January wouldn’t be January without constant chatter about a reset, diet or new fitness regime. However overwhelming it sounds, the proof is in the pudding; according to Alcohol Change UK, more than 15 million people in the UK will take part in Dry January this year and gyms report January as their busiest month (with attendance sometimes 40 per cent higher than in November or December), while campaigns like Veganuary encourage lifestyle changes. 

But that doesn’t mean your entire life needs to be overhauled. Instead, it’s about finding wellness and fitness habits that benefit you personally. In a bid to inspire you to try something new – whether that’s in the gym, with diet, or self-care – discover our edit of wellness trends promising to be big in the year ahead. 

Female-first fitness

Female-first fitness refers to the evolution in personalised training that takes into account women-specific experiences such as menstrual cycles, perimenopause and menopause. Instead of pushing women into a one-size-fits-all model, 2026 will see training become aligned with fluctuating hormones, changing energy levels, and physiological needs across different life stages. 

Lucie Cowan, master trainer at Third Space, says: “This shift is important because, for decades, women were encouraged to follow training plans that didn’t consider their biology.” The result? Plateaus, burnout, and unnecessary self-criticism. “By embracing a female-first approach, we’re empowering women to work with their bodies rather than against them, helping them understand why certain workouts feel great during some weeks and exhausting in others, and why fitness should evolve across their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond.”

So, what will female-first fitness look like across gyms in 2026? Cowan says: “At Third Space, studios will begin offering training tracks like ‘strength week’, ‘high-energy HIIT week’, or ‘deload and mobility week’, that women can follow based on their cycle phase. Plus, expect more menopause-friendly strength, mobility, and low-impact conditioning sessions designed to support symptoms like joint stiffness, sleep disruption and hot flushes.”

A rise in male makeovers

Aesthetics platform Adoreal has released statistics on the rise of male procedures, reporting a 30 per cent increase in enquiries from men in the past year. Aesthetic doctor Dev Patel at Portsmouth’s Perfect Skin Solutions says: “In my clinic, male bookings for non-surgical facial procedures have grown by an estimated 65 per cent in the past five years. The strongest growth is in 25-40-year-old men; there is no expiry date on self-esteem. They’re most commonly booking in for treatments such as rejuvenating and boosting collagen in their skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and texture, facial contouring with injectables and continuing with a simple but highly effective skincare regime.” 

Dr Sam Jethwa, founder of Bespoke Smile, has also noticed an increase in male patients seeking cosmetic dentistry, coupled with a willingness to spend more on treatments than ever before. He says: “Men are becoming much more open about wanting to look and feel their best, and smile tweakments are something more men are opting for. 

“When men look for treatment, they tend to spend more than women, either because they need more work or because the ones that end up in my chair are efficiency-focused and want to get it done and get it all done. For them, the financial aspect isn’t really important; they value the result and the convenience. Men are becoming much more comfortable taking care of their appearance, and their smiles are included in this.”

Community cardio

Social connection in the gym is becoming as important as the workout itself – and platforms like Hyrox (which is expecting to host more than a million athletes this year, compared to 500,000 in 2025), Athx Games and run clubs are thriving because they turn training into a shared experience and friendly competition. Will Pate, strength and conditioning master trainer at Third Space, explains: “I believe that 2026 will see community fitness extending online: global challenges, virtual leaderboards, and AI-driven coaching for remote group workouts.

“We have seen first hand how group settings enhance motivation and accountability. The sense of belonging often outweighs the physical benefits, which is why retention rates are higher in community-based training. Communal fitness and training also has mental health benefits, as it helps to combat loneliness – this means that group fitness will continue to be a part of broader wellness strategies.”

Bye botox, hello regenerative treatments

Social media influencers such as Molly-Mae Hague and Lottie Moss spoke openly last year about dissolving their facial fillers in order to achieve a more natural look, while actresses Courteney Cox and Ariana Grande were vocal about reversing their cosmetic work. Their collective influence has definitely spoken to a 2026 wellness trend for regenerative treatments over botox and fillers. 

