Top 8 Health and Wellness Trends of 2020

Health and wellness is increasingly at the forefront of our minds as we actively take steps to live longer, happier lives. Today, we show how and why the health and wellness industry is evolving and growing. By finding out what the latest industry trends are, you might decide you want to launch your own business and make your own mark in the lucrative sector.

---

The term ‘wellness’ is thrown around in adverts, magazines and even food packaging. In spite of the heavy marketing, it is more than just a buzzword, and the process of making choices to live your healthiest and most fulfilling life is big business in the UK and across the globe. From wellness in the workplace to wellness pods, today we’ve rounded up the top eight health and wellness trends of 2020.

Health and wellness – what do they mean?

According to the World Health Organisation, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. But ‘wellness’ is often also understood as the health-promoting behaviours individuals engage in to achieve their full potential. The National Wellness Institute defines six dimensions of wellness:

• Occupational
• Physical
• Social
• Intellectual
• Spiritual
• Emotional

Maintaining your best level of wellness is considered a significant contributor to living a higher quality of life. It’s thought that achieving optimal wellness will reduce your risk of illness, subdue stress and promote positive interactions.

---

>> Read more:

• Top Fitness Franchises in the UK
• 5 Advantages of Running a Sports, Fitness or Gym Franchise
• Top 5 sports franchises to own
• Make a healthy profit owning a fitness franchise
• Cricket Franchise Opportunities in the UK

---

The health and wellness industry in the UK

The health and wellness industry encompasses fitness, nutrition, cosmetics and more, and is worth almost £2.8 trillion across the globe. By 2022, it’s predicted that British consumers will spend £487 annually on ‘wellness’.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, beauty and anti-aging are the largest sector within ‘wellness’. With the influx of fitness-monitoring products like Fitbit over the past 10 years and the diverse functionality of health apps, technology is one of the main accelerators of growth in the sector.

Instagram has truly changed how health and wellbeing brands are marketed. With influencers driving trends like clean eating and healthy delivery services, both sectors are booming like never before. But what’s next? What are the most credible health and wellness trends to look out for this year?

Top 8 health trends and wellness trends of 2020

1. Virtual home workouts

With the explosion of online, instructor-led classes, it’s never been easier or more effective to get fit in the comfort of your own home. Fitness classes and personal training sessions can be streamed online to your digital medium of choice.

‘The Mirror’ is currently leading the trend for virtual home workouts. The exercise tool acts as your standard, full length mirror when inactive, but when it’s switched on it transforms into an interactive fitness studio. You can stream unlimited classes and see yourself, the instructor and other participants in the mirror.

While this might not be the best news for gyms, it does pose an exciting opportunity for new business start-ups. However, it is hard to replicate the diversity and quantity of fitness equipment you can find in a gym, and many people find it difficult to motivate themselves in their own home. Interested in what the other main sports and fitness trends of 2020 are? Click here.

2. Wellness in the workplace

Workplace wellness programmes have transformed into a global industry worth more than £30 billion. They’ve widely become a business necessity and more of a corporate social responsibility. According to Kim Johnson, the co-founder of Wellness London, workplace wellness will become the “the norm, the expected, the must have”.

It’s predicted that lots of businesses will hire their own wellness consultants. With the concept of wellness becoming more prevalent and adopted across different industries, there’s scope for many profitable business opportunities. Why not stay ahead of the trend and consider staring your own health and wellness consultancy franchise?

3.Red Light Therapy

Red light is thought to boost energy levels, mood and fitness, as well as sleep quality and the appearance of the skin. It’s already becoming more commonplace in medical settings, but we expect to see more red light consumer products hitting the shelves in 2020 and beyond.

4. Wellness pods

With the benefits of meditation being no secret (linked to less stress, decreased anxiety and better sleep), there has been a surge in classes offering meditation, mindfulness and breathing classes across the UK. Some of London’s trendiest gyms are now offering dedicated relaxation rooms where gymgoers can ‘rebalance’ and top up sleep after a heavy workout. It’s thought that promoting better sleep will be a key 2020 trend.

5. Restoration retreats

Residential meditation and yoga retreats have been popular both in the UK and overseas for some time now, but those that focus on particular problems are increasing in popularity. Divorce retreats and sound bath healing workshops are just two examples of how many individuals are hoping to restore their physical and emotional balance. Again, this presents a potentially lucrative business opportunity for entrepreneurs planning on entering the sector.

6. Plant medicine – CBD

As interest in natural and holistic healing processes increases, plant medicine will gain even more attention in 2020. Cannabidiol (CBD) treatments are being used to treat anxiety, PTSD, depression, pain and even more illnesses and disorders.

CBS products will carry on playing their game-changing role in the industry, as it can be seen to contribute to anxiety treatment, natural beauty and general wellness. CBD comes in a range of formats, and CBD oils, creams and edibles are set to grow in popularity.

7. NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)

Our body produces NAD naturally, but when we age and experience stress, the amount we have declines. It’s very important when getting older because it increases your metabolism, repairs cells and helps turn what we eat and drink into energy.

Although it’s well known within the pharmacy world, it’s only just starting to enter the mainstream health and wellness space. Lots of companies are now starting to sell NAD supplements.

With an increased emphasis on our wellbeing, it’s likely that the demand for supplements will continue to rise, presenting a lucrative opportunity for supplement franchises. Check out our top 10 steps for starting your own supplement company here.

8. Prioritising mental health

It’s safe to say that ‘self-care’ is a buzzword that defined the 2010s. Going into 2020, it’s predicted that we will become even more serious about our mental health. According to Melissa Huitfeldt, founder of PR firm Ten West Co.:

Mental health has become less stigmatised and more widely discussed, leading more people to look for ways to manage and reduce their stress.

In a society that is “always on” and all of the anxiety and stress that comes with us, more and more of us will turn our attention to self-care.

She added:

"We’ll continue to see more people prioritising mental health practices by spending more time making their minds as healthy as their bodies with activities like journaling, hobbies, meditation and therapy, and spending less time on social media."

So, what does this mean for entrepreneurs looking to enter the health and wellness industry? Well, a few things really. Firstly, you could market your franchise at customers wanting to enhance their physical and mental wellbeing and have a break from social media. It also means that businesses offering mediation classes or retreats should also be in higher demand.

---

>> Read more:

• Successful Franchises: Seven Steps To Promote Your Business
• Traits of a Successful Franchisee
• How To Achieve The Right Mind Set To Be A Successful Franchisee
• Top 5 Habits of Successful Franchisees
• How self-confidence can equal success for franchisees
• Traits of an entrepreneur

---

The health and wellness trends of 2020

Today, we’ve explored eight of the top trends defining the health and wellness industry for 2020. Hopefully, you feel inspired to use these trends as a basis to start your own business or make exciting developments to your existing business in the sector. Check out some of our other related articles below:

• Help people eat right with one of these 7 healthy food franchises
• Spa franchises in the UK
• Q&A: Does Holland and Barrett franchise in the UK?