now can do several push-ups no problem. Or someone who did a chin up every time they walked under their chin up bar to their bedroom. From one chin up every time they crossed this door frame, to many, MANY chin ups over time.
I feel like I laughed at this because I forget that for a lot of people, fitness is not part of their everyday lives and I should know better considering I am a Healthy Habit Coach for goodness sakes! And funnily enough I have totally done this before when I was first learning about fitness and working out back in high school. I used to do these little micro workouts!
Now, I also wrote “Incidental Exercise.” At first I thought of this as something that happened unknowingly, however it can be intentional. An example of incidental exercise would be parking your car at the far end of the parking lot so that you have to walk further to get to the entrance of the mall, thus helping you reach more steps/get more exercise/movement in your day.
In the modern world we are surrounded by conveniences – so much so that “sitting is the new smoking.” As a pilates instructor I see it ALL the time. Our posture, our mobility, our alignment… it’s lacking. Almost every person who comes into the studio leaves feeling more energized and more mobile than when they came in. And yet even with all these conveniences… we somehow are busier than ever in life and “who has time for a daily workout?”
For the sake of our topic today, I’m not going to go too deep into the whole time management and priorities debate – but I will say that incidental exercise could be the solution to the “lack of time” excuse/problem. Take more trips in with your groceries to get your heart rate up and your legs moving more. Walk to the mailbox instead of driving by it on your way home from work. What are some of the ways you can think of getting micro workouts, or cheeky exercises into your day? I’d love to hear more in the comments of the youtube video for this episode! .
[08:49] Now it might be because I’ve been in the health and wellness industry for a very long time, but some of these trends don’t seem AS knew to me, like No.4 The Gut-Brain Connection
There is SO MUCH research being shared about how important the role of our gut and microbiome plays on our mental, emotional, and physical health. I’ve got to say my life changed when I read the book Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ
I loved this book so much! And it truly gave me this deeper awareness of how our gut and our brain have a direct connection on eachother. For example, the thought of eating can release the stomach’s juices even before the food gets there. And the research is now showing that this communication goes BOTH WAYS. To the point where good gut health and microbiota (bacterial population that lives in the intestine), can help regulate brain activity and calm anxiety [source]
Pretty cool eh!? Many scientists are calling the Gut “Our First Brain” and not just our second brain. If you’re interested in learning more I highly recommend the Gut book I mentioned. It’s informative and fun considering the topic ahahaha.
I’m pretty stoked about this next trend because I got really into it maybe 2 or 3 years ago
[10:17] 2023 Wellness Trend No.5 Sleep Syncing
This is a practice of adjusting your sleep cycle to the rhythms of nature and aligning it with your circadian rhythm. I stumbled upon “Chronotypes” defined by Google as: a person’s natural inclination with regard to the times of day when they prefer to sleep or when they are most alert or energetic, during the pandemic and I learned about how my chronotype was described as the “BEAR” versus the WOLF, LION, or DOLPHIN.
And yes, my friend, I even read a very interesting book about this topic, called The Power of When: Discover Your Chronotype
The chronology really goes into specifics for basically every hour of the day, but the focus of the trend is on sleep. When we are able to sync our sleep with our chronotype, it gives us our optimal sleep schedule which affects our energy, digestion, alertness, hormones, and other aspects of our health.
I was excited to share this trend, because even my OURA ring is talking about chronotypes specifically to sleep and shares my report every morning of when the midpoint of my sleep was. The closer I can get to this midpoint, the more I am aligned with my chronotype.
You don’t need an OURA ring to do this practice, but if you DID want an OURA ring, I have a $40-$50 coupon code depending on when you’re watching/listening to this.
Now without the ring, the goal is to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day/night. Obviously that’s not possible EVERY night or day, but you can definitely aim to get to bed and wake up within an hour daily. For example, if you wake up at 6:30 am on weekdays, your chronology will encourage you to get up no later than 7:30 am on weekends. Sleeping in for longer can mess with your circadian rhythm. I’m not saying never sleep in, but I am saying stay as consistent with your bedtime and wake up times.
Of all the trends I’m sharing with you today, this is the only one I haven’t done – YET!
[13:06] 2023 Wellness Trend No.6 Mouth Taping
The first time I heard of this was from a recent podcast guest and break-work practitioner Eliza Butler. I don’t think we talked specifically about mouth taping in the episode, but we did talk about the power of breath-work and the importance of breathing through the nose.
So yes, Mouth Taping is literally taping your mouth shut… at night! I did one of those cartoon head shakes the first time I heard of and and blurted out “WHAT!?”
The reason for this practice is so that you are forcing yourself to breathe through your nose at night. Breathing through your nose, especially during sleep, has many health benefits including: humidifying the nasal passages, decreased dental issues (cavities, gum disease), and improved snoring/severity of sleep apnea.
I feel like now is a good time to remind you that if there are any uncertainties you have about the trends I’m sharing, please know that they’re not all for everyone, and perhaps you would like to consult your holistic health care practitioner for more advice based on your specific needs.
On that note, I think I’ll try this in a nap first with my boyfriend awake near me just in case something goes wrong.
