WTS International Releases its Annual Trend Report

As we wrap up 2020, it's important to look ahead to 2021. This includes wellness trends to expect in the coming year. Every year, WTS International gathers the latest trends in spa, fitness, lifestyle, and wellness from its global staff of directors, service providers, and industry experts. Here's what made the list:

1. Air Purification: Consumers are interested in new filter technologies capable of capturing and destroying particles. People will expect businesses to include filtration systems in offices, restaurants, fitness centers, schools, and all other shared indoor spaces. These air filtration upgrades will be listed as an amenity to entice customers and tenants. 

2. Mental Wellness: Popular apps like Calm and Headspace offer micro-sessions or mini-mental breaks through guided meditations. You’ll now see more devices with built-in alerts to remind you to stop and breathe when it measures that your heart rate is up. In fitness centers, more holistic classes will be offered that connect the body and mind to strengthen total wellbeing.

3. Virtual Training: With fitness centers only opened in a limited capacity—or not at all—many trainers have turned to virtual classes. This has allowed gyms to expand beyond their local clientele to reach a global audience, while allowing customers to connect through a live experience, as if they were in a traditional group class. 

4. Circadian Health: Circadian rhythms are influenced by environmental factors, especially light. Devices will flood the market that filter out blue light from screens on tablets, phones, and computers, which interfere most with sleep. You’ll see more of these devices in the workplace as growing research supports a link to productivity. Also coming are sleep tracking devices that can dim your lights, drop your room temperature, turn into a sound machine, track your sleep, give you personalized recommendations on winding down, and soon may be able to release a relaxing scent.

5. Lymphatic Health: Lymphatic health will be included in more treatments and programs from beauty to bodywork. Massage has long included lymphatic drainage to help reduce inflammation and support a healthy immune system, but now look for this to extend to facials and through popular trends like dry brushing, foam rolling, and specific exercise programs like trampoline classes and dynamic stretching to promote the elimination of waste.

6. Renewed Interest in Nature: People have increased their interest in nature in response to more time spent in their homes. Consumers have shown shifts in behavior with increased interest in biking, hiking, and other immersive trips into nature and away from others. Local travel will continue to trend, with car-accessible nature destinations being desirable.

7. Wellness Communities: Real estate design for community spaces will focus less on well-appointed amenities and more on activities that promote wellness, such as meditation domes, community farms, and juice bars.

8. Virtual Care: New virtual care apps are emerging constantly. Virtual care will focus on preventable medical care to help boost healthy habits, strengthen relationships with care providers, and improve patient outcomes. 

9. Healthy Boosts: With healthy lifestyles a priority for consumers, adaptogens (natural substances with medicinal properties) and CBD (or cannabinol, a compound found in the cannabis plant without intoxicating properties), are still trendy. You’ll see more and more of these blended into smoothies, coffee, and topicals. 

10. Post-Pandemic Behavior: Some wellness trends introduced during the pandemic will be here to stay. Businesses will continue to offer work-from-home options, decrease nonessential business travel, and enhance corporate wellness opportunities to support employee mental and physical wellbeing. 

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