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obi obadike

4 mins read

2022 Fitness and Gym Trends: How Do I Choose the Right Gym?

Trends change and evolve every single year, and fitness trends are no exception. For some people, the latest trends can be surprising since they might not have expected it to become popular. However, trends are similar to anything that experiences a surge in popularity, like a famous actor or actress, for example.

With time and age, its relevance begins to diminish and dip, and something newer, younger, or different becomes the next great fitness trend. That’s just the way it is with everything in life.

Top Fitness Trends for 2022

fitness trends

According to a global survey of fitness trends conducted by ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal, the #1 fitness trend in 2022 is wearable technology, which was previously #2 in 2021. Home workout gyms and outdoor exercise were ranked in the second and third spots in 2022.

Wearable technology as a trend is one that makes complete sense in the current fitness space since most people will want to see how well their fitness workouts are doing based on actual data.

People interested in wearable technology devices learn a lot about their calorie burn, their resting heart rate, their heart rate during exercise, and more. Wearable technology also tracks how many calories you burn in a day outside of exercise—from daily activities and using GPS tracking to stay on top of your step count.

As technology advances, wearable technology will likely grow in popularity, since it will start to offer a lot more than it already does, making it no surprise that it’s the #1 trend of 2022.

An interesting observation from the survey, however, is that online services like live and on-demand exercise classes fell to the ninth position this year. This is in stark contrast to 2021, where it stood at the #1 position in fitness trends.

A simple explanation for this is that during the pandemic people were unable to physically access gyms or other fitness spaces since they were temporarily closed.

Virtual workouts experienced their highest demand at the peak of the pandemic. Once that barrier was removed, however, people didn’t have to figure out how to exercise at home anymore.

How Do You Choose the Right Fitness Gym for You?

Here are a few questions you should consider before deciding on a gym:

  • Do you have to drive a long distance to exercise at the location?
  • Are the gym hours flexible to allow you the freedom of late or early workouts?
  • Does the gym offer childcare so your child can stay with you while you exercise?
  • Do the gym staff make sure everything is completely wiped down and that the gym is clean? Gym cleanliness is more important than ever in these times.
  • Most importantly, are the gym staff friendly, and do they treat their members with respect?

Taking your health into your own hands can seem overwhelming at first, but with the right guidance, you’ll be well on your way to being the best version of yourself.

If you need help getting there, get in touch with Ethical Inc. today.

4 mins read

How Exactly Does Drinking Alcohol Affect Your Heart?

The narrative around drinking alcohol is something that is constantly changing. Is drinking alcohol always bad for you? Does drinking in moderation actually help your heart health? Is there a certain amount you should drink to have the best health possible?

We all know that excessive drinking is bad for your health. However, does drinking in moderation improve your health?

You might’ve heard that drinking a glass of wine is good for the heart—it’s one of the most common beliefs around alcohol and heart health and has been backed by some small preliminary studies in the past.

Recent developments, however, tell a different story. Studies from the World Heart Federation as of January 20th, 2022 contradict this previous information.

What Is the World Heart Federation?

The World Heart Federation is a Geneva-based organization that advocates for heart health and represents hundreds of heart associations worldwide. They recently released a new policy titled ‘The Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Cardiovascular Health’.

The crux of this policy brief is that any amount of alcohol—not just heavy drinking—can increase the risk of heart disease. Even small amounts of alcohol can have negative effects. The brief even articulates that previous studies claiming that alcohol in moderation can be good for you were based on observational research, and did not account for other important factors.

According to The World Heart Federation, the most common health problems associated with alcohol consumption are:

  • Coronary Disease
  • Several Types of Cancer
  • Aortic Aneurysm
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Stroke
  • Weight Gain

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, with over 17.9 million lives being attributed to it every year. In 2019 alone, there were 2.4 million deaths due to heart disease as a result of alcohol consumption. The World Heart Federation has since called for a relative reduction of 10% in the per capita consumption of alcohol between 2013 to 202.

While the World Heart Federation takes a staunch approach against alcohol consumption, the American Heart Association (AHA) has a more flexible perspective. According to the AHA, moderation when drinking alcohol is key—their moderation metric proposes no more than one drink a day for women, and two drinks a day for men.

According to Dr. Mariell Jessup, the Chief Science and Medical Officer to the American Heart Association, “we concluded that if one doesn’t drink alcohol, do not start; and if one does drink alcohol, limit intake.”

How Does Alcohol Affect Your Weight?

In terms of weight gain, simply drinking two glasses of beer or wine a day can have a noticeable impact, especially if you are already on a diet or trying to manage or lose weight. Two 12 ounce beers can be anywhere between 280 calories to 382 calories, while two 12 ounce glasses of wine can be anywhere from 350 calories to 364 calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, then alcohol probably isn’t the best choice for you. If you want to be healthy, try replacing your alcohol intake with water.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, it comes down to you. If you do decide to drink alcohol, make sure to do it in moderation so it doesn’t have a negative effect on your health.

A huge part of your personal wellbeing comes from your daily habits and lifestyle, so if you incorporate minimizing alcohol into your life, you’ll have a higher chance of improving your personal health.

A well-rounded strategy for health needs more than solely dieting or exercise, or even limiting alcohol consumption.

To learn more about how to reach your health and fitness goals, visit Ethical Inc. today.

1 min read

Morris Chestnut and Fitness Expert Obi Obadike Launch Ethical Inc., a Science-based Supplement Brand

Award-winning actor, Morris Chestnut has teamed up with globally recognized celebrity fitness expert Obi Obadike to launch Ethical Inc, a science-based supplement brand created to support people living their best life with ethically-made health products.

This is the second time the duo has teamed up on a health and fitness-related venture. The first was their collaboration on their #1 best-selling book, “The Cut”.

In this interview with Morris and Obi, we discussed Morris’s personal reasons for being interested in health and fitness, his new TV Show, “Our Kind of People” and his upcoming projects, including the return of critically acclaimed, “The Best Man”.

Obi, a certified fitness trainer and nutritionist, shares why he and Morris created the brand. He also offers some advice to those in the 40-plus club who are trying to get in shape and lose weight.

They both shared what it’s like working together and why they’ve decided to collaborate once again.

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Tony O. Lawson


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