Advanced aesthetic doctor Shirin Lakhani says that she has seen a rise in people investing in skin health – but that doesn’t mean there are no aesthetic procedures involved. “People are definitely more interested in regenerative treatments, such as the collagen-boosting injections, as they offer long-lasting improvements to the skin through smoothing wrinkles, improving firmness, elasticity and skin texture.”

Dr Leah Totton, founder of Dr Leah Clinics, adds: “We have seen regenerative medicine treatments enter the aesthetic market in the last 18 months and polynucleotides in particular have proved effective and incredibly popular. They have soared in popularity and have taken a lot of the dermal filler market with more and more patients favouring polynucleotide or other collagen stimulating treatments, such as exosomes, with the focus being on improving your natural skin quality. 

“Overall, it represents a movement towards a more subtle outcome and natural looking appearance. We have seen consumer demand move in this direction quite clearly in the past 18 months and really anticipate this continuing into 2026.”

Focusing on fibre

Nutrition in 2026 is set to move towards food that supports not just physical health, but also gut function, mood, mental clarity, and long-term vitality. This will include evolving the proteins we eat, and focusing on fibre, which is crucial for digestive health, blood sugar control, and lowering risks of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. 

Rachel Butcher, head of nutrition at Third Space, says after years of protein obsession, 2026 will mark a return to dietary basics. “As important as a macronutrient that protein is, focus on fibre, iron and calcium are gaining attention as the underrated nutrients crucial for long-term health. With new research linking fibre to metabolism, immune regulation, and even sleep quality, we can expect to see an increase in focus on whole grains, legumes, and functional fibres.” These can include oats and barley, nuts, and vegetables like broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens.

As we hone in on fibre, Butcher suggests the protein obsession will also evolve. She says: “Protein remains central to performance and recovery nutrition, but 2026 will likely see a shift in focus from high protein to smart protein. Focus on higher-quality, less-processed sources such as eggs, dairy, legumes, and sustainable seafood, as well as alternatives such as precision-fermented and mycoprotein-based foods.”

Nervous system regulation and somatic healing

Wellness in 2026 is set to focus on resilience, not just relaxation. Somatic practices that calm and support the nervous system, from breathwork and sound therapy to gentle movement, are becoming mainstream tools for managing stress and energy. Sound practitioner Nancy Trueman says: “People are more aware of stress, burnout, and trauma since the pandemic and it’s become a more popularised term in the past couple of years. Regulating your nervous system has become a way to describe finding calm and balance in an overstimulated world and it helps us to feel safe, present, and grounded while improving sleep, digestion, mood, and connection. 

“Breathwork, yoga, sound healing, time in nature, good sleep, gentle movement, wholesome food and safe social connection all help. It’s not a quick fix or a hack and true regulation takes time.”

Putting the function in functional training

James Dabbs, founder of Dabbs Fitness in Mayfair, says education will be one of the biggest drivers in the gym this year. “One of the biggest shifts I see for 2026 is a continued move towards proper strength training and a higher standard of education within gyms. People are becoming far more informed about what actually drives long-term health, performance, and longevity, and as a result, generic, low-load group classes are starting to feel insufficient,” he explains. “There’s a growing appreciation for structured weight training that builds strength, resilience, and movement quality rather than just burning calories.

“Alongside this, we’re seeing the emergence of higher-quality training environments with smaller, more focused gyms that prioritise coaching, programming, and individual progress over volume and entertainment. Clients want to understand why they’re training a certain way, not just be put through a workout, and that demand is pushing standards up across the industry.”

Pate echoes this idea, suggesting functional training is gaining more clarity on what 'function' actually is. “2026 will be all about longevity-focused movement, such as programmes that incorporate more mobility drills, light power plyometric drills and strength training to better support everyday activities like lifting, climbing stairs, or even reducing fall risk.

“There’s a stronger link between functional fitness and injury prevention. Trainers are integrating physical therapy techniques like corrective exercises into mainstream fitness. With the rise in being more active through running and competitions such as Hyrox, more and more people are starting to prioritise strength work that is specific to injury prevention for their events.”

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