People are trading in tourist travel for wellness travel. The travel subindustry of wellness is projected to grow around 7.4% annually over the next 8–10 years, and I’d bet it could get even bigger since innovation across fitness, preventative health and recovery shows no sign of slowing down.
Not too long ago ‘wellness retreat’ to me would have meant yoga twice a day, clean meals, maybe a sound bath, lots of journaling … all great of course, but pretty narrow. Now, these retreats may include run clubs traveling for races, strength focused retreats, cold exposure and recovery weekends, women’s leadership and founder retreats, Pilates intensives, mental health resets, the list goes on.
One of my fav headlines of recent is HYROX announcing a fitness cruise designed to bring its race community together through training sessions, competitions and events at sea.
Maybe we all could use a wellness vacation in 2026?! See you in Rancho La Puerta.
x, Abby
☆ Creators and Campaigns
Credit: SELF
Check out this ‘Wellness Wrapped’ report by SELF Magazine and Classpass. Among the most popular workouts are Pilates, Yoga, strength and cycling. Also outlined are the most popular class times, days that people cancel class and most booked wellness appointments.
Credit: Glossy
Art Basel returned to Miami this year as a festival for art, fashion, music and of course culture. Alongside the galleries and exhibits that we’ve come to expect was a new layer of wellness and fitness integration. This year’s Basel programming saw recovery lounges, movement led activations, longevity conversations, and performance-focused social events woven into the broader art programming. Glossy explains how wellness brands showed up and showed out.
☆ Product Drops
Evvy launched an at-home UTI test
Lemme launched Lemme Burn, a metabolism-focused gummy formulated with ingredients like green tea extract and chromium
Loonen launched spring-sourced water bottled in glass, positioning itself in the premium hydration space
Ohm Health launched the OHM Lamp, a circadian lighting device designed to support daily light exposure and align with natural sleep-wake rhythms.
TravelTone launched a hotel gym review app that lets fitness-focused travelers find and share reviews of hotel gym facilities and nearby studios.
☆ Business Moves and Growth
Sequel Brands, the franchising platform founded by Anthony Geisler (Founder / former CEO of Xponential Fitness), unveiled Ultimate Longevity Center as the fifth brand in its portfolio.
Equinox expanded its partnership with Function Health to integrate advanced lab testing and biomarker insights into Equinox training and health programs.
F45 partnered with iFIT to bring F45’s functional training programming onto iFIT’s digital platform.
Ladder, the strength training app, partnered with Flex to make Ladder memberships eligible for HSA and FSA funds.
HYROX launched a global Sports Science Advisory Council as part of the sport’s ongoing effort to pursue Olympic recognition.
ATHX Games, a UK hybrid fitness competition signed a four-year partnership with Adidas as it expands across Europe and into new markets.
☆ Glow Industry’s Next Wave
Credit: Stakt
If Stakt isn’t already on your radar, check them out. They revolutionized workout mats (yoga mats?) in a way that may seem small but makes a world’s difference in function. Not only are they easy to pack up and store but they are SO versatile when folded in different ways. This mat makes it more comfortable to be on elbows and knees and can be folded all the way for a makeshift bench to help you deepen stretches and exercises. I love this brand and hope they continue to innovate in the fitness space.