It’s an exciting and inspiring time to be part of the global health and fitness industry, as it grows geographically and increasingly crosses over with the wellbeing and healthcare sectors.

During a challenging economic situation, it’s a vote of confidence to hear consistent reports of people prioritising their spend on health, which has boosted the industry back to pre-pandemic levels. McKinsey’s latest Future of Wellness Survey (page 92) showed that 82 per cent of US consumers now consider wellness a top priority.In the UK it’s 73 per cent and China 87 per cent.

Health clubs are increasingly becoming places to socialise and members value the community and sense of belonging. McKinsey found 50 per cent of gym-goers report that working out is integral to their personality.

It’s encouraging to see the way the industry is becoming more expansive and taking a holistic view of health and fitness.

With people now joining health clubs for their mental as much as physical health, operators are responding by growing their mindfulness offerings with a range of modalities, such as sound baths, tremouring, EFT tapping and trauma-informed weight lifting, which have huge mental health benefits.

In a world where productivity is celebrated and switching off is challenging, it’s exciting to see recovery as a growing trend, with the addition of chill out areas with percussion massage guns, contrast bathing and more. There’s also talk of more standalone facilities coming down the tracks.

We’re expecting to see a continued focus on the five pillars of health – movement, nutrition, recovery, mindset and environment – as well as the industry addressing consumer pain points, such as sleep and women’s health.