After surveying more than 16,000 general population adults in the 50 largest cities in the United States, Mindbody releases its 2022 Wellness Index, one of the wellness industry's most extensive studies. This year, the study foresees great opportunity for growth in the industry as recent trends reveal the definition of wellness is evolving to be more inclusive of intellectural wellness, immune health, sexual wellness and more.
Some of the leading trends include:
From the inside out: Increased interest in immune health. In 2022, an increased focus on immune health is expected to continue, with one in five Americans having tried new services or treatments that supportun immune health and another 46% saying they are interested in trying those service moving forward.
Intellectual wellness: Your biggest asset. More than a quarter of Americans ranked inteleectual wellness--which encourage one to explore new concepts, enhance skills and challenge the mind--in the top three most important dimensions of wellness. However, only 50% of Amercians say they spend time on creativity and stimulating activities--allowing for much growth in this market.
Mental wellness is a top priority. Over a third of Americans ranked mental health as the most important dimension of wellness. About half of America agreed that the pandemic has negatively affected their mental wellbeing. In the past year, 37% of Americans have incorporated physical fitness into their routine to help support their mental wellbeing, while 14% have added yoga and 9% have added wellness treatments like acupuncture to their routines.
Sexual wellness is taboo no more. Sexual wellenss is a facet of wellbeing that's been historically kept behind closed doors--but it's time to break those doors wide open. From sex therapy to vaginal steaming to erectile dsyfunction treatments, the once-taboo topic is becoming mainstreatm and 32% of Americans are actively seeking information or resources to help them improve their sexual wellness or skills.
Facial exercises are the new burpees. Millennials are leading the way on this trend, with 36% reporting interest in or already participating in facial exercises. Nearly three in ten respondents already do or are interested in doing facial exercuses ti tibe their face muscles, like face yoga.
Pets and Wellness: Wellness isn't just for humans anymore. With 20% of U.S. households adopting a dog or cat since the beginning of COVID-19, consumers are on the lookout for pet-friendly wellness experiences. 41% of consumers are interested in going to pet-friendly salons or spas, with Gen Z and millennials expressing the most interest (over 50%) in pet-friendly establishments.
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