bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Tara Loader Wilkinson

With rising living costs and persistent inflation in much of the world, many consumers are cutting back on spending – but not, it seems, when it comes to wellness.
The wellness industry is now valued at US$6.8 trillion and forecast to reach US$10 trillion by 2029, according to the Global Wellness Institute, a non-profit research and education foundation.
Its sister organisation, the Global Wellness Summit, recently revealed its Future of Wellness report, with a focus on trends that are expected to feature most prominently this year and beyond.
Here are eight of them.
1. Women get their own longevity focus

This year, longevity will pivot from purely male-oriented data and protocols (thank you, Bryan Johnson) to another health vertical focusing on the female healthspan.
Women grow older differently than men – female ageing centres around the ovaries. This has only recently been recognised. A recent study suggests that the ovary is not “a passive victim of ageing” but “an active regulator of systemic physiological decline”.
Biotech research into slowing ovarian ageing will go mainstream, with labs experimenting on ovarian stem cell therapies and replacing unhealthy ovarian cells with lab-made ones.
There will be a move from pampering menopause retreats to serious medical wellness longevity programmes, while the biggest growth area in women’s health will be seen among those in the 20-to-40 age group building tools and protocols in preparation for menopause.
2. A step back from over-tracking

Have we health-tracked ourselves into greater anxiety than ever? Are we living a paradox of “betterment burnout”, where relentless self-improvement reduces life satisfaction? These are questions we must ask after a crescendo of self-surveillance.
The use of wearables from companies like Oura, Whoop, Garmin, Apple and others has enabled us to monitor our sleep, count our steps and hack our biology. Having so much data and becoming reliant on it can be detrimental, however. Research suggests, for example, that sleep-tracking wearables can undermine intuition, making users anxious about a low sleep score even if they feel well rested.
This year, expect to see pushback on peak optimisation and a move towards emotional repair, nervous system safety and embodied care.
3. The rise of ‘neurowellness’

Neurowellness, a fancy way of saying “not being in panic mode”, will take centre stage this year. Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system and how the brain and neural circuits shape behaviour, cognition and emotion.
Linking to the previous trend, expect a rise of wearables designed to help quiet the brain’s neural activity, such as EEG sensor headbands, smart beds to promote ideal sleep, and vagus nerve stimulators that aim to flip the body from stress mode to recovery mode.
4. Ready is the new well
You might not associate disaster readiness with wellness, but as climate volatility such as extreme heat and more powerful typhoons increases, resilience becomes the defining condition of our century. Being ready with a “disaster plan” is an act of preventive self-care.
Already, architects and designers are creating with a “when”, not “if”, mindset, building things like housing with raised ground floors to protect against flooding, rooftop gardens to capture stormwater, and centralised air filtration to protect residents from wildfire smoke.
5. Wellness raves and parties
Clubbers and ravers of the 80s and 90s, rejoice. While the stereotype of wellness was traditionally solitary, serious and restrictive, a new type of wellness is coming to the fore – cathartic, wild and fun.
Gatherings will prioritise collective experience and joy over discipline as a way to increase a sense of connection – something that has been proven to be one of the most important factors in longevity.
One such player is Sanctum, a European events organiser and social wellness club. There are also fitness festivals elevating the joy of sport such as Hyrox, the F1-inspired running race Bandit Grand Prix, and Strong New York.
6. Women’s revolution in sports

Momentum is growing behind new women’s sports leagues, which is fuelling the unstoppable upward trajectory of women’s sports.
In North America, these include the Professional Women’s Hockey League, the women’s professional indoor League One Volleyball, and the Women’s Professional Baseball League. Asia, meanwhile, is witnessing the rise of women’s rugby sevens in Hong Kong and the professionalisation of women’s football.
With backing from tennis star Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, New York-based Athlos has been elevating women’s track and field.
South Korean-born American businesswoman, investor and philanthropist Michele Kang has announced she will pour US$55 million into women’s sports – particularly soccer – and has funded the Kang Women’s Institute to advance health, performance and development in women’s sports.
7. Tackling microplastics to safeguard health

The severity of the microplastics crisis – found to be ubiquitous in our environment, from the Mariana Trench to the top of Mount Everest, and in our bodies, from breastmilk to our brains – is far from news. But this year is about taking action to protect ourselves from the insidious effects of the plastic pollutant.
Defined as polymer particles ranging in size from 5mm (0.2 inches) to a nanometre (a millionth of a millimetre), microplastics have been linked to health risks including cancer and reproductive issues.
Expect to see emerging consumer interest in therapies that may help mop up microplastics, such as the use of natural clays and activated charcoal that may bind microplastics in the gut for elimination, as well as massage and lymphatic stimulation.
While these therapies are gaining traction, clinical data on their efficacy for microplastic removal remains in its infancy.
8. Residences designed for longevity

