Global Wellness Summit 2023: Three Takeaways

Published 06 February 2023

Author
Emilia Morano-Williams
2 min read

In 2023, wellbeing will prioritise relationships, evidence-based treatments and adventure-tinged fitness, as the annual trends report from US non-profit Global Wellness Summit (GWS) predicts. Stylus analyses the themes to emerge from GWS’s press day in New York City (January 31).

  • Collective Commitments: Social relationships unite GWS’s 12 forecasts, echoing Stylus’ own wellness update. Beth McGroarty, GWS’s vice-president of research, described a post-pandemic paradigm shift “from ego to empathy, from Goop to group” – i.e., away from product-centric interventions and towards relationship-focused ones. Expect to see more ‘social fitness’ centres, like Melbourne’s Saint Haven membership-based spa, which will expand stateside in 2023.

  • Science-Backed Therapies: British brand consultant Jessica Smith expects “the health-fication of beauty” (which Stylus is also tracking) to manifest in alt-pharma formulations (cosmetics inspired by pharmaceuticals) and studies illuminating how skin health impacts wellbeing.

    Evidence-based therapies could also bolster longevity. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at US hospital Cleveland Clinic, shared research suggesting that cold exposure may promote healthy metabolic function. This could increase consumer interest in cryotherapy, a market projected to grow by 6.6% annually until 2030 (Grand View Research, 2022).

    Meanwhile, Australian integrative doctor Marc Cohen described how biohacking – previously a fringe concept – is embracing medical therapies including CRISPR-cas and brain-computer interfaces (addressed in Stylus' 10 Tech Trends 2023).

  • Hospitality-Fitness Hybrids: Gyms will cross over with hospitality, according to American spa consultant Lisa Starr. At the Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel, operated by the UK’s Loughborough University, exercise enthusiasts can test pro-inspired equipment and recovery facilities, including rooms pressurised for cardiovascular-boosting altitude training.

    Jane Kitchen, editor-at-large for British publication Spa Business, highlighted the growing participation in cross-country swimming (hikes that incorporate swims. Recently, UK expedition company Above Below launched retreats including the activity. 

    British neuroscientist Ari Peralta predicted that hospitality’s influence could also make group fitness more multisensorial. He pinpointed Amsterdam studio Sanctum, where sound and aroma are used to diminish fatigue during workouts.

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