Singaporeans are seeking a healthful diet which reflects an increased focus on health and wellness. According to the latest Nielsen Global Health and Ingredient-Sentiment Survey, 57% of the locals have highlighted that they followed diets that limit or prohibit consumption of some foods or ingredients.

The Nielsen Global Health and Ingredient-Sentiment Survey polled more than 30,000 online respondents in 63 countries, including 514 respondents from Singapore to understand how consumers feel about the foods and beverages available on store shelves. It examined respondents’ self-reported dietary restrictions, including food allergies or in tolerances, and the extent to which current offerings are meeting their needs. It also looked at consumer sentiment across 22 different ingredients to uncover what consumers want on store shelves.

“The rising obesity rates, increasing number of adults living with diabetes, and progressively less active lifestyles are critical motivations which nudged Singaporeans to relook at their eating options and habits” said Joan Koh, Managing Director, Singapore and Malaysia, Nielsen. “This emerging trend is further fuelled by the successful implementation of various country-wide health campaigns and education programs from the government in recent years, which provide the necessary ingredients for locals to make healthier food choices.”

LESS IS MORE FOR SINGAPOREANS IN THEIR DIETS
From the survey findings, the top two diets among respondents were those with low/no fat or low/no sugar (28% and 25% respectively). One in five Singaporeans (20%) cited that they preferred a low/no carbohydrates diet. Additionally, 18% of locals stuck to a diet which has low salt/sodium while 11% adhered to a vegetarian diet.

On the ingredients, a focus on simpler and fewer artificial or processed foods was a priority to many Singaporeans. MSG (64%), artificial preservatives (63%) and antibiotics or hormones (61%) topped the list of ingredients that locals tried to avoid.

Joan notes, “When it comes to the foods we eat, consumers are going back to basics and the survey findings indicated that less is more as they omit ingredients that are not beneficial to their well-being. Singaporeans aspire to achieve better health and are taking a more proactive role with healthier eating to prevent or manage their health issues.”

Locals were also avoiding certain ingredients primarily because of their perceived impact on health, rather than an actual medical condition. Artificial preservatives (91%), food products contained in packaging made of BPA (90%), MSG and artificial colors (both at 89%) were most undesirable to Singaporeans.

HEALTHFUL DIETARY WISH-LIST FOR THE LOCAL CONSUMERS
57% of the respondents have indicated that their dietary needs were either not met or partially met by the current product offerings. What items did they wish to see more available in retail stores?
Top of the list are food products which are all-natural as cited by 54% of Singaporeans. In addition, respondents wished for more products with low/no sugar and low/no fat (both at 46%), foods that are organic (40%) and with no artificial colors (39%).

Furthermore, 72% of the respondents highlighted that they agreed or somewhat agreed that they felt more positively about companies that were transparent about where and how products were made/raised/grown. 56% of them also agreed or somewhat agreed that they were willing to pay more for foods and drinks that did not contain undesirable ingredients.
Joan added, “There is a tremendous opportunity for food manufacturers and retailers to lead a healthy movement by providing an assortment of healthful options across categories which consumers want and need. Consumers are seeking natural and minimally processed foods with beneficial ingredients which promote good health. Adopting the right strategies in this growing health and wellness space will increase the chance for both food manufacturers and retailers alike to build a loyal shopper base and eventually drive profits for their businesses.”

Annually, the editors of ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal® (FIT) publish the results from a worldwide survey of the 20 most popular fitness innovations and trends that are worth checking out. We chose five and asked two top fitness trainers to share their thoughts on why these fitness trends made the list for 2019.   

Wearable Technology

Take a look around your workplace or fitness facility. It's likely that a lot of people are sporting some type of wearable technology, which explains why this trend sits at the top of the list. From smartwatches and fitness trackers to heart rate monitors and GPS devices, wearable technology is going to be with us for a long time. One reason they're a trend worth trying? Wearable technology allows you to set goals according to your needs, which iFit trainer Mecayla Froerer says takes the guessing out of the equation and helps you see the data that is relevant specifically to you.

