Strangest Health and Fitness Trends of 2018

Some health trends -- like intermittent fasting, charcoal everything and infrared saunas -- have been bubbling up for a few years now, but in 2018 we saw them explode beyond New York and L.A.’s healtherati circles. While some of these oddball health and fitness fads are rightfully going mainstream, others -- like...umm goat yoga...appear to be more fluff than substance. To separate the strange but effective from the strange but insane, we turned to some of the country’s leading health experts. 

Here’s a look at some of the most notably weird (for better or worse!) health and fitness trends of 2018.

Goat Yoga

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“Including live animals in any workout routine seems a tad problematic. With goat yoga, playful goats will wander around your mat and even climb on your back while you’re mid-yoga pose. It’s meant to keep you focused, grounded, and connected with both yourself and with nature. I like time-efficient, effective and fun workouts and my gut tells me that goat yoga may only hit on one of these characteristics -- no matter how adorably cute those goats really are.
-- Brian Zehetner, Director of health and fitness at Planet Fitness

IV Therapy

“Even the needle-phobic are rethinking their aversion now that IV drips and shots are becoming a popular way to hydrate, boost immunity, increase energy, and cure hangovers. No doctor or prescription required.
-- Amanda Freeman, Founder/CEO of SLT and Stretch*d

Drinking Mushrooms

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“This year mushrooms popped up on the ingredient list of beverages in the form of powders and elixirs. The health-conscious are now relying on mushroom varieties like reishi, cordyceps, chaga, and lion's mane to solve all of their wellness issues, including focus, immunity, and relaxation.
-- Amanda Freeman, Founder/CEO of SLT and Stretch*d

Face Fitness

“When you think of workouts, you think of your abs, legs, arms, even obliques, but you likely don't think of your face. Until 2018 when Face Gym, FaceLove, and other facial exercise-focused businesses came onto the scene to convince you that you should spend five minutes a day massaging your face or buy a face roller or, better yet, get a personal trainer for your face.
-- Amanda Freeman, Founder/CEO of SLT and Stretch*d

Cold Workouts

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“The sweat addicted have been flocking to hot workouts for years, but 2018 marks the introduction of cold temperature workouts. Benefits of working out in the cold include increased calorie and fat burn in addition to increased energy and stamina to get through a workout.
-- Amanda Freeman, Founder/CEO of SLT and Stretch*d

CBD Everything

“CBD, the fully legal part of the cannabis plant, is unquestionably this year's it-ingredient. CBD oils, vapes, creams, and edibles are the number one selling product at Stretch*d. People are turning to CBD to help them sleep, relax, focus, and reduce pain. It's a miracle worker.
-- Amanda Freeman, Founder/CEO of SLT and Stretch*d

Pea Protein

“For years, consumers have been trying a variety of dairy-free protein alternatives; everything from almond to oat to hemp to whey has had its day.Pea is the protein of the moment, thanks to it being high in protein, low in sugar, and nutrient-rich. It's not only easily digestible and highly bioavailable, but also aids in muscle development and recovery.
-- Amanda Freeman, Founder/CEO of SLT and Stretch*d

Celery Juice

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“No, drinking a bitter cocktail of pure celery in the morning will not propel you to realize your wildest health dreams nor will it ‘detox’ your organs, which are already doing so quite well, on account of your natural physiology and anatomy. Celery is indeed a nutritious vegetable and may have antispasmodic effects on the bowels, but juicing it loses the satisfaction factor of mastication and compromises fiber content. While it's probably not harmful to drink celery juice, there is no incredible benefit to juicing anything.
-- Monica Auslander Moreno, MS, RD, LD/N, nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition

Cauliflower Gnocchi

“I've seen a meme that says that when you turn 30 in 2018 (which I did), everything you love turns to cauliflower. While I am ALL about people increasing their vegetable intake, I'm a little sad for the great Italian master chefs who must be depressed seeing their gnocchi craft reduced to frozen balls of cauliflower. I think we need to stop thinking so 'black and white' and maybe indulge mindfully and occasionally in REAL gnocchi or do a half and half cauliflower/real gnocchi split, and well-portioned.
-- Monica Auslander Moreno, MS, RD, LD/N, nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition

Dousing Goods with Coconut Sugar

“Coconut sugar may be mildly more nutrient-dense and mildly less likely to spike blood sugar than plain white sugar, but nothing significant enough to impact your health. Sugar = sugar = sugar; your body recognizes coconut sugar the same. It's not a health food, it's not something to use with reckless abandon, it's just a little less refined.
-- Monica Auslander Moreno, MS, RD, LD/N, nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition

Eating Charcoal

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“This still baffles me. Activated charcoal is something I used to see used when I worked in a hospital as an emergency detoxification treatment for severe alcohol/drug overdoses. Yes, it does bind to toxins in your body -- but healthy, normal people eating food need to know that food is not a toxin! Eating charcoal will just cause you to mal absorb vital nutrients and it can mess heavily with medications and supplements.
-- Monica Auslander Moreno, MS, RD, LD/N, nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition

Intermittent Fasting

“Intermittent fasting is essentially timed eating: a fasting window of 12 hours is practiced for benefits such as weight loss, mental clarity and energy. While the fasted hours are flexible as long as the period is at least 12 hours, most followers generally consume their meals between noon and 8pm at night. In fact, intermittent fasting can be extremely flexible and can be adjusted to each individual’s lifestyle. However, fasting is not appropriate for everyone -- particularly pregnant women and those with health conditions such as diabetes. Calorie control and quality of foods still play a large role in the success of this diet.
-- May Zhu, a dietitian with Lifeway Foods

