Wellness

Fresh Air: Clean Breathing Trend

As somebody who spends my time split mostly between two busy cities, London and New York, I’m really aware of the (quite poor!) quality of the air I’m breathing. And this latest wellness trend is all about improving our health through cleaner air…

Image Credit @ Camilla Akrans for Vogue Japan

You know that feeling when you step onto the beach and breath in the fresh, salty air? Or when you’re walking in the countryside in the middle of nowhere and your head feels so much clearer? That’s clean breathing in practice. Following on from the clean eating trend, (which is going nowhere,) clean breathing is the latest wellness trend, that encourages us to address the quality of the air in our homes, or get out of them in search of fresh air. According to reports, the air inside buildings is often five time more polluted than the air outside, due to residual effects of cleaning products, aerosols and perfumes. So how can the clean breathing trend help?

Clean Breathing: Better Air

The trend for improving air quality in our homes fits nicely with the trend for house plants, since air-purifying plants can work wonders on improving our air quality. Plants have the ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen, but they can also work as a vacuum for other substances from the air. Chemicals including formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia and acetone are all among those that plants can remove from the air in our homes and offices.

Image Credit @ Camilla Akrans for Vogue Japan

Air-purifying plants

Which are the best plants to fill your home with to improve the quality of your air? Ivy, ferns, peace lillies and orchids are all great at improving the air quality of your home, and they’re relatively easy to care for, too. (Don’t overwater them!) Aloe vera is also a good option for your bedroom, as it can help improve sleep. Meanwhile, tech products such as Molekule are offering more advanced air purifiers than ever to help tackle allergic asthma and other pollutant-related conditions through cleaner air.

Don’t want a house full of plants or air purifiers? You can tap into the trend by regular country walks, or by combining the clean breathing trend with the forest bathing wellness trend that I wrote about recently.

Breathwork

So, once you’ve improved the air quality in your home, you can move on to another breathing-related health trend for 2019, breathwork. The technique is basically the practice of controlled deep breathing to influence your mental, emotional or physical state. You will now find guided breathing classes popping up at gyms, and apps offering to guide you available on your phone.

…Aaaaaannd breathe!

READ NEXT: How to Sleep Better | Health Trends for 2019

© Wendy Rowe. All Rights Reserved.