Minimalism is a lifestyle. From decluttering clothes to reducing possessions, traveling with a small suitcase, or living out of one, you’ll find all sorts of types of minimalism.

Here are three of the more unusual ones.

#1 Minimalism inside

Sounds… yummy.

We’re talking minimal eating now. No, not an eating disorder.

Mindful eating, calorie-dense foods, careful food combination, and food waste reduction, are just some of the cues of minimal eating.

Minimal eating is a growing trend among followers of minimalism. It entails reducing foods to the bare essentials and focusing on healthy and nutrient-rich foods. No need for meals with 50 ingredients, dishes with a dozen spice mixes, or ingredients that go bad quickly.

Minimal eating is about eating what your body needs at any given time, avoiding processed foods, and reducing waste. It encourages mindfulness and attention to the food and the process of eating, observing hunger cues, and avoiding overindulging.

Contrary to popular belief, a healthy, well-balanced diet doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with colorful plates, variety, or abundance. After all, throughout history humans never had access to a variety of food in one place all the time.

A piece of liver (truly not near any of my favorite foods) has more nutrients than a large number of colorful veggies & fruit combined.

No matter the preferences or diet choices, though, minimal eating can be practiced healthfully by most people. Just as you can reduce your clothes to the essentials, food can also be fulfilling and healthy, without a huge fridge or an expensive supermarket run.

If only I didn’t love pizza so much 😉

#2 Minimalism in your face

You can buy everything nowadays. Countless wonder products for your skin, face, and body. We’ve all seen drawers full of skincare and cosmetic products, most of which are little more than useless.

Minimal skincare is about using fewer products, with fewer ingredients. This means using a lower number of products and fewer steps in your routine, allowing your skin to do its thing without any interference. The idea is that fewer products can help your skin stay healthy, balance itself, and look its best.

It’s important that the few products you use are of high quality and contain ingredients that are beneficial for your skin. This means avoiding harsh chemicals, preservatives, and fragrances that can irritate your skin.

Using a good quality cleanser, a moisturizer, and sunscreen (even outside of summer) is usually enough to keep your skin healthy and looking its best. Of course, if you have specific skin concerns, you may need an extra product, but the idea is to keep it as minimal as possible.

Water and soap only might be pushing it, but hey, humans have lived with just those two for while.

#3 Minimal workouts

No need for a 2-hour-long gym session or 90-minute runs around the park. Minimal workouts are a thing too.

Minimal workouts suggest that you should focus on fewer exercises, but perform them with more intensity. A minimal workout routine can include four to six compound movements that target all of the major muscle groups while keeping the workout time on the short end, and allowing you to focus on and correctly perform these few exercises each session.

These exercises can include squats, bench presses, deadlifts, pull-ups, rows, and overhead presses.

These movements can be done in as little as 15 minutes, or for a more intense workout, you can extend the duration to 30 minutes. Longer is always an option, but not a necessity. We’re talking health here, not Marvel superhero or bodybuilder proportions which are hardly possible without chemical assistance anyway. Just ask those Marvel actors.

You can also incorporate other exercises like yoga or rowing for a full-body workout. Yoga is great for stretching the muscles, improving flexibility, and building core strength. Rowing is a great full-body cardio workout, easily beating runs or jogging.

No matter which exercises you choose, the idea is to focus on fewer exercises and make them as intense as possible. This doesn’t only mean weight, but the number of reps and rep pace. Slow and steady.

The bottom line

Minimalism is a lifestyle that can be applied to almost anything from decluttering to eating and workouts. Here, we discussed 3 unusual use cases of minimalism: minimal eating, minimal skincare, and minimal workouts.

Minimal eating involves reducing foods to the bare essentials and focusing on healthy and nutrient-rich foods. Minimal skincare is about using fewer products with fewer ingredients. Minimal workouts suggest focusing on fewer exercises but performing them with more intensity.

The fundamental idea of minimalism is stoic, the application is infinite.