Over the past year, several wellness trends have emerged. Think: staying in as the new going out, inflammation-fighting beverages FTW (turmeric latte break, anyone?), and putting your best makeup-free face forward rather than trying to get that Kardashian contour just right.
One thing that’s certain? Fitness will remain the top extracurricular for millennials. And while SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp studios aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, according to the pros at Google: the future of technology will have a major impact on the top trends of 2017.
“In 2017, specifically, we see the fitness experience becoming even more mobile, so on a phone, app, or tracker, to keep up with the everyday woman’s crazy schedule and life.”
Your phone may soon become a big part of helping you get the most out of your sweaty pursuits, Google business development pro Mary Liz McCurdy said this weekend at the Adidas Women Future of Fit panel at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
“Because we work with so many apps, we’ve seen firsthand the major uptick in apps popping up all over that aim to help people—and women in particular—reach their best, most fit selves,” she explains. “In 2017, specifically, we see the fitness experience becoming even more mobile, so on a phone, app, or tracker, to keep up with the everyday woman’s crazy schedule and life.” (A few can relate to that, right?)
Scroll down to see the 4 major fitness predictions that McCurdy says will be huge this year.
1. Apps will become way more user-friendly (read: cool)
Instead of having to spend countless minutes (and hours) per day inputting your morning matcha latte, midday apple-and-nut-butter-snack, and post-spinning kale salad—not to mention endlessly searching for the closest match to your local spirulina smoothie—apps will become much easier to use, McCurdy says. “Apps are moving away from just counting calories or fitness tracking,” she says. “From allowing users to snap photos of their healthy creations and interact with others to motivate each other to reach fitness goals, to in-app coaching and meal-delivery-service partnerships, logging your healthy habits will become much less cumbersome and allow users to reach their goals and actually stick to them.”
Her app suggestions:Lose It!, LifeSum, and Lark
2. Pocket-sized trainers will be way more prevalent
While the future of the boutique fitness bubble is considerably uncertain, you don’t need a crystal ball to know that more people are finding virtual trainers and workout programs that they can reach to no matter where they are. “In-app coaches and custom training programs are allowing people achieve their fitness goals on their time and at their level, whether they’re in a hotel, gym, or their living rooms,” McCurdy explains. “Especially with the uptick of social media communities—from BBG girls to #transformationtuesday junkies, people are actually finding in-pocket programs that change their bodies and provide a network of comrades in their pursuits.”
Her app suggestions:BodBot,Sweat with Kayla, and Freeletics
3. Boredom is creating a whole new category of adventurous fitness
As much as people are loving their countless miles spent on treadmills—just me?—many are getting a little tired of the same ol’ fitness pursuits (no matter how many celebrities pop up in their spin classes). The solution? Finding adventurous ways to get your sweat on, says McCurdy. “Besides just taking workouts outdoors with hikes and biking excursions, technology is also opening up a whole new category of fitness,” she says. “People were getting bored of their regular playlists and self-guided sprints, and in 2017, game-ified cardio and story-led workouts will step in to keep people entertained.”
Her app suggestions:Zombies, Run!, Runtastic, and Tracks
4. Meditation and mindfulness will only get bigger
Just in case you were nervous that your stress-busting secret weapon was losing steam in 2017, fear not—McCurdy confirms that it will only get more mainstream this year. “It’s grown 50 percent since this time last year,” she explains. “And access to techniques and reminders are only going to get more prevalent, thanks to new apps.” She also predicts that it will become a bigger part of an average person’s routine, popping up in places it never has before: everywhere from offices to schools to workout classes.
Her app suggestions:Headspace,Calm, and Simple Habit
These aren’t the only trends that will blow up in the next year: find out why hyper-functional beverages will be everyone’s new health tonic. Or see why the social scene is sobering up with alcohol-free clubs and events.
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