The new year, it’s here! And whether you’re a resolutions kind of person or a take-the-year-as-it-comes adherent, there are some great health trends you’ll want to know about to keep this new year happy and healthy!
- Wearables: While wearable health monitoring devices have been part of our personal technology landscape for a while now, the range and accuracy of those devices and new ones on the market continue to grow. One of the newer options is a device called Levels, which monitors your blood glucose and metabolic levels. You wear a patch on the back of your arm, which connects wirelessly to your phone, giving you quick insight into how various food choices impact your blood sugar. There are also systems coming to the market which can monitor cardiac health. The Oura Ring gives you data about your sleep quality. And there are more devices that will be hitting the market, including devices that keep your health information stored on the device itself for greater privacy. Of course, if you’re an Altrua HealthShare Member on certain memberships, you have access to the Altrua HealthShare App, which allows you to sync your wearables, keep track of your medications, healthcare provider visits, and more. All of these tools can help you know just how you’re doing in several areas of your health, which allows you to be proactive in continuing healthy habits. (Not yet an Altrua HealthShare Member? Discover how you could save up to half of traditional health insurance costs by becoming part of the Altrua HealthShare Membership.)
- Rest: What do many top-tier athletes share in common? They actively practice getting high-quality rest. In our culture, we often emphasize those who are able to achieve incredible athletic feats as examples of health and vitality. And we often gravitate to their high-intensity workouts and nutritional plans as part of how we want to approach our own fitness goals. But another important component of their fitness strategies is getting enough top-quality sleep and rest throughout the day. As fitness journalist Jill Nawrocki writes, “Getting less than six hours of sleep a night impacts more than just day-to-day function. It also contributes to an increased risk of heart disease and obesity, which equates to long-term health risks as well.” And rest means rest. Not running errands, working on DIY projects around the house, or any other activities. Rest is napping, reading, and quieting your body and mind. The more researchers learn about the incredibly important role of rest and how it allows our bodies to recover, the more you’ll be hearing about it in the new year as a critical part of your healthy lifestyle.
- Personalized Healthcare: One size doesn’t fit all. But in years past, many of the health indicators that are standard to look for with patients have been part of a standardized approach. But it’s important to note, whether it’s your usual body temperature, your blood glucose levels or cholesterol levels, and what dosage of medications you need, you’ve got unique factors specific to you. As medical research and more sensitive testing become available, look for adjustments in dosage recommendations, and ranges on standard blood work that includes more information depending on your age, genetic profile, and gender. And according to Forbes writer Bernard Marr, “The term personalized healthcare is also sometimes used in relation to moves to allow patients to make more choices about how their care is planned and delivered. This usually involves drawing up a personal treatment plan for an individual, considering their own circumstances, opinions and beliefs when making choices about how and where they should be treated.” This means that in the coming year, you could find that your healthcare provider becomes more specific about treatment plans and health recommendations that are customized for you. Additionally, Altrua HealthShare is leading out in the personalized healthcare space with MyShare. MyShare is a customizable healthcare sharing membership that allows you to select which features make sense for your season of life and health goals. Check out MyShare from Altrua HealthShare for more details on how you can build a membership that’s right for you.
Technology, an emphasis on good old-fashioned sleep and rest, advances in medical research, and more personalized approaches to your healthcare are just a few of the trends you can be looking for in 2023. It’s all good news at the start of the year for you to live in your best health.
Happy and Healthy New Year!