5 Health & Wellness Trends for 2022
The five trends that will change the way you practice this year.
Like many of you, health and wellness professionals are looking at the year ahead wondering what’s to come for the health and wellness industry. While a new year often signals a certain amount of uncertainty, it also ushers in a world of opportunity to learn, grow, and evolve.
Telehealth Technology is Here to Stay
The continued rise of the virtual practice.
The events of the past few years have had a huge impact on our industry and clients. One of those impacts is the push for more businesses – including health and wellness practices – to go virtual. And there’s no sign of that changing any time soon. In fact, we expect the growth of telehealth to continue in 2022, which presents a lot of exciting possibilities for them and their clients! The fact is, many clients prefer virtual care. Advantages of telehealth like accessibility, convenience, and of course, staying in comfortable pants are just a few of the reasons we feel good about this trend. The flexibility it offers both practitioners and clients is almost limitless.
Telehealth isn’t going anywhere and it’s increasingly moving beyond serving just 1:1 needs, as evidenced by the growth of online group programs. It’s always a priority to work towards meeting our clients wherever they are emotionally, and now we have the tools to extend that idea further to meet our clients at home, or wherever they want to be while we’re working with them
Not only will this add to what you offer your current client group, but it will also allow for the possibility of broadening your reach and landing more clients. Telehealth means that your local practice can become a global practice. We don’t expect telehealth technology and online resources to replace in-person appointments, but it is definitely a way we can enhance the care we provide.
Doubling Down on Self Care
Self-care becomes more than just a buzzword.
Self-care – that is, looking after oneself in a holistic and preventive way – was perhaps one of the buzziest words in 2021, but that doesn’t mean it’s just a passing fad.
Before the pandemic struck, self-care was a US$10-billion industry in the U.S. alone. Add in months and months of harsh economic realities, loneliness, burnout, and health fears, it’s no surprise that people have turned to (and are eager to pay for) activities and gadgets that give an extra sense of comfort and good health.
In recent years, there has been a conscious shift towards a proactive approach to one’s health.
Between 2019 and 2021, Google Search Trends shows a 162% increase in self-care related searches. To this point, our community believes there will be a continued increase in prioritizing one’s health and wellness and will dedicate more of their family budgets to self-care such as saunas, home exercise equipment, water, and air filters. And as clients expand their commitment to wellness, practitioners must be there to empower and guide them throughout their health journey, helping to support them in reaching their goals.
Health Coaching
2022 is the year of the Health and Wellness Coach.
Over the past few years, consumers are focusing on their health more than ever. The demand for care has grown exponentially and the medical field simply cannot keep up. That’s where health coaches are filling the gap.
Health and nutrition coaches offer a unique approach to care. They guide positive behavioral change alongside comprehensive health education focused on lifestyle factors that can improve a patient’s wellbeing, both physically and mentally. Much like self-care, their mode of delivery is preventive and proactive, which can be especially vital for people living with chronic illnesses. With their growing presence in the industry and valuable contributions to the overall wellness of people everywhere, health and nutrition coaches will have an opportunity to partner with more medical practitioners.
Right now, we see this as a promising, continued move towards an integration of Health Coaches within the traditional healthcare sector. Many primary care and medical organizations are already employing Nutrition and Health Coaches to work with patients as part of their care models, demonstrating the value of health coaching in improving client health while supporting their goals and enhancing their experience. 2022 is an incredibly exciting time for this field.
A New World of Wearable Devices
Rapid adoption of wearables that track more than your step count, sleeping patterns, and heart rate.
Is there anything better than hitting those 10,000 steps each day? Of course, pedometers are nothing new, but steps aren’t the only marker of personal health these days. In 2009, the first Fitbit hit the market and since then, we’ve seen the launch of devices like Fitbit and Oura Rings. These increasingly complex and convenient devices are more than just a fashion statement; wearable devices like smartwatches can go anywhere with their users and are quickly becoming a must-have accessory for the health-conscious.
We are familiar with wearables monitoring health metrics like heart rate, sleeping patterns, and overall physical activity, but next-gen wearables have become capable of noninvasively targeting precise biomarkers, such as blood pressure and blood glucose, that drive lifestyle-related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. This will give practitioners quick access to more information than they’ve ever had. In other words, the next generation of wearable devices will continue to disrupt and fuel better health habits through the data and insights they can provide, as they encourage people to be actively involved in their own care.
Our community believes wearables will play a big part in our practices going forward. As wearables can now be integrated with other apps and software, these revolutionary technologies also provide us with helpful data and analytics that can inform treatment and action plans in real-time, while also tracking a client’s progress as they work towards reaching their goals. Health and wellness professionals have a new responsibility to embrace these powerful devices alongside their clients.
Nutritional Psychiatry
The mind-gut connection makes it to the mainstream.
While there’s still plenty of mental health stigma, conversations surrounding our emotional wellness as part of our overall health have certainly become more commonplace – and long-time implementers of mind-body practices like nutritionists are answering the call.
Nutritional Psychiatry is a growing field driven by both research and demand, as the general public further recognizes that food and diet are an excellent first step towards a path to better health and a vital part of a client’s treatment plan.
From improved mood and reduced inflammation to increased mindfulness and overall mental and physical wellbeing, the potential benefits of including Nutritional Psychiatry approaches as part of our overall client treatment plans are incredible. For most health and wellness professionals, these aren’t new ideas, but they are finally gaining steam in more traditional circles. We expect to see increased adoption of holistic and integrative approaches targeting nutrition and diet in the treatment of mental health challenges
