The wellness trends to watch in 2026

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1:39The result is an award-winning range that's suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive. Head to Nuance, spelt N-O-O-A-N-C-E hyphen paris.com and get 15 % off with the code DRSOPHIE. Hi, I'm Sophie and this is Age Well with Dr. Sophie Schotter, a space devoted to all things health, wellness and longevity. Because for me, ageing well is about looking and feeling like the best possible version of ourselves inside as well as out. So together with my producer Fee, I'll be deep diving into the latest research, sifting fact from fiction. I'll also be talking to all kinds of trusted experts tapping into their knowledge along with bringing you conversations from a range of interesting women and men finding out how they age well.

2:27So this is my show, welcome along and as always thank you so much for listening.

2:40Dr Sophie Shotter:So 2026 wellness trends and I'm really looking forward to this one because I've seen your list of prompts and notes. So let's start with health and longevity MOTs. What's the scoop on this one? Yeah, and this is all part of a wider trend towards preventative and personalised medicine, which by the way, is an industry now with hundreds of billions of dollars. Personally, I think it also reflects the fact that globally, many of the large healthcare infrastructures like the NHS in the UK and Medicare and Medicaid in the US are facing huge funding shortfalls. So people are either forced to look elsewhere or are trying to be proactive in managing their own health better.

3:21We did an episode on at-home health tests and certainly these will continue to rise in popularity this year. But the real trend for 2026 is these in-person scans and MOTs. But be warned, most of them aren't cheap. For example, Prenuvo, which is apparently a cutting-edge full-body MRI scan, has just recently arrived in the UK and this is two and a half thousand pounds. There is a company called Neco who offer a 300 pound flat rate and for this they'll scan your entire body in just an hour looking at a range of markers from mole mapping to heart health and eye function but the waiting list is apparently 10 ,000 people.

3:59Wow. So huge but this overarching health tests trend isn't just about body scanning it's also about genetic tests and blood scans and longevity fitness tests which I think are particularly really interesting. So these can look at everything from grip strength to something called VO2 max, which is the maximum rate of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. And this, by the way, is considered the best indicator overall of cardiovascular fitness. And again, all of these signal a much more preventative, proactive mindset. And this kind of thinking is really set to grow this year.

4:34Dr Sophie Shotter:Okay. So next on your list is functional drinks. Tell me more. Yeah and technically this isn't really new but these so-called smart drinks or functional drinks are certainly going sort of next gen. So this is about drinks that offer some kind of longevity or aesthetic or emotional or cognitive benefit and sometimes all of the above. One interesting and growing trend within this category is electrolyte drinks made with purified sea or ocean or lake water and this is all about leveraging the dozens and dozens of natural minerals found in wild waters to offer a more complete spectrum of electrolytes.

5:12And generally brands will combine purified microfiltered seawater, which will be typically around 20%, and blend this with spring water or organic juices to make it more palatable. So to be clear, no one's recommending you just drink seawater straight from the source. This would be really dangerous because of its high salt concentration. These are very carefully filtered drinks with high bioavailability electrolytes. And this is all about boosting cellular hydration, giving added energy and helping with post-workout recovery. There are several brands doing interesting things over in the States.

5:45There aren't as many brands over here yet, although I've noticed an interesting brand called Oshun, which sources its electrolytes from Utah's Great Salt Lake. Another growing trend is drinking shots of extra virgin olive oil. And this has been recently endorsed by various celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian, which of course means a lot of people are now talking about it. And perhaps it's no surprise because we're continually hearing about the benefits of these so-called good fats. And actually healthy fats like olive oil are really special because they help the body to absorb fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E and K.

6:20And also things like beta-carotene, which we find in carrots and lycopene, which we find in tomatoes. So adding a healthy fat like olive oil to our meals, especially salads and vegetables, is a great idea. But as I said, people are now taking olive oil shots, in particular extra virgin olive oil, which is the least processed and healthiest form of olive oil. I'd say we can't deny the fact that extra virgin olive oil has a lot of data behind it. And it's said to be really anti-inflammatory, for example. But for balance, I'd also add that it's extremely calorific, which is something that many people don't think about.