Moving on. Our 2023 Wellness Trend
[14:45] No.7 Mindful Drinking
While I thought it was maybe because I’m in my early thirties that less people I know are drinking alcohol, I’m noticing this trend with people in their twenties as well. And maybe it is a generational thing, because a lot of gen Z’s and millennials are “sober curious” or just drinking less/more mindfully in general.
More restaurants and bars are offering mocktails or non-alcoholic alternatives, and with the increase of mushrooms and adaptogenic drinks taking the spotlight, we’re seeing more of this available too.
My partner doesn’t drink alcohol and truthfully I really only ENJOY drinking tequila or champagne so I’d rather have a fun “healthy” alternative and skip the hangover. It’s also definitely easier to drink less or more mindfully when the people you’re around also practice the same things. It’s kind of cool that this is trending more because really alcohol is poison to our bodies and I never regret not drinking, but I have often regretted drinking too much LOL
I’ve actually only had two alcoholic beverages this entire year and it’s already April, which I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before. How about you? Are you a more mindful drinker? Let me know, I’d love to hear more!
There are a few more wellness trends I want to share this year and the next one is
[16:19] No.8 Digital Detox
Similar to how convenient everything is, a big part of that is the technology we have access to. We are more plugged in than ever before! While there are benefits to this digital connection, too much of anything comes at a cost.
From neck pain, to headaches, to lack of energy or enthusiasm, being overstimulated by technology is negatively affecting our health and well-being.
A digital detox doesn’t have to be a dramatic display of tossing our technology, but instead limiting it or having some healthy boundaries in place.
For example: turning off push notifications/sounds, putting away our phones/technology during meals, designating tech-free hours of the day or week, making no-tech zone areas/rooms of the home, limiting yourself to one screen at a time, and spring cleaning your social media accounts.
I used to do 24 hours every week with no technology and I really enjoyed it even though people thought I was crazy. Now I aim to stay off tech for the first hour of my day, and at least the last 30 minutes of my day. I leave my phone in another room when I’m eating and I really like the idea of one screen at a time because damn I am definitely scrolling my phone while the TV is on and that I have to say, is one of my worst habits currently.
Our next Wellness Trend of the Year is
[17:59] No.9 Reformer Pilates
And before you ask – no this is not an intentional plug of our incredible Athletic Reformer Pilates Studio in Downtown Burlington Ontario called EXHALE PILATES – LOL
But also thank you to TikTok and whichever influencers are doing Reformer Pilates right now because the studio is really busy and pilates is #Trending
For those of you who don’t know, a Reformer is an apparatus/machine used for Reformer Pilates. It combines the traditional principles and movements of mat pilates with the reformer machine. The machine has a foot bar, carriage, pulleys, and five springs with different tensions that can be adjusted.
It’s a really incredible machine and practice and our studio EXHALE PILATES has a variety of classes that cater to different goals. When people are new to the studio, I like to explain how reformer pilates is truly complimentary to anything else you’re doing, whether that’s a sedentary work from home set up, or you’re an Olympic Athlete – like last week’s guest Kia Nurse, who I met through the studio!
Episode 226: Going for Your High Level Goals with Pro Athlete Kia Nurse
There are many incredible benefits to a regular reformer practice including strengthening the core, improving flexibility, mobility, toning muscles, and more!
Tell me in the comments of the video version of this podcast if you’ve ever done Reformer Pilates before, and if you haven’t DEFINITELY come check out a class with us!
[20:03] The second last trend we’re going to talk about today is No.10 Facial Yoga
I was joking about this today at the studio and saying we should do “face pilates” at EXHALE – maybe you’ll see it on the schedule!
Essentially, face yoga is a combination of massage and exercises that stimulate the skin, lymphatic system, and muscles of the face. The technique is designed to soften and relax your face muscles to help alleviate tension, stress, and worry. [source]
I’ve tried this trend, but not for long enough to notice any major changes in my face, or neck, or shoulders which it’s aimed to target. However, according to my research, this really is part of a holistic routine and includes the following benefits: promotes healthy, glowing skin, firm and lifts the muscles under the skin, smoothes lines and wrinkles.
With any of these wellness trends, especially that of exercise, consistency is going to play a big part in the results of Face Yoga.
Last but not least! Our final Wellness Trend of 2023
[21:25] No.11 Women’s Wellness
Did this one surprise you? It didn’t really surprise me, but again maybe because I am so deeply immersed in a lot of these practices and conversations.
While I would say, as a whole more people are craving connection and community this year, I can definitely see the trend of women coming together in circle, or ritual becoming more profound. There is a power in healing as a group, or coming together in different healing practices like yoga, pilates, meditation, group therapy, and more.
I think people, and women especially, are really wanting this and needing people to relate to, to sit in circle with and connect with.
It’s funny because I used to host a lot of Women’s events and it was a very small niche of people interested in the events, however I think now if I shared them again there would be more curiosity at the very least.
What about you? Are you looking for women to share space with? To connect with and heal with?
What did you think of the 11 Wellness Trends of 2023? Which ones are you practicing or want to start practicing? Are there any trends that you think should be added to the list? I’d love to hear from you and what you think! Share your thoughts in the comments of this video, or send me a DM on Instagram @vallavignelife
Podcast Host
Valerie LaVigne
Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!
