Body of Work

It’s the new year. And that means—despite knowing better—many of us are making New Year’s resolutions to [insert frustrating, unobtainable health goal here]. How about instead, we agree to be nicer to our minds and bodies in 2024?

The team at Luxeicon spent the holiday break relaxing—and reading up on the latest wellness trends. Read on to see what we’re loving—and what we’re giving you permission to stop doing—in our unofficial In and Out list. (Spoiler: Number one involves a vacation just to sleep). 

Out: Rise and Grind – The phrase has been around for at least a decade, but we’re thanking Gen Z, who has pushed for more mental health awareness in the workplace and for helping us realize hustle culture isn’t the best for our health.
In: AI-Powered Sleep Tourism – “Sleep Hygiene” has recently come into the lexicon as more and more people recognize the need for a restful night’s sleep (see above: The rejections of Rise & Grind culture). A recent National Sleep Foundation study found that a majority of Americans are sleepy at least three days a week and one of Google’s most searched questions last year was “Why am I always so tired?” Enter: Sleep Tourism. More and more luxury hotels are offering up rooms dedicated to getting the best sleep of your life. Is there anything better than a freshly made bed (by someone else?) and a fluffy robe? There are plenty of places to travel for a dedicated sleep vacation, but we’ll be checking into the new Hastens Sleep Spa in Portugal. And, of course, would it be a trend if AI wasn’t involved? The Park Hyatt New York is one of the first hotels to partner with startup Bryte, an AI mattress company. Six dedicated sleep suites feature the mattress–which each come with 90 ‘smart’ cushions that work with the body’s pressure points, control climate and provide sleep stats. The smart mattresses are also featured at Carillon Miami and Four Seasons Beverly Hills. When can we get one of these at home? 

Out: Cold Plunge – If you were on TikTok at all in 2023, you saw influencers galore jumping into freezing cold baths, pools, rivers in the name of fitness. And, while there are actual health benefits to this mostly social media trend, we’re not sure we have it in us. 
In: Contrast Theory – Also known as the ‘Nordic Cycle,’ it turns out sitting in a sauna before you hit the ice is just as good for you. A growing body of research suggests that alternating-temp therapies (sauna, cold plunge, repeat) can also give you health benefits (Think: increased circulation, reduce muscle soreness, boost energy levels) and keep you warm. 

Out: IRL Trainers – While there’s no substitute for someone counting down your reps and making sure you have proper form, AI in the fitness industry is of course trending (where isn’t it)? 
In: AI Coaches – As The New York Times said (warned?) back in the spring, “You’re Next Fitness Coach Could Be a Robot.” Your Apple watch already monitors your heart rate, sleep habits and more. As AI booms across disciplines, we’re looking to see if it can unlock the secret to the perfect workout. 

Out: Luxury Health Clubs – Sure we’re keeping our Equinox membership in the new year, but even better? Biohacking is going IRL social. 
In: Luxury Biohacking – Biohacking isn’t new (Remember the biohacker tech bro spending $2 million a year chasing immortality). But for the 1% looking to biohack with a community, clubs like Remedy Place (In NYC and West Hollywood), dubbed ‘The World’s First Social Wellness Club, offer unlimited cryotherapy, tech remedies, saunas, oxygen pods, IV vitamin drips, personalized health plans and more. Toronto is going all in on biohacking clubs, too. We’re also on the lookout for this drug cocktail that reverses aging to get the go-ahead from the FDA. 

Out: Peloton – Remember when we were all baking bread and pedaling on our Pelotons during the pandemic? We’re ready to sweat with other people again. 
In: Group Exercise – The U.S. Surgeon General raised the alarm on America’s loneliness epidemic last year. The good news? It means group outings–including group exercise–is seeing a resurgence. Sign up for some cardio or get out your camo leggings and go Rucking, which is gaining in popularity. Part of Army training, soldiers are required to carry a ruck-sack (i.e. a super heavy backpack) for 12 miles.

Out: Fake Meat – The Impossible Burger arrived on high for hungry vegans secretly craving meat, but lately some are pushing back on the processing that goes into engineered ‘meat.’
In: Real Plants – Instead, give us the real deal. Salads and fruits and whole grain bread, oh my. TikTok, the arbiter of all that’s trending, shows #plantbased got over 1 billion views in the U.S. alone last year. 

Out: Tracking Your Steps – We’re not saying sit down (How hip were walking pads and stand up desks last year?), but there’s also a new metric that must be tracked. 
In: Tracking Your Water Intake – We’re not just getting our eight glasses a day in this year, we’re tracking our hydration levels with wearable technology. And as Nat Geo shared, this guy has Water Sommelier on his resume. We’ll be on the lookout for this new amenity at other restaurants this year. 

Out: Multi-step skincare routines – We’ve all spent thousands of dollars and countless hours trying to make our skin glow, but are your own stem cells (and SPF, never give up your SPF!) really the simple answer?
In: Nanofat Injections – Scientists have been using platelet-rich plasma injections (i.e. your own blood cells and plasma) to help with healing in sports injuries for awhile, and it has since been adopted to smooth wrinkles and pores, and encourage new collagen production. But in 2024, we’ve got our eye on Nanofat injections, which takes stem cells from your own body fat, to improve skin tone and regenerate youthful skin. Acorn Labs, with limited services offered in the U.S. and Canada, is one of the first to lead the charge on this regenerative science. Not quite ready to cryogenically freeze your cells? Vampire Facials (remember when Kim K first brought this into the skincare conversation?) have come a long way. With proven benefits for your skin–and non-invasive microneedling–it’s another way to keep your skin as fresh as a baby. 

Out: Intermittent Fasting – It’s breakfast, you’ve been asleep for nine hours (see above: sleep hygiene), you’re hungry. But 2023’s craze was all about Intermittent Fasting, eating in a small window of time, well, biohack your metabolism. But skipping our morning meal just doesn’t feel right. 
In: Blue Zone Diets – It’s all about eating for longevity and holistic health in 2024, which is why we’re ready for the Blue Zone Diet (though diet feels like the wrong word here). ‘Blue Zones’ are areas of the world where people tend to be the healthiest and live the longest (that’s not the U.S. with our overprocessed diets). One thing these so-called Blue Zones have in common? Eating mostly a plant-based diet. We’re feasting on legumes, fruits and vegetables this year. Real food and plenty of it. 

Out: Pickleball – If you’ve already got the gear, don’t worry Pickleball isn’t going anywhere, but there’s a new everyone-can-do-it-sport having a moment. 
In: Badminton – Perhaps it’s because badminton is an Olympic sport (yes, really) and all eyes are on Paris this summer for the games, but badminton, which is actually more than 2,000 years old, is having a resurgence. Pinterest has seen an 80 percent uptick in searches for the sport (and the cute gear as well). You can find us this summer batting the shuttlecock across the net, glass of Champagne in hand. That’s our kind of sport.