Top 10 Trending Healthy Habits for 2022

According to the World Health Organization, lifestyle-related factors are estimated to be responsible for one in four chronic illnesses, including cancer, globally. Chronic diseases are responsible for about 60% of all deaths worldwide. But research also suggests that we can improve those statistics through healthy living. We can reduce the risk of death from chronic disease by as much as 50% just from simply adopting daily healthy habits. Besides, you want to look and feel your best too, right? Most people want to be at their best and have more energy.  Let’s look at the top 10 trending healthy habits for 2022. 

1. Promise to Eat Your Veggies This Year

Vegetables are an important part of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle. Eating vegetables is usually associated with fewer health problems, such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer.

A healthy diet includes vegetables as they contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and phytonutrients which help keep you healthy and strong. Eating vegetables also helps with weight loss because they fill you up without adding many calories.

It is no wonder vegetables is the top trending healthy habit for 2022.  Just look at some of the health benefits of eating your vegetables:

• Fewer health problems
• Improved mood
• Better physical appearance
• More energy
• Improved brain power
• Weight loss and maintenance
• Balanced hormones and neurotransmitters
• Less inflammation and pain

One study has found that eating 5 servings of veggies decreased risk of death by 10%. But eating up to 10 servings of vegetables per day reduced that risk by as much as 33%. This study suggests that eating your vegetables is the number one thing you can do for your health.

To increase the intake of vegetables in their diet, many people are using various methods. Some of these methods include adding more veggies to stews, soups, and casseroles. Baking with veggies, such as zucchini bread and cauliflower pizza crusts. Roasting vegetables with olive oil and herbs, spices, or garlic can help improve the taste, if you don’t really like veggies.  Add them to your main courses, snacks and even desserts.  Have you tried a veggie-packed smoothie?  It is an easy and tasty way to get more veggies in, especially for breakfast. 

Vegetables are not just for salads; they can be used in all types of dishes!

“Vegetables, herbs and spices. If you can combine those ingredients, that would be the best dish you’d ever cook! ”

– Rinrin Marinka –

2. Walking is a Top Trending Healthy Habit in 2022

Walking is the second biggest healthy trend prediction for 2022.  More cities are adding parks, trails, and pathways for foot traffic. Studies have shown that cities with more green space have healthier citizens. They are taking notice and making the changes needed to encourage people walk more.

Walking is a great exercise that has a tremendous impact on your health and it’s super easy to do. You can walk anytime, anywhere. All you need is a pair of sturdy and comfortable shoes and a little bit of get-up-and-go!

The fresh air you get when walking outdoors is important, and it can improve your mood and brain function.  You can think more clearly, and walking sparks creativity, which is why so many high-powered executives are holding walking meetings.

Start by parking further away from your destination.  Or walk to the corner store from home, instead of driving to the supermarket. Walk with a friend, instead of going for coffee. There are so many ways of getting more walking into your day. 

3. Master Your Sleep Routine in 2022

Getting a good night’s sleep makes you feel better and more rested the next morning.  But it is also good for your physical and mental health too.  Not only do you feel better, but you are healthier overall. 

Having a healthy sleep routine is the key to telling your body when it is time to get the ultimate daily rest. You will wake up in the morning with energy, clarity of mind, and a positive outlook. The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep for adults.

One in three Americans are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. A lack of sleep can lead to many negative consequences, such as feeling cranky or anxious, difficulty concentrating, and an increased risk for heart disease and cancer.

It is important to have a nightly ritual that helps you prepare for bedtime. A regular routine helps your brain associate the activities with falling asleep. Turn off your blue light powered devices at least 30 minutes before sleep time. Try treating yourself with some easy reading before bed. A warm bath or cup of herbal tea can be comforting. It may also be helpful to create a relaxing nighttime playlist on Amazon Music or another service so that you have some soothing music or a relaxing sleep story playing while you are getting ready for bed.

4. Blue Light Glasses are the Hot Healthy Trend in 2022

Blue light glasses are a hot trend for healthy living in 2022.  They save your eyes from the harmful glare of your phone screens, computer, TV, overhead fluorescent lights, and other electronic gadgets, reducing eye strain and headaches.  They also help you get a better sleep at night.

Blue light is one of the wavelengths in the visible spectrum of light.  It is known as high energy visible light.  We do need some blue light for our normal body processes, as it helps us regulate our circadian rhythms.  But in today’s electronic age, we are overstimulated with blue light which disrupts the normal and important rhythms necessary for a good night sleep and overall well-being.

Blue glasses help you continue to work on your computer at the office and watch Netflix to relax in the evening, while filtering out the excess of blue light wavelengths.  They may also help reduce your risk of macular degeneration and other age-related eye diseases.

5. Ecotourism: Plan Your Healthy Outdoor Vacation

With the pandemic making travel and social gathering difficult, if not impossible, people are flocking to the great outdoors.  More and more people are practicing Ecotourism, and 2022 will continue to see this boom continue.  

Ecotourism not only benefits your health, but also helps nature conservation and the local economy in these areas.  It is the responsible travel to natural, threatened, or endangered areas of wilderness.  It helps to educate the traveler about the land, nature conservation and cultures of the local indigenous population, but also has some amazing health benefits too. 

Most of the areas visited by ecotourists are only available on foot.  So, it provides a fun opportunity to exercise with the reward of some great views and unique sights. In most cases you are out among plants and trees, so will have the added benefit of the phytochemicals and fresh oxygen that they emit. It is also a great way to reduce chronic stress.

