Alice Clarke is an award-winning journalist, producer, presenter, and script writer from Melbourne, Australia. She specialises in games, technology, TV, music, opinion, and general pop culture.

We’re witnessing the ‘wellnessification’ of absolutely everything. Beyond boosting their physical health with fitness and nutrition, people are looking for a path to being well in all aspects of their lives, including their finances, careers, activism, spirituality, home design, tech usage, and so much more. The global health and wellness market is expected to reach over $8,945.3 billion by 2032, while self-improvement and the quest for reprieve and relaxation have become integral to all areas of our lifestyles.

Wellness was once for the elite, expressed through a Goop-like look and lifestyle. But now a more fragmented definition of wellness is on the rise, encompassing people’s diverse backgrounds and distinct needs. In a society ruled by high stress and burnout, what was once considered a baseline are now status symbols: sleep is a luxury, glucose monitors signal exclusive healthcare, and sob parlours offer curated spaces for catharsis. People are embracing more radical forms of wellness, employing minor plastic surgery and weight-loss drugs as a means of control over their lives.

Wellness is rapidly reaching new demographics across generations. Exhausted by the permacrisis, Gen Z is rejecting more traditional, buttoned-up wellness movements in favour of little treats, girl dinner, ‘bedrotting’, or ‘rat snacking’ as forms of self-care with a sense of release. At the same time, longevity is becoming a priority as Gen X and Boomers rethink wellness to suit their needs. Some are taking up clubbing as a way of keeping an active lifestyle, while others are looking for nuanced approaches like menopause diets to support the changes that come with age. A desire for more bespoke wellbeing is driving an increase in health hacking – whether through technology or prioritising socialising with peers.

Being+

 runs Like a Girl Fitness, an online fitness coaching programme that focuses on helping women be fit, healthy, and strong.

Antonia Delac is a fashion designer and apparel and accessory buyer at Reebok.

Australia

Physical health

Glamour

News.com.au

Reset Australia

Shift London

Stylist

Science Daily

ABC News

Mindbody Business

Optus Sports

Interview with Antonia Delac conducted by the author

Interview with Kayla Willams conducted by the author

AUSPLAY

McKinsey & Company

Yahoo News

The Wall Street Journal

Slate

Sumo Heavy

The Guardian

Mashable

TechSci Research

Glossy

After decades of focusing on diet culture, women in Australia emerged from pandemic lockdowns with new priorities for their health and fitness. With women now valuing comfort and strength over pure aesthetics and thinness, what opportunities do these preferences present for brands?