6:54So if you're trying to lose or maintain maintain weight you may need to stay active if you up your intake of olive oil. I think if you're having it as an extra shot and you're not having your oil elsewhere it could be a really beneficial

7:08Dr Sophie Shotter:thing to do but you do need to be mindful that your overall in and out balance is is correct. And the other thing is that these extra calories also don't fill you up because there's not a whole lot of food and definitely no fiber in there. So if you're looking to up your healthy fats you could just be better off eating a whole food fat like avocado or nut butter or having your olive oil on a salad or drizzling it on your food before you serve it for dinner but absolutely keep using the olive oil and if you want to take as a shot again just make sure you're staying really active in order to burn off that dense calorie load one other thing and that's that olive oil lubricates the bowel so if you have a sensitive tummy you may find yourself going to loom more often.

7:53On that note, social media is full of people saying that olive oil shots improve gut health. We don't actually have any data to back this up. And actually, olive oil is lacking in the most important gut-friendly component of all, which is fibre. So yes, it's an incredibly healthy oil and potentially has some amazing longevity benefits, but the idea of taking it as a shot would for me come with several caveats.

8:18Dr Sophie Shotter:Okay, noted. Any others? staying on drinks and adaptogenic drinks will continue to be popular this year things that incorporate herbs and mushrooms and botanical extracts usually to promote relaxation they may for example include CBD or ashwagandha although please do listen to our ashwagandha episode from November because it's a herb that isn't for everyone protein drinks and shakes will again continue to be big business but when I hosted a media event last year I thought it was really interesting to hear nutritionist Eva Escafet point out that many of these are technically processed foods. I'm actually quite interested in newer brands that offer organic nose-to-tail protein powders like APE and Organized.

9:04My other prediction is that we'll continue to see new collagen drinks on the market, though I'd say really do your research here. So perhaps again, listen to our collagen episode, which is actually a couple of years old now, to get the lowdown on this. In terms of what else is out there, we'll definitely continue to see matcha and mushroom coffees, bone broths, pro and prebiotic sodas, various iterations on cacao, and again, various alternatives to alcohol. Although again, I'd say watch out as a lot of these have a lot of sugar in them. I've noticed that too. Okay, you've also got bone health here as a trend.

9:42Yes, and this is a metric that's often ignored until later in life. But we're now seeing more and more dedicated focus on the different ways we can all optimise our bone health at all ages. And I do think that this is way overdue as we'd focus far too much on muscle strength. For example, I've noticed now that there are DEXA scans being incorporated into spas and wellness retreats and dedicated bone health clinics are also popping up like the New York Bourne OsteoStrong now in Kent and clinics like Hook in London are starting to incorporate it into their health span programs. I'd add again anyone really interested in bone health should listen to our episode with Nick Birch from last year as this revealed some really interesting stuff including why he feels REM scans are more effective than DEXA.

10:28Dr Sophie Shotter:Yeah all right another trend and digital detoxing so is this like going up a gear this year? I would say so, yes. And again, this is all about decluttering our tech in the same way that we declutter our homes. And people do seem to be taking it more seriously. It might be coming off or really minimising social media, maybe turning off email and text notifications. It might be downgrading from a smartphone to a dumb phone. There are lots of apps to support with a lot of this. I'd say some of the best social media blocking apps are Freedom and App aplock and one sec. And there are also an increasing number of off-grid cabins and retreats which are advertised as digital detoxes.

11:11Certainly this really does all chime with our chat with Dr Caitlin Rager who lectures and writes on the cultural impacts of social media. And I think that this year we'll see more and more people curating their tech and just using it more intentionally. So this might be creating much clearer boundaries for example putting in and protecting tech-free mornings or scheduling dedicated windows for phone time. I was reading some comments from someone called Marion Evans, who's a business coach, and she said, the aim isn't total disconnection, but recalibration, using technology as a tool for connection rather than as a constant source of distraction.

11:45And I think that's the ethos that I definitely embrace and will continue to going into the new year.

