2023 was the year we got back to fitness and wellbeing basics. We all went bonkers for walking (hello, hot girl walks, grumpy girl stomps, silent walking, treadmill struts – need we go on?). Reformer pilates continued to dominate both online and in gyms. Pre-, pro- and post-biotics continued to dominate the nutrition airwaves as we delved ever deeper into gut health.

So what does 2024 have in store for us? These are just a few of the trends that are set to grow even bigger over the next 12 months.  

At Strong Women, we’ve been banging the drum of hormone health for a while – and we only intend to ramp up the noise in 2024. That’s just as well because hormone are set to become an even bigger industry concern next year, with testing and fertility kits growing in popularity.

We want to know more about blood sugar, mood, sleep and prepping for the future – all elements of hormonal wellbeing.

Asked why more of us are becoming engaged in this area, Leila Martyn, founder of MyOva, cites Covid as the catalyst. She says that’s when access to medical professionals became challenging and women had to find solutions to every day issues without necessarily relying on prescriptions. At the same time, we’ve moved more towards adopting a 360° approach to wellbeing, meaning that more of us are interested in the ways our diet, exercise, stress, supplements and sleep all impact our overall health.

“It’s an inspiring trend towards women actively taking charge of their hormonal health,” she says. This shift signifies a growing awareness that our bodies are interconnected systems and that hormonal well-being is essential for overall health and quality of life. By embracing a holistic approach, gaining knowledge, making lifestyle changes and utilising supportive products, women empower themselves to improve their hormonal health and lead healthier, more fulfilled lives.”

Expect more at-home testing and research looking into lifestyle interventions.     

Biohacking has been doing the rounds for a few years, with fasting and cold showers dominating online forums and Instagram suggested pages. Now we’re moving towards more sustainable, low-grade interventions that are based on the habits of blue zone inhabitants. Forget taking 80 supplements a day and freezing your noggin off in the shower – these are the tried and tested tips of communities that regularly reach 100 years old.  

It’s a “balanced and unpretentious approach to wellbeing (which) highlights the virtues of simplicity, stress reduction and longevity-enhancing practices,” explains Manon Sel, CEO of Harvest Series. It’s the opposite of expensive biohacking trends in that these interventions are based on decades-old habits and cost barely anything.

Key aspects of this include whole-food, plant-based diets, regular physical activity (not necessarily ‘exercise’ but things like gardening, walking, housework), strong community ties (which research has found is essential for long living) and a relaxed outlook on life. The latter isn’t easy to achieve but a simple intervention might be to not engage in news or social media until after you’ve gone to work, or taking active steps to thinking more positively. 

Just when you thought that 2024 was shaping up to be a year of free, wholesome wellness, along comes a more out-there trend that doesn’t come cheap.

Cellular healing is a form of biohacking that seems to be taking over various spas and wellness spaces. According to Sarah Jones St John, founder of wellness space Grey Wolfe, cellular healing is about “restoring optimal cellular function. By recognising that cells are the building blocks of our bodies and that they play a crucial role in maintaining health, cellular healing approaches seek to support and optimise cellular function.”  

Ice baths are one way of doing that apparently, but another way is to be exposed to 528Hz – a frequency some studies have found can repair DNA and rebalance the endochine system (responsible for hormones). Just five minutes spent listening to music at 528Hz has been found to have a strong stress-reducing effect (and chronic stress harms DNA ). Oxygen facials, LED light therapy and massage are also thought to help this process.  

Apparently, we’re all stick of taking loads of different supplement tablets a day – something being dubbed ‘pill fatigue’. The solution? Powdered supplements, which now account for 30% of all new (supplement) product launches.

Louise Macnab, the founder of gut health powder JERMS, says that many of her customers have switched to a 4-in-1 formula rather than buying individual supplements. “They’re tired of spending money on multiple different capsules and are looking for a more affordable all-in-one product that seamlessly fits into their daily routine”.

As ever, it’s worth checking if you actually need the supplements you’re taking.  

Recovery has always been a cornerstone of fitness but it does seem like we’re taking it a whole lot more seriously these days – and that’s only set to grow next year. Plenty of research backs up the idea that adequate recovery can help us to perform better and lower the risk of injury, but the way in which we recover is going way beyond a hot bath and a carb-rich meal. Cryotherapy, infrared saunas and massage guns will continue to dominate gym and spa spaces, with more and more of us investing in our own at-home versions. 

Not got room for a cryo chamber? That’ll be where your cold showers come in. Google searches for ‘massage gun’ have shot up an astonishing 6,800% over the past five years and it doesn’t look like that number’s going down any time soon. We love this little Lola gun, which costs under £60 and works into deep tissue without taking up much room. 

Forget yoga retreats – we now want life-changing experiences that help us to work through grief, trauma or blockages. Transformation retreats are immersive experiences that focus on personal improvement and enhanced wellbeing. Heartbreak hotels already exist, but we might be about to see retreats for all sorts of issues, from career stagnation to friendship breakups and lifestyle overhauls.

Images: Getty