With each new year, the most popular resolution is to establish a steady exercise routine, get back into the gym and perfect our physique for the upcoming pool and beach season. For those of us that lack experience and knowledge in physical fitness, this can be a daunting undertaking! While the fundamentals of exercise and nutrition remain relatively constant from year to year, this is an ever evolving topic and each year ushers in catchy new fitness and dietary trends or products that can often be misleading or sometimes even dangerous as they are not backed by scientific research. This is why we bring you this article to help you keep an eye on the latest trending exercise and dietary trends in 2022 and whether they are good or bad for your health.
Trending Exercises in 2022:
Exercise is extremely crucial as one ages because it not only strengthens the body’s metabolism but also helps in keeping many diseases at bay [1]. But not every exercise can help you with this, as some can lead to serious injuries. Here’s a list of some good and bad exercises that have gained much popularity in 2022:
Top 3 Best Body Exercises In 2022:
1. Push-Ups: Push-ups may never go out of trend as they work best in building body strength. It is an excellent way to strengthen the muscles of the arms, chest, and shoulders. It also maintains the stability of core muscles [2].
2. Inverted Row: The inverted row is extremely popular for strengthening the upper back muscles. It is a great beginner exercise and it helps in developing strong shoulder muscles. This workout trains every muscle of the body and is an excellent warm-up exercise [3].
3. Kettlebell Goblet Squat: The exercise helps in increasing mobility by strengthening the lower body. The workout is performed by holding a kettlebell close to the chest to keep a good spine alignment throughout the exercise. It is a great warm-up exercise.
Top 3 Bad Body Exercises in 2022:
1. Tuck Jumps: This exercise can seriously damage your knees and ankles due to immense pressure. Try traditional jumps instead of this exercise.
2. Sit-Ups: These are no doubt popular but are dangerous for lower back muscles. Leg raises are the best substitute for sit-ups.
3. Back Hyperextensions: The lower back should not bear extra pressure and should be kept in a neutral position. Back Hyperextensions can be dangerous in that they put immense pressure on the lower back. Back raises are much safer and more effective for strengthening lower back muscles.
Dietary Trends in 2022:
You are what you eat! Dietary choices go hand in hand with exercise and play an important role in the body’s fitness. Here is a list of some good and alarming dietary trends in 2022:
Top 3 Best Dietary Trends in 2022:
1. Pegan Diet: It is a combination of different essential fruits and vegetables. This diet is free of bread, dairy products, sugars, etc. and encourages intake of grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, pork, poultry, whole eggs and fish. [4].
2. Golo Diet: This helps in getting rid of extra weight and improves heart problems. It is a combination of calculated calories, vitamins, and different herbs with a goal of reducing the body’s insulin resistance and speeding metabolism.
3. The ProLon Diet: The diet consists of 5 days of vegetarian meals, soups, different supplements, etc. that effectively mimic the results and benefits of fasting.
Top 3 Bad Dietary Trends in 2022:
1. Keto Diet: Keto has been named the worst diet as the diet plan is extremely difficult to manage and stick with.
2. Dukan Diet: This diet is way too complicated and comprises a large amount of protein and vegetables.
3. Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet (GAPS): This diet is extremely strict and restrictive and has little medical evidence supporting it.
Conclusion:
Staying fit and well ensures not only physical well being but also eases mental stress and boosts the “happy” hormone dopamine. Combining exercise and diet plans will help a great deal in living a fit and healthy life but, for the newcomer, choosing the right plans can be an overwhelming task. Use caution when selecting from new exercise and dietary trends in 2022 as new products or plans often boast big claims and are not scientifically proven and can sometimes even be dangerous.
If you need guidance in planning to reach your fitness and nutritional goals, contact us at A-Z Primary Clinic and Walk-In to set up an appointment.
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References:
- Dioso R, Hassan HC, Abdullah BF, Faridah MS. Healthy Diets and Regular Exercises to Achieve a Health-Related Quality of Life: A Quasiexperimental Study. ASM Sci J 2021;16:1–5. https://doi.org/10.32802/asmscj.2021.797.
- Mayhew, J. L.; Ball, T. E; Arnold, M. D; Bowen JC. Push-ups As a Measure of Upper Body Strength. J Strength Cond Res 1991;5:16–21.
- Ronai P, Scibek E. The inverted row. Strength Cond J 2014;36:94–7. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000070.
- Bland JS. Why the Pegan Diet Makes Sense. Integr Med (Encinitas) 2021;20:16–9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8325496/