Phew! 2015 was a big year for health and wellness. Let's look back at the year and check out the best innovations from this rapidly growing and hugely profitable industry. 

Are gym workouts a thing of the past?

This year, workouts like Barre and Soulcycle continued storming the market.

They've developed loyal fan bases thanks to their ability to make health and wellness fun, motivational and inclusive.

The classic gym workout is almost a thing of the past, which is why hotels are offering more flexible, strategic wellness ideas too.

Innovative hotel wellness strategies

Westin hotels now offer local running maps, superfood menus and even thoughtful business amenities to help you move, eat and work well while you’re away. At the Intercontinental, Bruce Ryde told Welltodo London “We want our guests to leave feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and stress-free. Many of our hotels now offer full service fitness centres that are open 24 hours a day so guests can easily fit a workout into their schedules.” 

W hotels now have a unique partnership with Strala Yoga founder and yogi extraordinaire Tara Stiles to enhance their wellness offerings. “We’ve created an energetic program designed to celebrate the body and provide 24/7 access to an interactive workout that can easily be incorporated into the busiest of jet-setting lifestyles,” says Paul James, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels.

Personalised wellness products

What’s different in the world of wellness now though, is personalisation. Brands are recognising everyone’s different, and everyone has unique goals. Corinna Yap COMO Shambhala Manager at Metropolitan by COMO, Old Park Lane, explains to Welltodo “We understand everyone has a different relationship with wellness, so we think about the little details.”

Hotels aren’t the only ones jumping on board the profitable wellness trend, that sees wellness tourists spending around 130% more than regular tourists. The Global Wellness Summit has tipped airports to join in by offering innovative strategies too.

Thankfully, after encouragement from those of us who blend wellness with our medical backgrounds, many wellness strategies are being backed by science. The Global Wellness Summit even has an evidence-based medicine portal for wellness therapies where anyone can read the latest evidence on anything from acupuncture to weight loss.

By offering a delicate balance of holistic medicine and science, brands have created relatable wellness products that are more trustworthy and reliable.

What I learned as a Wellness Professional in 2015

After launching Aprivé Wellness in 2015 from years of experience, I can say I’ve learned just how important wellness is to many people thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response to my brand. As a physiotherapist and wellness professional, my mission is to make wellness fun and inspiring and all the products I design utilise evidence-based science to help inform the health and wellbeing choices of people like you. 

I’m so incredibly excited to see how the wellness industry continues to develop in 2016, and I look forward to building new partnerships with amazing people and brands to help innovation, evidence and inspiration become regular features of worldwide wellness.

Thank you so much for all your support in 2015, and Merry Christmas and Happy holidays to you all!

-Caitlin xo