The Top 10 Wellness Trends in 2025 From Sauna DJs to Personalized Supplements, According to the Global Wellness Summit

Yahoo

28-01-2025

NEW YORK — On Tuesday, the Global Wellness Summit unveiled The Future of Wellness Trends Report 2025 at its annual press event at JP Morgan Chase.
To kickstart the event, Susie Ellis, chair and chief executive officer of the Global Wellness Summit, introduced the day's events and top highlights for the organization's most recent data. Most notably, Ellis shared that, per the organization's data, the global wellness economy reached $6.3 trillion in 2023, with the largest segments in personal care and beauty and healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss. It is expected to reach nearly $9 trillion by 2028.
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'We didn't use the term wellness until about 15 years ago,' Ellis said. 'What we've all done together is remarkable, and I'm proud that there is a wellness industry [that] is thriving.'
Ahead of the presentation of the top 10 trends, each authored by an industry expert, the Global Wellness Institute's senior research fellows Katherine Johnston and Ophelia Yeung presented the organization's findings on the global wellness economy country rankings. Most notably, the reports showed that North America is the best-performing market in the category, with the U.S. in particular reaching $2 trillion and consumer spend growing every year. Since the pandemic, physical activity has become the largest segment in the U.S., eclipsing personal care and beauty, which now maintains the second-largest segment.
Analog Wellness
According to Global Wellness Summit vice president of research and forecasting Beth McGroarty, 2025 will be the year, more so than others, that people decide to intentionally log off and take a digital detox. With this, she pointed to a growth of apps that help manage and limit screen time. As consumers go offline, there will be a continued growth of social analog hobby spots — think ceramic studios or social wellness spots.
'If I had to bet on AI driven or analog wellness, longevity clinics or logging off, I'd take the latter,' McGroarty said.
Sauna Reimagined
Saunas have become the night club, movie theater, spa and more. They are a go-to when it comes to wellness, but new models are taking a fresh approach — think DJ nights at Othership or vinyl listening sessions at Farris Bad.
'Saunas are nothing new. They've been around for thousands of years, but around the world, we're currently seeing them having this incredible renaissance,' said Spa Business editor at large and trend author Jane Kitchen. 'Today they're these widely cultural entertainment hub.'
The trend is being widely driven by younger consumers seeking a solution to the loneliness epidemic, and it also plays into the above trend of analog wellness, as consumers seek social activity offline.
The Supplement Paradox
Supplements are continuing to become more precise and premium, thanks to biomarker-driven/test-to-treatment offerings, a focus on cellular longevity and an emphasis on personalized efficacy.
'This trend points to a future where the market better meets medicine [and] better meets science,' said McGroarty, adding that consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for personalized or more premium ingestibles.
Teen Wellness
According to well-being writer and trend author Kate O'Brien, teens are increasingly reporting feelings of despair, loneliness and anxiety, creating a need for wellness programming for young people, whether it be travel retreats or intergenerational spa offerings from companies like One Hotels.
'For us, it's about coming together as parents, as providers of care for young people and as people in the spa industry,' O'Brien said. 'We need to work [together] and we need to help these young people because their future depends on it.'
Watershed Wellness
This trend looks at the wellness industry's need to focus on water conservation, as demand for the finite resource has doubled since 1960, Kitchen said, noting that tourism and hotels have impacted this issue.
'It's a big problem that's only getting bigger, and the spa wellness industry just needs to rise up and address the issue,' Kitchen said.
She pointed to some possible solutions, including smart water management systems and atmospheric water generators which use salt to pull water from the air.
Augmented Biology
The power of technology is rapidly advancing and in turn creating faster and more effective wellness results — using technology to enhance one's health and longevity will continue to become more commonplace. Deputy creative foresight editor at The Future Laboratory and trend writer Olivia Houghton pointed to everything from genetic engineering to biohacking wearables to tech-assisted clothing.
'This trend is reshaping what it means to be human,' she said. 'We're defining the limits of human health.'
Longevity Redefines Work
In his trend, David Stewart, founder of media company Ageist, looked at the growing power of the 50-plus demographic.
'We're really going to see across the world [a drop in birth rates],' said Stewart, placing the emphasis on older demographics.
With a focus on this generation, Stewart said to expect more meaningful workplace initiatives to optimize this demographic's experience outside of the typical gym membership.
'The aging bomb that's coming to work is going to change everything,' McGroarty said.
Wellness Tackles Addiction
The wellness industry isn't just focused on biohacking and longevity. A segment of the industry is now focused on creating solutions for addictions, whether it be tobacco, social media or drugs. Journalist and trend writer Claire McCormack pointed to sobriety retreats, habit-adjusting apps, supplements and overdose aids, which have become commonplace at festivals and large events, as key to the category.
According to McCormack, the industry at large is 'poised to further destigmatize' the conversation around addiction with these innovative new solutions.
Wellness on the Line
Cruise lines and rail journeys are now getting into wellness programming, as spas and hotels have already done, focusing on digital detoxes, treatments, nutrition, fitness, healthy excursions and more.
'It's mindful journeying,' said writer and trend author Jane Wilson.
Per the trend, there is a greater emphasis on off boat/off train excursions that enhance wellness — think a visit to a local hammam — than ever before.
The Middle East's Wellness Ambitions
When it comes to wellness tourism, all eyes are on the Middle East, per the Global Wellness Summit, which will host its annual event in Abu Dhabi in November.
'Culturally rooted wellness experiences are on the rise in the Middle East,' said Thomas Morris, senior partner at Finn Partners.
He emphasized that as the trend continues to evolve it will combine tradition with the latest innovations in wellness technology.