"Summer is meant to be enjoyed, but not at the expense of feeling your best. Recovering from a long weekend of fun in the sun isn’t as easy as it used to be. Whether you are feeling groggy, could use a supplement or two, or need a nudge to get back into your pre-summer routine, the following five wellness trends are easy to add to your weekly rotation and are so buzzy, experts or studies are saying they could make all the difference in your hot girl summer era. Read on for the five trends that the wellness world is buzzing about right now and how to try them for yourself.
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1. Supplements/Treatments That Focus on Healthy Aging
When you think of products meant for healthy aging and cellular turnover, your mind probably goes right to skincare. But why stop there when an internal approach makes an even bigger difference? Supplements and treatments take those ideas and encompass the whole body, focusing on a healthy aging mind, strong memory, improved mitochondria function, boosted eye function, improved muscle strength and performance, and increased energy levels. Not only are we improving skin texture and reducing fine lines, but we’re improving our overall health and lifespan.
Enter the molecule that all these supplements have in common: NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which is naturally occurring in the body, but gets depleted with age. While celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber swear by NAD IV therapy, you can also take NAD orally through supplement form. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) or nicotinamide riboside (NR) are supplements that are getting more and more buzz because they are compounds that your body converts into NAD.
2. Exercise Snacking
While it’s nothing new, moving your body with moderate intensity once a day for at least 30 minutes is integral to feeling your best, both physically and mentally. But the days of intense 90-minute gym sessions in order to get in a “good workout” are over. Instead, the fitness world is shifting to a more active lifestyle by adding in small bursts of movement throughout the day, called “exercise snacking.” This could mean a quick jog in the morning, stretching while on a conference call, walking to the grocery store instead of driving, and taking a 10-minute workout break. My favorite “exercise snack?” A descending ladder of 10-1 burpees and sit-ups (10 burpees, 10 sit-ups, 9 burpees, 9 sit-ups, etc.) that takes 10 minutes max.
3. Airplane Mode
Modern technology has its perks (side note: are you on Threads yet?), but it’s been proven that too much screen time can affect your mood. As more and more people get addicted to their phones and suffer from repercussions such as increased anxiety or decreased focus, health experts are looking to hacks to set boundaries so your technology works for you instead of being in control of you.
The simple act of turning your phone on airplane mode to prevent any messages or notifications from coming through can prevent you from getting distracted with a notification or can stop the urge to mindlessly scroll. Try turning it on Airplane Mode before bed (some doctors recommend at least an hour before sleep), and keeping it on Airplane Mode for at least the first 30 minutes in the morning to prevent you from diving into texts, emails, and TikTok first thing. Starting your day on the right (calm and centered) foot will change your mood, productivity, and stress levels for the better.
4. Cold Therapy
If you’re like me, your TikTok feed is filled with cold plunges, cold showers, and ice rolling. TikTok’s favorite biohack has some impressive research behind it. Exposure to the cold has been linked to a number of health benefits, including increased metabolism, reduced inflammation, decreased muscle soreness, and improved circulation. If you don’t have access to a cold plunge, spending just one minute in cold water at the end of your shower is enough to give you some major cold therapy benefits. Other options if a cold shower is not your thing: Try a facial ice bath by submerging your face for a few seconds at a time in a bowl of ice water, or simply massaging with an ice roller for major skin benefits.
5. Prioritizing Protein
Avocados had their moment (remember when we put avocado on everything 10 years ago?) and then cauliflower was being made into everything (pizza crusts, pasta, ice cream…). Thanks to trending foods like cottage cheese and the focus on blood sugar regulation, the wellness world is now obsessing over an entire macronutrient: protein. Turns out most of us are not getting enough. Experts recommend a minimum of 20-30 grams of protein per meal (for reference, two eggs–what many women consider a serving size–only contain about 12 grams). A good rule of thumb is to consume your body weight in grams of protein each day (for example: if you weigh 150 pounds, try to consume 150g of protein daily).
Consuming adequate amounts of protein promotes fullness and preserves muscle mass, which ultimately increases metabolism and improves body composition. Additionally, improved protein intake has been associated with a stronger immune system and a more positive mood. Try these hacks to get in more protein and make sure you’re eating an adequate, clean source of protein at every meal, whether it’s organic meat/fish, eggs, tofu, tempeh, or high-protein legumes such as chickpeas and edamame.
Please consult a doctor or a mental health professional before beginning any treatments. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.