The Year's Biggest Health And Fitness Trends

A low-carb, high-fat diet might just be the secret to dropping pounds—fast. The keto diet, also called ketogenic, is a diet that all but eliminates carbs. When your body doesn't use carbs for fuel, it creates ketones, which help your body process its own fat for energy instead. The good news? You can eat as much cheese as you want. The bad news? Some followers find the diet hard to stick to in the long-term.

A little Netflix documentary, What The Health, made waves in 2017 for its dramatic denunciation of the standard American diet. It argued that a plant-based vegan diet was the key to unlocking optimal health. As message of the film spread across social media—dozens of stars spoke up about adopting a vegan diet for health, ethical, or environmental reasons. Even Kylie Jenner went vegan—briefly.

One of the biggest diet trends is not a diet at all. It's a timer. Intermittent fasting (sometimes called IF) is a a weight loss strategy that involves squeezing in all your day's calories in a short amount of time. The most popular way to go about it is with the 16:8 diet—16 hours of fasting followed by 8 hours of eating. Giving your body a fasting period is said to regular insulin and blood sugar for a healthier overall body fat percentage.

What's old is new again, at least when it comes to fitness. Boxing was (surprisingly) one of the trendiest workouts this year, thanks in part to supermodels like Gigi Hadid who love how it keeps them lean but toned. In New York City, models and non-models alike flock to Gotham Gym (where Hadid and her sister Bella train).

This year saw a crop of new multivitamin startups aiming to disrupt an industry that has so long neglected aesthetics and consumer transparency. Ritual vitamins (shown at left) claim to boost energy levels and improve nutrition all while being vegan, non-GMO, and free of allergens.

Victoria's Secret Angels don't look that good because of genetics alone (though, that does help). To show just how hard models really train, Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes began documenting their intense workout sessions on a dedicated Instagram account called @Joja.

Like a protein powder for the fashion set, a new bunch of anti-aging, wellness, and health supplements spiked in popularity this year. Throw a spoonful into your smoothie, coffee, or yogurt—whatever. The blends of ingredient like probiotics, vitamins, caffeine, and minerals, claim to do everything from improving skin clarity to boosting energy levels.

Climbing gyms have been climbing in popularity for the last few years. That's because the workout is challenging but low impact, and can burn 500 to 900 calories in one session. Dedicated spaces for climbing have popped up in California, Texas, and New York City (like Dumbo Boulders, pictured at left) lately, with more climbing gyms on the way.

Ommmmm—do you hear that? It's the sound of hundreds of New Yorkers finding inner peace and relaxation at trendy new boutique meditation studios like Inscape (pictured at left) or MNDFL. At the latter, you can book a class with an expert teacher who will guide you through the session, or just pop-in on your lunch break for a quick moment of peace and quiet. Inscape, which just opened in November 2016, is the brainchild of Khajak Keledjian, the co-founder and former CEO of Intermix. Meditation lessons at Inscape are guided by a soothing, ambient, electronic voice—both in the studio (so there are no instructors) and on the brand's app. This unique feature makes Inscape's experience cohesive, whether you're doing it in a group setting or when alone and on the road.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), the practice of combining short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest, doesn't just burn fat and build muscle— it's also ideal for any woman short on time (so, all of us). With some workouts taking only 15 or 30 minutes, there's no wonder HIIT has become a household acronym this year. Plus, dozens of dedicated HIIT gyms have popped up to help us train harder, better, faster, and stronger. In New York, try the Fhitting Room, Dogpound, or Kore for your HIIT fix.

Kayla Itsines has nearly six million followers on Instagram. And no, she's not a celebrity (well, I guess that depends on who you ask). Itsines is a fitness guru and creator of the Bikini Body Guide (BBG) workout, which you've no doubt seen on a slew of influencers' social posts. Her jaw-dropping transformations, easy-to-follow guides, and positive outlook on body image has made Itsines gain a cult-like following.

One of the biggest battles in the food and health space right now is the controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While there is a scientific consensus that GMO foods are safe, the public at large still isn't convinced. But regulations on U.S. farmers is getting stricter, and the debate over labeling GMO and non-GMO food is growing more tense.

If you can't live without your fix of avocado toast, you're not alone. And that's exactly the problem. Everyone's favorite health food had a massive shortage this year, inciting hysteria among fans. The weather and drought in California, as well as a workers' strike in Mexico, caused restaurants and grocers to pull avocados off their menus and shelves. Prices surged, and we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but next year's crop isn't looking too great, either.

As green juice and Le Croix have surged in popularity among the fashion community, Diet Coke might have seen its end of days. Soda consumption in the U.S. reached a 30-year low in 2016, while diet sodas have contributed to 94% of all soft drink declines since 2010, according to Business Insider. And in October, the New York Times reported on a study that shows diet soda consumption can undermine your weight loss goals.

Fitness trackers are the biggest thing to happen to the fitness community since lace-up sneakers. But a study published in JAMA in September 2016 found that they might not actually aid in weight loss. Participants who wore a fitness tracker for 18 months lost fewer pounds throughout the experiment than those who did not track their activity. So while it may be cool to have data about how many steps you've taken, how long you've slept, and how many calories you've burned—you might be better off with a little less knowledge.