Starting this year, many of us, most likely, had high hopes and big intentions, whether that related to long-awaited trips abroad, personal achievement plans or health and fitness goals. Some might say that a spanner was somewhat put in the works with the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring most things we had intended on accomplishing became practically impossible for the time being.
One area of life that takes constant effort is, of course, our health. We need regular attention to literally keep ourselves going each day and, as the first half of what is currently a rather unexpected year comes to a close, it is important to take a look at what the last six months has shown us. We have all been forced to adapt to a new way of living and, as a result, we could do with learning from what has been possible during this time.
What it has really taught us is that life and looking after our health doesn’t have to be quite as complicated as we may have previously believed. While offering some important time for reflection, lockdown also inspired many to focus on how to look after themselves and the health of their loved ones.
In light of this we take a look at four of the health trends that have emerged from the year so far.
More cooking at home
There is no doubt many of us have been forced to adapt to a new way of dining. Whether you previously dined out most nights, had someone prepare meals for you that could no longer do so, or your favoured ingredients proved to be difficult to get hold of, there will have been times when you were forced to think creatively.
Perhaps you had more time on your hands to prepare meals from scratch with children or realised that the blender was actually your best friend for some healthy morning smoothies, more time at home provided many with a welcome opportunity to go back to basics and learn some new recipes.
One useful way to stay on top of our health games was to have groceries delivered directly to our doorsteps. Often bulging with fresh fruit and veg and perfectly proportioned so as not to leave anything to waste, meal boxes are a great way to ply yourself with healthy food.
Celebrity chefs took to social media platforms to share their cooking tips, whether it was for baking tips, how to use up whatever we had in our cupboards or to show us how to prepare a special meal by either cooking for ourselves or taking advantage of meal takeaway services.
Working out at home
Bridging the gap between those ever-costly gym memberships and finding the time to leave our busy lives to work out seemed impossible for some, but with lockdown measures in place and personal trainers offering services online, it suddenly became much more achievable.
Fitness instructors took to the Internet, with many offering free workouts, and people got involved. With millions of people from across the world joining in with Joe Wicks’ free PE workouts each weekday morning it is clear that a little motivation, simple access, and uncomplicated exercises is what many people desired. Whether you embraced the opportunity to exercise at home during lockdown or not, the fact remains that it really is possible to stay active, even if you need to find just 20 minutes in your day to do so moving forward.
Face coverings
Now, many of us before March this year had never heard of the term PPE, let alone imagine for a minute that soon after we would be heading out of our houses wearing face coverings. But if 2020 has taught us anything so far it is that we really don’t know what’s around the corner.
While giants in the world of perfume switched up their production lines to manufacture hand sanitizer, clothing brands such as ShirtSpace followed and turned their hand at providing face masks and coverings, something we will no doubt need to wear for a while yet.
Health technology
Many doctor’s surgeries were already offering telephone appointments, so it probably came as no surprise to most that access to their local GP was still very possible throughout lockdown. However more crucial face-to-face appointments became somewhat limited, that is until people discovered online doctor services. With the availability of electronic records, these no-contact healthcare appointments became a lifeline for those unable to leave their homes or secure a local doctor’s appointment for themselves.