The 10 Biggest Wellness Trends of 2024 – From Red Light to Mouth Taping and Rucking

10 Biggest and Most Popular Wellness Trends of 2024

Mouth Taping

One intriguing trend gaining traction is mouth taping, where individuals tape their mouths shut at night to encourage nasal breathing. You might have seen this one but felt a bit like it was a prank to try it. Its’s not.

While unconventional, this practice aims to promote nasal health by humidifying the nasal passages. As always, consult with a healthcare professional before attempting this technique.

A word of note, the reason this one tops the list is because personally, I have found this practice alone to be mind blowing in its immediate affects for energy, mental clarity and overall performance for a very small investment.

Keep in mind, the aim here isn’t to hermetically seal the lips entirely, just to provide a restriction in ability to completely open the mouth, while breathing out through the mouth still possible.

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Ice Baths

Yeh, this is a gimme. Building on the momentum of last year, exercise recovery, in particular ice baths, has become a paramount focus in gyms and wellness clubs, with spaces like F45 trying to reinvigorate their offering by adding in cold plunge to keep their members satisfied.

This extends not only to cold plunge, with exercise recovery in general dominating our minds eye with sauna and ice bath a staple of the average punters weekly, or daily, routine. I won’t harp on the benefits here, because you’ve probably been bombarded with them on your social feeds for the last 8 months, just know that you should be on this one by now.

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Red Light Therapy

Alright, you might call this a 2022 trend, but we’ve seen this explode in 2024 with a whole heap of new and improved red light therapy devices hit the market like red light wands, red light and led masks, red light panel and of course the red light offered in many infrared saunas.

Initially, we saw red light panels as the favoured way of getting red light and infrared light treatments, now we are seeing a big surge in the beauty industry taking up the trend and offering some slightly creepy looking red light therapy masks that people really can’t get enough of.

Not only that, we are now seeing the red light therapy wellness trend extend a little further into red light therapy beds, kind of like the outlawed solarium tanning bed, bed healthy. 

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Morning Sun Gazing

Driven by perhaps the biggest name in Wellness this year, Dr. Andrew Huberman, what some already practiced habitually, many have started adopting as a deliberate wellness practice – morning sunlight exposure.

By getting direct sunlight exposure in the eyes for a period of about 10-20 minutes each morning, even more on overcast days, Huberman explains the benefits of setting strong circadian rhythms in motion and setting our biology up for good sleep, mental health and more.

Standby for this to progress deeper into the still underground practice of Perineum tanning!

Blood Test Kits

While there was not many of these floating around in previous years, we have seen a blast to the market of a number of blood testing kits available, like Thriva, Inside Tracker and Heads Up Health Tracker.

In the words of Heads Up founder, Robb Wolfe, “You cannot change what you do not track…Heads Up Health offers tracking capabilities so you can track, understand and change those areas of your life and physiology that matter most.” 

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Micro Workouts

The rise of micro workouts will revolutionise fitness routines. From quick one-minute dances to fitness challenges found on platforms like TikTok, these short bursts of low-intensity exercises will help eliminate time barriers, making it easier to incorporate movement throughout the day. Look, some say this is just an excuse for a shorter workout, but it’s better than nothing!

One of the key advantages of micro workouts is their ability to eliminate time barriers, making it easier for people to incorporate movement into their daily lives. Rather than requiring a dedicated block of time for exercise, micro workouts can be done in short intervals throughout the day, such as during breaks at work or while waiting for dinner to cook.

While some may view micro workouts as an excuse for shorter exercise sessions, they still offer significant benefits for physical and mental health. Even brief bouts of activity can help improve cardiovascular health, boost mood, and increase energy levels. Plus, they can be a fun and enjoyable way to stay active, especially when done in groups or as part of a social media challenge.

Sleep Syncing

Sleep syncing involves aligning your sleep cycle with natural rhythms, such as the sun or moon, to optimize your circadian rhythm. By establishing a regular sleep schedule and using sleep tracking apps and devices, you can enhance the quality of your sleep, reduce stress, and improve overall sleep patterns.

By establishing a consistent bedtime and wake-up time that aligns with natural light-dark cycles, you can help regulate your circadian rhythm and promote more restful sleep. This may involve going to bed when it’s dark outside and waking up with the sunrise, mimicking the natural sleep-wake patterns of our ancestors.

In addition to setting a regular sleep schedule, sleep syncing often involves using sleep tracking apps and devices to monitor your sleep patterns and identify areas for improvement. These tools can provide insights into your sleep quality, duration, and consistency, helping you make informed adjustments to your sleep routine.

Sober-curious

The trend of being “sober curious” will continue to gain momentum in 2024. The what now? According to Ruby Warrington, author of Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol, and founder of Club Söda, “[Being sober curious] means, literally, to choose to question, or get curious about, every impulse, invitation, and expectation to drink, versus mindlessly going along with the dominant drinking culture.”

More individuals are re-evaluating their relationship with alcohol, leading to an increased demand for mocktails, non-alcoholic alternatives, and apoptogenic drinks that provide relaxation and mood-boosting benefits without the side effects of alcohol. Hence the smorgasbord of non-alcoholic beers, ciders, seltzers and kombuchas hitting the shelves to feed the trend.

Mushroom Drops

Mushrooms will take center stage in the wellness world, extending beyond their presence on pizzas.

Functional mushrooms, such as turkey tail, lion’s mane, Reishi, Chaga, and Cordyceps, will gain recognition for their high antioxidant levels, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds that support various aspects of health, including sleep, memory, and immunity.

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Men’s/Women’s Circles

These empowering spaces allow men and women to come together, support one another, and navigate shared experiences. While men and women circles will generally have a different flavour, both are aimed at empowering the individual to heal traumas, gain confidence, connect, build community, learn, build motivation and gain insight into their own psychology.

You will no doubt be able to find a ‘circle’ near you, with many of them offering a unique combination of experiences and practices like meditation, breathwork, ice baths, movement and physical flow, sound healing, yoga, dance and sometimes psychedelics.

Rucking

What is rucking? Everyone seems to be talking about this simple but effective wellness hack that combines the pleasure of getting outdoors, with the challenge of carrying heavy shit. After reading The Comfort Crisis, by Michael Easter, you too will most likely be motivated to shutdown the digital devices, pack some essentials into a backpack, and use two feet and a heartbeat to venture into the wilderness.

The concept of rucking is straightforward: you load up a backpack with some essentials, strap it on, and hit the trails. Whether you’re exploring local parks, hiking through rugged terrain, or simply walking around your neighborhood, rucking offers a versatile and accessible way to get moving and enjoy the outdoors.

One of the appealing aspects of rucking is its versatility. You can customize your rucking experience based on your fitness level, goals, and terrain. Plus, rucking can be done solo or with friends and family, making it a social activity as well as a physical one.