2017 health and fitness trends to jump into now

SINGAPORE — We are constantly on the lookout for new ways to be our best self.

This year, we’ve tried everything from juice cleanses to rebounding — but what can we look forward to next year?

Here is a breakdown on some of the health and wellness trends that we expect to blow up in 2017.

WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

The purchase and use of wearable technology has been on the up and up for years now, but we are expecting to see wearables such as FitBit become more mainstream as their functionality improves with the advancement of technology. We’re not just talking about fitness trackers either. As seen on the Hussein Chalayan fashion runway, we expect to see wearables that measure physical and mental health besides the usual fitness tracking.

AVOCADO OIL

Move aside coconut oil, it’s time for avocado oil to shine. Like the fatty fruit it’s made out of, avocado oil boasts numerous benefits: Reducing cholesterol, improving heart health, being rich in antioxidants and much, much more. It’s easy to use too — drizzle a little in your morning smoothie, cook with it or use it to make your own salad dressing.

WATERMELON WATER

Every other person was drinking coconut water this year, and while we love the mild, refreshing tropical drink, it’s time to try watermelon water, which is basically cold-pressed watermelon juice. It’s rich in nutrients and antioxidants, particularly lycopene which helps fight prostate, lung and stomach cancer, according to studies. We say you could also eat the whole fruit, for more fibre.

BODYWEIGHT TRAINING

The beauty of bodyweight training is in its lack of frills. You’re basically working with gravity to strengthen your body and core without machines or weights. Our favourite bodyweight exercise? It’s definitely the plank.

HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise really caught on this year, but we bet its going to continue to rise in popularity next year. As busy working women and men struggle to fit exercise into their daily lives, we expect short HIIT workouts and classes — anything from rebounding to spinning — to become one of the top fitness go-tos in 2017.

A version of this story appeared in ELLE.sg