After the entire global population has been vaccinated and protected from COVID-19, life is expected to go back to normal. However, after over a year of the pandemic, there are things that have changed. For example, online shopping, which has been picking up before the pandemic, has become central in the lives of many consumers. Experts believe that retail will continue to trend toward e-commerce in years to come.
One area that probably will be affected positively by the pandemic is health. Prior to the arrival of COVID-19, obesity was on an uptrend. Between 1999 and 2018, the prevalence of obesity among American adults increased from 30.5% to 42.4%. As a result, health conditions that are associated with obesity such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancers.
However, Americans seem to be more aware now of the implications of living an unhealthy lifestyle.
The Shift of Mindset After the Crisis
People already know how to maintain a healthy body. They have to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly, sleep a complete eight hours every night, and say no to smoking and drinking. While there were clear threats to health because of an unhealthy lifestyle, not a lot of people were in a hurry to get better.
It took a deadly pandemic for many people to realize that they have to start getting in shape.
According to recent data from Vida Health, a virtual care platform, the closure of gyms did not discourage the public to start moving. The time people spend exercising daily increased by an astounding 43%.
Meanwhile, while restaurants have reopened for deliveries and takeouts, people were not bingeing. They are monitoring what they eat in every meal more strictly in the past year by logging it into the platform.
For people to be worried about their health in the face of a spreading illness makes sense. While symptoms of COVID-19 may be light or even absent in many people, those who have what they call comorbidities such as obesity, are more likely to experience severe symptoms, including pneumonia.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also warned that obesity has been linked to lower vaccine efficacy in the past. While there is currently no data that it can interfere with the efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19, it remains a possibility.
Greater Demand for Health Care and Maintenance
As people look for ways to improve their health, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to enter the industry and provide relevant products and services. In the future, once the virus and its strains have been eliminated, there will be room for more medical franchise businesses across the nation to deliver care. They likely will be consulting with professionals about their ailments and take more dutifully as prescribed.
Moreover, there will be a demand for health coaches and personal trainers, too. Nutrition and exercise are not one-size-fits-all. Everyone has unique capacities and needs that can be addressed through personalized care by a health coach or a personal trainer. For example, a person who has excess weight and wants to slim down to a healthier size can restrict their meals on their own or go to the gym without guidance. However, neither would work because they are not aware of their body’s needs or limitations.
Another area that many hope will continue to exist after the pandemic is telemedicine. Telemedicine made going to the doctor or a psychiatrist more accessible. People found that they do not have to leave their homes or wait in a hospital lobby to get care. They can talk to their health provider through Zoom or FaceTime, get a prescription for appropriate medicine, and buy it from an online pharmacy. It is fast. It is convenient. And, it is open to a wider set of clients.
Kasper Rorsted, the CEO of Adidas, said that most people around the world have thought about their healths in the past year because of the pandemic. He is optimistic that the public health crisis will give birth to a global population that is exercise-oriented in a medium- and, hopefully, long-term.
WW International CEO Mindy Grossman also predicts that the public will want access to healthier options. She said that, when the world comes out of the pandemic, health will stop being a luxury that is only available to a select few.
People are dying of COVID-19. While the world mourns their loss, the public also takes precautions to prevent getting ill by making healthy decisions such as eating a balanced meal and exercising regularly. While vaccines are already being administered, the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 is still by keeping your body and immune system strong.
