When it comes to your health, every year brings us new scientific research, gadgets and workouts. From ubiquitous fresh-pressed juice to making workout class monogamy obsolete, 2014 will forever be known as the year that fitness got smarter, more brightly colored and infinitely more chic. Read on for the top trends in health, wellness and fitness in 2014, along with our predictions for which of these trends will endure through 2015 and which will go the way of the step-aerobics class.
1. Fashionable Fitness Wearables
While 2013 might have been the year of the fitness tracker, 2014 was the year fashion designers like Tory Burch created wearable options that people actually want to wear. The sleek metal cases and brightly colored rubber finishes make it more fun and fashionable than ever to track your fitness goals.
VERDICT: More options are coming next year, which means even more people will be wearing fitness trackers in 2015.
2. Fitness Class Availability
Finding something you love to do is the secret to sticking to a workout plan, but with so many fun options, from Barry’s Bootcamp to Crossfit to Bar Method to Yoga, nobody sticks to just one kind of workout anymore. Enter Class Pass, a way to scope out different studios and classes in your area and figure out which one (or ones) are right for you. You’ll also see a boost in your results since your body no longer adapts to the same workouts over time and plateaus.
VERDICT: Look for this trend to blow up in 2015 as even more studios jump on board.
3. Brightly Colored Gear
Boring workout clothes are so 2013. This year, it was all about bright neon colors, interesting cuts and fun prints, like these Geo Diamond Crop Leggings ($20). Fun workout clothes and bright colors have been shown to improve mood and make people more likely to suit up and workout.
VERDICT: We are having way too much fun to go back to boring black!
4. Juicing
One little bottle of fresh pressed juice contains anywhere from five to seven pounds of fruits and vegetables. That’s far more than one person could eat in one sitting (or carry to work in a handy little cooler bag!), which is a major part of juicing’s appeal. Long lauded by health and fitness communities for making nutrition easier to digest and process, this year was the year that green (and red and yellow) juices came in varieties that were delicious and packed with vitamins and minerals. Not just for celebrities anymore, juice shops like Pressed Juicery in San Francisco have been popping up all over the place, making getting your daily dose of vitamins easier than ever.
VERDICT: We can’t wait till Tory Burch comes out with a purse/juice cooler. This trend doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
5. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil had a big year in 2014. From DIY beauty to oil pulling, it seemed like everyone was bulk ordering this mystical oil by the truckload.
VERDICT: This trend has become one of the biggest jokes of 2014. When the New Yorker says, “A few dabs of coconut oil in my ears and I could hear the ghosts of all my ancestors,” you can pretty much assume the trend is over.
6. The Pilates Megaformer
Love Pilates but wish you could be drenched in sweat like a bootcamp? Meet the megaformer, the newest fitness trend to hit 2014. Thanks to its fast-paced, heart-pumping series of Pilates exercises in rapid succession, this celeb favorite workout is known for their big results.
VERDICT: Look for a studio coming to your town soon.
7. Haute Hydration
Never have the options for water transporting devices been so large, varied and adorable. These bottles make you actually want to carry water around. We particularly love the adorable (and dishwasher-safe!) BKR bottles ($30).
VERDICT: Here to stay.
Do you have a favorite fitness trend from 2014? Are there any trends you’re looking forward to in 2015? Let us know in the comments below!
(Images via Dena Julia, Women’s Health, Vanessa Hudgens and Free People)