You can travel far away to exotic places.  But you can also be an ecotourist in your own backyard.  Many of us take our natural surroundings for granted. But from 2020 to today, more people are discovering the beauty, uniqueness, and value of the lands and indigenous cultures in their own home territories. 

6. Yoga is a Top Trending Healthy Habit in 2022

Yoga has risen in popularity during the past decade. It is now one of the top 10 popular healthy habits for the year 2022.

Yoga is a form of exercise that has been practiced for centuries. It has been known to provide many physical health benefits such as improving muscle strength, increasing flexibility, and enhancing balance. Studies have shown that yoga can help decrease pain and improve the lives of people living with chronic disease.  In addition to these physical benefits, research has also shown that yoga can help with mental health, such as relieving anxiety and improving mental focus.

Many people can do yoga from home using a mat and practicing through videos on the internet. Yoga classes are popular too and can be found at many different times during the day to fit any schedule. You can participate in online Zoom classes or locally at a gym, spa or studio.

Yoga is popular in the workplace as well because it provides many physical benefits that are required for employees who are sitting all day long. It also promotes relaxation and teaches breathing techniques that help to focus your mind on something other than work stress. A 10-minute yoga break, even in your own desk chair, can help increase productivity and improve your well-being.

”Yoga means addition – addition of energy, strength and beauty to body, mind and soul.”

– Amit Ray –

7. Dumbbells are Making a Comeback

Over the past decade, the fitness industry was going through a period of change. New forms of exercise were being introduced to the public and dumbbells were becoming a forgotten form of resistance training for people, except serious body builders.

However, in 2022, dumbbells are making a comeback. The TRX and other fancy strength workouts have been dominating gyms for years. And now it is time to go back to tried-and-true basics with free weights. Dumbbell exercises are gaining popularity again. People want to keep themselves strong and fit but don’t necessarily want to go to a gym or follow an intensive workout routine. Free weights make resistance training more accessible. They are fun to do too, as you can see gains fairly quickly.

Many people are looking for lightweight and inexpensive ways to stay strong and healthy, and dumbbells are it!  As our lives get more hectic, it’s harder to find the time required for resistance training at the gym or with a personal trainer. Also, many people may not be able to afford memberships to gyms anymore due to impacted incomes during the past couple of years. Dumbbells, as well as body weight exercises, are other ways to workout in your own home gym, saving you money and time.

If you are new to using dumbbells, start with lighter weights.  Use proper technique to avoid injury.  Having one or two sessions with a personal trainer to show you proper technique is a great way to get it right from the beginning. 

8. Dance Your Way to Healthy in 2022

Television shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance sparked a public interest in this fun form of exercise. Today, Instagram Reels and Tik Tok dance challenges have people getting up out their chairs.  Dancing is another hot trending healthy habit in 2022.

Dancing covers all the components of a great workout routine.  It provides cardio, strength, flexibility, and balance into an all-in-one, exhilarating exercise.  Dance can help you lose weight, strengthen muscle and bone, improve your heart and circulation, lower blood pressure and increase energy.  It also helps improve your mood and can help ward off depression and anxiety. It is a great way to relieve stress.

And all you need to dance is some music!  So, crank up your favorite tune and get moving.  Maybe even try one of the dance challenges from social media and post a video yourself? Watch the video below for some inspiration.

9. The Protein Power of Smoothies Energizes You in 2022

Protein is an essential macronutrient to help build muscle and repair cells and tissues. Getting enough in your daily diet is necessary for functioning enzymes, neurotransmitters and balanced hormones. You look, feel and function better when you get enough protein.

Protein is calorie-dense and very filling, so to eat enough throughout your day is difficult. But then there are whole food smoothies!  These delicious drinks are a quick and easy way to disguise this necessary nutrient. 

Smoothies were popular with the body builders and endurance athletes, as they need a heap of protein to heal exhausted muscles.  But every day people are discovering that smoothies are a great way to get a serving of protein and their fruit and veggie requirements too. 

Smoothies can help with weight loss, reduce cholesterol, boost immunity, restore energy, provide essential micronutrients, reduce inflammation, prevent the signs of aging, and help reduce the risk of chronic illness. Wow, that is a powerful drink!

10. The Year 2022 Will Have You Moving More

Activity trackers that flooded the market years ago have made us aware of how sedentary we were.  But while the novelty of our fitness watches fades, moving more has become more common place. 

We are more aware of sitting diseases today.  Heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other metabolic diseases increase the more inactive we are. So, incorporating movement and shorter bursts of exercise throughout our day can help ward off these illnesses.  Experts recommend getting up and moving for at least 15 seconds every hour. 

So, don’t ignore that “MOVE” notification on your watch.  Get up, stretch, walk around or do some chair exercises to get your heart pumping, blood circulating, and lymph flowing.  It is good for your body and your brain.  You will also feel more alert and be more productive. 

Honorable Mention:  Drink More Water in 2022

While it didn’t make the top 10 list, drinking more water is still a very important and popular healthy habit for 2022.  Even just 1% dehydration can have you feeling sluggish and foggy-brained. So, make sure you stay hydrated by drinking enough water this year.

I hope you enjoyed reading about the top 10 trending healthy habits for 2022. 

What would you add to this list?  I welcome comments below.