• Gender-Inclusive Wellbeing: British journalist Jamie Millar advocated for greater focus on men’s body image struggles, like muscle dysmorphia, and the pressure to achieve massive muscles – a phenomenon dubbed “bigorexia”. Body-positive messaging and eating disorder screening will move to centre men, he said.

Meanwhile, American journalist Rina Raphael predicted that wearables and telehealth will streamline data collection for women’s health research, an area that’s woefully underfunded and under-researched, as we explain in 10 Wellness Trends to Watch 2022.

• Coaching Call: As medical doctors seek holistic frameworks to help patients, American GP Dr. Nicola Finley noted an increase in health professionals pursuing life coach certifications. It’s a response to the greater numbers of physicians suffering burnout, as well as a reaction to the wellbeing gaps left by conventional cure-based medicine. For an earlier take, see Global Wellness Summit 2021.

• Wellness & Tech Collaborate: Multiple contributors identified trends that will see the wellness and tech industries collaborate to fashion healthier interfaces. Susie Ellis, chief executive of the Global Wellness Summit, envisaged wellness becoming influential in building and defining the metaverse, while Skyler Hubler and Cecelia Girr, strategists at US agency Backslash, described a future where digital interfaces are designed with a health-first approach.

• Nature, Nurtured: Consumers’ pandemic-minted appreciation for nature will turn attention to soil’s impact on personal and planetary health said Beth McGroarty, vice-president of research at the Global Wellness Institute. She forecast a surge in regenerative agriculture – from foods with ‘certified regenerative’ labels, to communities centred around regenerative farms. See How Soil Will Save the World for more.

People will also prioritise self-sufficiency by learning outdoor survival skills, foraging and food cultivation, claimed Hubler and Girr.

For more on next-gen wellbeing, see 10 Wellness Trends to Watch 2022 and Wellness Travel Trends 2022.