Lindsey Corak, Group Training Coordinator with Life Time, says another reason these tools are worth trying is they allow you to track metrics and smaller achievements (i.e. 10,000 steps per day), which helps keep you motivated and on track for your bigger achievements—not to mention the heart rate feature that comes with heart rate monitors and many of the watches. Corak says this helps you accurately measure your work output to make sure you are training efficiently.

Group Training

If you like the energy that comes from working out with other people, this trend is for you. Instructors or personal trainers lead group exercise classes with the goal of making the workout safe, effective and motivational, which Corak says helps us connect with like-minded people.

"Working out in a group of people gives us a sense of community," she says. When you integrate people into your life and routine that have the same goals as you, you're more likely to stay motivated and accountable for your workouts. Group training classes range from boot camp style and indoor cycling to dance-based or cardio classes.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

When you find yourself with a limited amount of time to exercise, do you skip it or maximize the time you have? The good news is, you don't have to choose. With high-intensity interval training (HIIT), you can get an effective and efficient workout done in as little as 20 minutes.

HIIT uses bouts of high-intensity exercise alternated with short rest periods to maximize calorie burn and cardio respiratory fitness in half the time of slow-steady state cardio. Froerer says HIIT is a great way to train when you're in a pinch since you'll be working with intervals at nine to 10 on an RPE scale of one to 10—which means these workouts are hard and effective. 

Hiring a Personal Trainer

Working one-on-one with a personal trainer is beneficial for people of all fitness levels. Whether you're setting foot in the gym for the first time or are a seasoned fitness fanatic, hiring a trainer to help you get the job done is a great investment in your health. 

Since trainers are experts in their field, Corak says one of the smartest things you can do when joining a club is hire a trainer to get you started on a program. "Trainers not only create an efficient program that meets your exact needs and goals, but they can make sure you are performing the movements effectively and safely to prevent injury," she explains. 

The goal of a trainer is to make sure you are living your best life. "With our expertise and knowledge, we can help develop a plan to meet your needs and more importantly, to guide you to be your best self," she says. 

Mobile Exercise Apps

One of the most popular trends right now is online workout videos and apps. They are easy to access (all you need is a smartphone, tablet or computer) and many of them are free. Plus, mobile exercise apps target the No. 1 reason many of us skip a workout: time. 

"Not everyone has time in their day to get to a gym, find child care and or make it to a class," Froerer says. "Streaming workouts is a great way to get one in from the comfort of your own home while saving you time and stress," she adds. And the best part? You can find just about any type of workout on one of these apps—from indoor or outdoor running and cycling to yoga, strength training and HIIT classes.
https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/5-fitness-trends-for-2019 
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People do an astonishing number of things every day to strain, weaken, and pressure their backs. You know you shouldn’t lift wrong, but you do — all day, every day — picking up socks, petting the dog, for laundry, trash, making the bed, looking in the refrigerator, and all the dozens of times you bend over things. You work bent over your desk or bench. You drive bent forward.

If you go to the gym, you probably lift weights bent over, stretch by touching your toes, do yoga by bending over at the waist, then bend over to pick up your gym bag to go home. No wonder your back hurts. Most people know that bending wrong will injure your back. But they stand, bend, sit, and lift wrong many dozens of times a day, day after day, then compound the problem with holding muscles tightly, and doing bad exercises. They may do special “back exercises,” but not be aware that strong muscles will not automatically give you good posture, make you bend and lift properly, or make up for all the things you do the rest of the day to hurt your back. They wonder why they still get pain even though they take their medicine and “do their exercises.

“Many wind up in back surgery, or long term or recurring pain, not understanding why their physical therapy, pills, or yoga “didn’t work.”
Extracted from: https://www.afpafitness.com/research-articles/bad-discs-and-sciatica