Checking into a week-long health clinic annually can provide a worthy reset; however, our homes can help optimise our health 365 days of the year.
Longevity residences are a step up from wellness real estate, which focuses on factors such as walkability, light and air, water, and acoustics.
The Estate Hotels & Residences, brainchild of hotelier Sam Nazarian and motivational speaker Tony Robbins, will provide “purpose-built longevity ecosystems”. They will house facilities for preventive medicine, ongoing biomarker tracking, personalised diagnostics and regenerative therapies, to monitor and safeguard residents’ healthspans.
In Hong Kong, Ventria Residence in Happy Valley is an example of a private hotel-style senior residence offering luxury units with racecourse views, tailored healthcare and smart technology.
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


How a Singapore-based executive lost 21kg in 9 months and cured his knee pain

8 hot wellness trends in 2026, from women’s longevity and sports to ‘health raves’

Hong Kong should see the ‘silver economy’ as a golden opportunity

Drinking tea and coffee every day may lower dementia risk, boost cognitive function

Wellness

One of the top wellness trends expected in 2026 is a rise of wearables designed to help quiet the brain’s neural activity, such as EEG sensor headbands like this one from Muse. Photo: choosemuse.com

Women do not age the same way as men, and the role of the ovaries in ageing will be a focus of research in 2026. Photo: Shutterstock

Overuse of wearable health trackers can cause anxiety and “betterment burnout”. Photo: Shutterstock

Vagus nerve stimulators can help flip the body from stress mode to recovery mode. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong’s women’s rugby sevens team (in white) plays Shanghai (in red) at Kai Tak Stadium, in Hong Kong, in 2025. Photo: Dickson Lee

Microplastics will be in the spotlight in 2026, with research looking at possible therapies to remove them from our bodies. Photo: Shutterstock

The interior of a unit of the senior housing project Ventria Residence in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Photo: Olga Wong

How this Indian mother lost 24kg in 7 months and became a bodybuilding DJ

At her heaviest, Kiran Dembla weighed 76kg. She drastically cut her weight in seven months, before becoming a competitive body builder, DJ and mountaineer, proving it is never too late to chase dreams. Photos: Kiran Dembla

The cover of Kiran Dembla’s 2024 biography. Photo: Amazon

At 33, Dembla weighed 76kg – 24kg more than when she got married a decade earlier. Photo: Kiran Dembla 

Dembla continues to work out at a gym and stays in top shape. Photo: Instagram/kirandembla

Dembla lifts weights on her 45th birthday. Photo: Kiran Dembla

Dembla exercises in the gym on her 45th birthday. Photo: Kiran Dembla

Dembla, as DJ KD Belle, spins the music at an event in early January. Photo: Instagram/djkdbelle

How Hong Kong’s wellness social clubs are redefining networking for young professionals

People take part in a yoga session at a recent SoberSweat event. Hong Kong’s young professionals are ditching traditional networking for wellness social clubs like this one. Photo: SoberSweat

Rianna Samtani (left) and Pasha Mirpuri pose for a photo at a Flow & Friends yoga event at Soho House. Photo: Jonathan Wong

People take part in a Flow & Friends poolside yoga event at Soho House. Photo: Jonathan Wong

SoberSweat is a Sunday run club that has built a community around recovery. Photo: SoberSweat

People take part in a SoberSweat outing at Aberdeen Sportsground. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Harry Leung (front) is pictured at a SoberSweat outing at Aberdeen Sportsground. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Why Hong Kong’s first pro female MMA fighter now battles for women’s health

Tricia Yap, a former professional MMA fighter, is the founder of Limitless Health and now focuses on holistic health and fitness for women. Photo: Sun Yeung

Tricia Yap (left) fights against Rachel Jacqueline during the Hedge Fund Fight Nite in Causeway Bay in 2011. Photo: May Tse

Yap (centre) leads a class for Bikini Fit, the all-women’s gym she co-founded in 2013. Photo: Tricia Yap

Yap (centre bottom) leads a team-building exercise with staff from Limitless Health in December 2021. Photo: Instagram/limitlesshealthhk

Yap demonstrates a chin-up at Goji Studio in Causeway Bay in 2017. Photo: Nora Tam

Swollen, puffy face? You might have ‘moon face’. Experts explain, share how to reduce it

“Moon face” or “cortisol face”, a condition in which the face appears swollen and puffy, is a health concern that has been popping up online. Photo: Instagram/mamamiaaus

The most common cause of moon face is long-term use of corticosteroid medications. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Lists

Here are some of the top wellness trends predicted for 2026, including a focus on women’s health, ‘neurowellness’ and reducing over-tracking


Here are some of the top wellness trends predicted for 2026, including a focus on women’s health, ‘neurowellness’ and reducing over-tracking.


8 hot wellness trends in 2026, from women’s longevity and sports to ‘health raves’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Here are some of the top wellness trends predicted for 2026, including a focus on women’s health, ‘neurowellness’ and reducing over-tracking

1. Women get their own longevity focus

Here are some of the top wellness trends predicted for 2026, including a focus on women’s health, ‘neurowellness’ and reducing over-tracking