Healthy trends for 2018
The following are three new health trends that appeared in an article titled ‘The Top 18 Trends of 2018 Are Here’ published on Well + Good
Longevity is the new “antiaging”
Don’t know your telomeres from your mitochondria? You will soon enough. Advanced research on aging now makes it possible to understand the science behind living longer and healthier by tapping into the true source of your cells’ vitality—and their decline.
This is no vanity project focused on fine lines and wrinkles (though your skin may benefit). We’re seeing a growing obsession with “health span,” or major breakthroughs about how the body’s most microscopic elements contribute to the process of aging.
One example: Telomeres, the tiny compounds on the ends of DNA strands that can be altered to help you turn back time (cue Cher) by slowing down the aging process. They’re getting more attention, thanks to innovative research by Nobel Prize- winning biologist Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, and psychiatrist-author Elissa Epel, PhD. Simply put, short telomeres correlate to shorter life spans, while the reverse is true for long ones.
Mitochondria, AKA the battery pack of your cells is another term you’ll get familiar with in 2018. “Stronger mitochondria make for stronger brains and stronger bodies,” says Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey, who’s written extensively about this in his book Headstrong. “Creating new mitochondria is crucial for vibrant aging.”
How the healthiest centenarians push the boundaries of aging (and what their lifestyles can tell us) is the subject of a forthcoming documentary series The Human Longevity Project. It’ll premiere globally in 2018. And it’ll go way deeper than wrinkles. Activewear shows its softer side There’s a stylish shift happening in fitness fashion: Pretty neutrals that sidestep “dress like an athlete” black Spandex are going to need some space in your closet. Activewear companies are increasingly focused on softer hues, like nudes, blush pinks, seafoams, and pale greys—often in looser, lifestyle silhouettes that are inspired by downtime in meditation or nature versus deadlifts at the gym.
Harbingers of the trend, like Outdoor Voices, Lululemon’s collab with Taryn Toomey, and Athleta’s Restore Collection, suggest that the hottest looks will be the ones that make you look great and feel cool… calm, and collected. “We launched Restore this year to underline the power of mindfulness, and the need for women to give themselves the permission to pause,” said Sarah Carlson, Athleta’s VP of Design, who’ll be continuing to build on the collection’s success into 2018.
“Customers are more open to wearing whites, nudes, and pastels. I expect to see a lot more of this trend,” says Jennifer Bandier, citing brands like Koral and Varley, which she retails at her five Bandier “active fashion” stores. Stephanie Dardenne, director of merchandising at super- stylish activewear juggernaut Carbon 38, confirms similar: “Although black is still the most popular color choice, our buy into neutrals has doubled.”
Fabrics and styles are also getting cozier. With super-soft sustainable modal and cottons, like with Athleta’s “semi-fitted” joggers and wide-neck tees. Drapey sweatshirts from Alala and Monrow embrace a comfy hygge sensibility (not a highintensity training one). Even major athletic outfitters —think: Reebok and Nike—are debuting looser silhouettes and subdued hues for spring and summer 2018. These “softer-side” pieces are becoming the new, relaxed basics of athleisure.
High- tech sleep science arrives in the bedroom
Health experts have megaphoned the benefits of powering down your digital devices hours before bedtime if you want to bank a solid night of zzz’s. And yet, 2018 will be the year technology is welcomed into the bedroom to actually improve your sleep quality.
By creating the optimal environment for you to snooze via temperature controls, sharing data about your REM stats, and creating solutions to help you wake up naturally, digitized beds aim to help you sleep better than ever. “The appetite for products designed to improve sleep is very high,” confirms tech news site UKTN, which is why both funding and sleep-tech innovation in this category are taking off, too.
Smart mattresses from Serta Simmons Bedding offshoots Tomorrow Sleepand Eight Sleep include features that analyze REM cycles for up to two people in bed, wake you up via a smart alarm that knows when you’re in a stage of light sleep, and allows you to control the temperature for optimal sleep climate. (Hint: Cooler is better.) Both models are also smart- home compatible, so you can wake up and ask, “Alexa, how did I sleep?”
Sleep trackers that work with your existing mattress (like S+ by ResMed, Emfit, and Sleeptracker) are part of this growing Sleep AI category. They nap on your nightstand and send you bio and bedroom data to an app on your phone. And a small study conducted with 6,100 AppleWatch users found it may accurately detect hypertension and sleep apnea, so Apple may be learning how it can play more of a role in your life offline.
Matteo Franceschetti, Eight Sleep’s CEO, compares this era of personalized sleep intel to your diet. “If you didn’t know what calories were or what your calorie intake was, how could you take care of your own nutrition?” In other words, (sleep) knowledge is power.