Alkaline Diet

“The Alkaline diet focuses on consuming foods that fight acidity and lead to an alkaline state in the body. The diet is based off the idea that our bodies function at the most ideal between a pH of 7.35 and 7.45, leaning towards the alkaline side. Essentially, it’s a form of the elimination diet and excludes foods such as alcohol, grains, conventional meats, eggs, processed foods, and refined sugar. Dairy is limited to yogurt and kefir, mainly for the probiotics. Followers claim that benefits include lowering inflammation, boosting immune function and enhancing metabolism. While there are definitely positive associations to regular consumption of alkalizing vegetables such as kale and brussels sprouts, there are also other benefits to consuming foods that are high on the acidic list, such as nutrient-rich eggs or certain nuts. Bottom line: eating a variety of real foods and limiting heavily processed foods can have just as much of a positive effect, without going too extreme.
-- May Zhu, aa dietitian with Lifeway Foods

Appetite Suppressing Lollipops

“These low-calorie candies claim to suppress appetite and kick cravings, but upon closer inspection of the ingredient list, the first items listed are two different forms of sugar, which are nutritionally void of true nutrients. The star ingredient is a patented saffron extract meant to increase satiety and, as a result, reduce overall food intake. However, it’s currently not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and future research is necessary to provide concrete statistics. When it comes to weight loss, anything that claims to be an appetite suppressant rarely provides long-term results.
-- May Zhu, a dietitian with Lifeway Foods

Shoes Off While Lifting

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“The storyline of feeling more connected to the ground has been bought into leading to all the shoeless feet across gyms. I don’t disagree that over time shoe wear contributes to weakness in the arches, toes and ankles, however taking off the support to lift and wearing them for the other part of your workout and/or the rest of the day, much like dress shoes, is counterproductive and just makes a scene on the gym floor. The hard-core look and goal of ‘foot feel’ while lifting is trending upward this year and I expect to see more shoeless hard bodies in the new year.
-- Joanna Stahl, founder of Go2Practice

The Sweat Stick

“Still one of my favorite Spin Class sightings: a woman applying a stick that looks like a circular deodorant across her arms, shoulders, core, and calves… pretty much everywhere she could reach that wasn’t covered in activewear. Why was she doing this? Sweat sticks create a sauna-like environment for your skin by clogging your pores with the promise to make you sweat more and quicker to enhance your workout.
-- Joanna Stahl, founder of Go2Practice

Infrared Saunas

“Infrared saunas are now everywhere. Touted benefits range from detoxification, sore muscle relief, joint pain reduction, clear and tighter skin and improved circulation to weight loss and better sleep. All very similar to old-school sauna benefits, but these higher tech glowing boxes provide effects in less time with less heat and more comfort thanks to new technology.
-- Joanna Stahl, founder of Go2Practice

Collagen

“Collagen is rich in amino acids and helps protect our tendons, bones and joints. Collagen also helps our nails, hair and skin grow faster and look healthier. It’s estimated that in 2018, Americans spent roughly $122 million on collagen supplements. While the research is not strong or high quality, I have seen my nails and hair grow faster and experienced less aches and pains since using it (it’s tasteless in coffee, tea, or smoothies).
-- Kristin Oja, founder of STAT Wellness

Chocolate Milk for Recovery

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“Chocolate milk is by no means a perfect recovery drink. Training tears down our muscle tissue and so we want to build back up with premium fuel that does the least amount of damage. Chocolate milk gives you some carbs, protein and fat (which millions of other foods can give us), but it also gives us a nasty cocktail of hormones like estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol and contains saturated fat, which clogs our arteries and slows down blood flow.
-- Dotsie Bausch, Olympic cyclist and founder of Switch4Good.com

Fluid Stretching

“Unlike the stretching of the older days, where you hold the stretch for eight counts, the non-static stretching concept is to stretch, move through the stretch to the next stretch, and then repeat the stretch movement for several reps. The belief is that static stretching is too harsh on your tendons and muscles. I would equate it to a ballet-like warm-up rather than what you would consider typical stretching. The guru for this type of stretching is Miranda Esmonde-White, a Canadian fitness trainer and former ballerina with the National Ballet of Canada.
-- Dr. Robb Akridge, health expert and co-founder of Clarisonic

Vitamin Supplements

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“The concept of taking vitamins to improve your health is not new to anyone, however, how these vitamins are derived and concentrated is a big trend. There are companies like 8 Greens that create sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free effervescent tablets, which can be dropped into your water and are packed with vitamin C, B5, B12 and more. Other companies like Olly create vitamins in the form of gummies. Creating vitamins that are more bioavailable has also become a big trend, as this looks at how quickly products or vitamins are absorbed into your system. There are so many different options these days, which makes it really easy to hop on the vitamin bandwagon.
-- Dr. Robb Akridge, health expert and co-founder of Clarisonic

Supplements in Food

“Supplements are no longer restricted to that smoothie you get at the gym bar; now you can add supplements into your food and use different protein- and vitamin-rich powders in your at-home recipes. For example, Vital Proteins creates Bone Broth Collagen Powders, which you can cook with -- using it in the broth of soups, as an additive to almond flour to make breaded chicken, mixed with seasoning, sprinkled on your steak…
-- Dr. Robb Akridge, health expert and co-founder of Clarisonic

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