11:51Dr Sophie Shotter:Brilliant. Yeah, I'll second that. okay and hot exercise is apparently set to be a thing for 2026 yeah and i think a lot of people will be familiar with hot yoga or bikram but this is all about using infrared heat in workout studios so basically heating the body from within rather than heating the room and infrared offers all kinds of proven benefits from reduced inflammation to pain relief so combining this with exercise is actually quite an interesting phenomenon. Infrared workouts have been all the rage in LA for a while now, but we have a spate of new London classes and these offer everything from hot bar to hot pilates.

12:32And again, I'll be interested to see this one play out.

12:35Dr Sophie Shotter:Yeah, I remember doing Bikram years ago and I had such a headache afterwards because I didn't hydrate enough beforehand. What about personalised supplementation? yeah and i'm a big fan of this one as i really don't think that people should take loads and loads of supplements blindly for example we can actually have too much b3 and b6 and it seems the science is saying we should aim to get most of our nutrients through food as this is then more bioavailable but i am a fan of supplementation and i think it's a great idea to have testing maybe blood testing and check especially the basics like vitamin d iron and vitamin b's you could either have these done privately there are loads of places that will post out a kit or request to have them done at your gp surgery but if you do the latter then request a copy of the results and double check these with an expert nutritionist because sadly the nhs will only flag if levels are seriously low they won't flag what's optimal or not yeah this is what i keep hearing and this next one's kind of intriguing apparently in 2026 we're going to see a revival of ancient rituals yeah and as studies continue to show there's a myriad of health benefits to things like sauna and we also have newer data on things like soundbath and we've certainly covered the kinds of psychedelics that are used in indigenous and tribal ceremonies and the ways that these can help people with trauma and PTSD and addiction.

14:06But while psychedelics are illegal in the UK, there are more and more research studies opening up so people could certainly try and enroll on a trial somewhere like Imperial College in London. And this leaning towards ancient rituals is starting to be reflected in the spa space. So to name just a few things, the infamous Blackberry Mountain in Tennessee has introduced full moon rituals with outdoor song circles, journaling and intention setting plus it has these somatic sculpt classes which is sort of where silent disco meets mindful movement it seems that this year star bathing is the new forest bathing and this is certainly gaining traction and actually new research has shown that a greater connection to the night sky can indeed boost mental health and this isn't about looking for various stars or constellations the idea is simply to lose yourself to the stars and to the sky and I noticed that Ken Gorm excursions in Scotland organises these star bathing parties and Six Senses in the Maldives now offer moonlight meditations accompanied by a soundtrack of singing bowls and ocean waves which is just magical.

15:10I've also noticed that brain training is starting to become a thing at spa resorts most of it very high tech but I really like what Cheno Vegas if I've pronounced that right or Cheno Vegas maybe in Switzerland are doing and that they've just hired an incredible bridge teacher called Jack Stocken to lead hour-long beginner sessions because of course these old school ways of keeping our brain active can be just as impactful. Finally if sleep counts as an ancient ritual then sleep-centric hotels are also becoming a new trend and this goes way beyond blackout curtains. We're talking temperature responsive mattresses, circadian lighting systems and art and music designed to calm the nervous system.

15:50Even mini bars now reflect this new focus on wellness with things like hydrogen water and so-called clean snacks. Obviously, this is for the super luxe resort type hotels. But very often what starts in a five star hotel, like pillow menus, for example, will trickle down to other hotel chains and resorts and sleep. As a wellness trend, it's not going anywhere this year.

16:11Dr Sophie Shotter:Yeah. By the way, I'm loving your, I'm assuming that's your dog in the background doing it with its squeaky toy. No, I love it. My dog's doing exactly the same downstairs. And you mention here on your list, social saunas. Yeah, and this is an interesting one because over in the Nordics, saunas are traditionally places where friends and family meet up to sweat it out together. And there's now a ritual known as Aufguss, which in German means infusion. And these are slightly trending in the wellness space. This is all about a sauna host who soundtracks the experience with music and smashes aromatherapy ice balls on hot rocks.

16:49It can all be very theatrical and performative. And we're also now seeing sauna parties that feature breathwork, live music and even dancing. So watch this space.

16:58Dr Sophie Shotter:Oh, crikey. I don't know whether I'm not sure whether I can manage that, but I'd be open to having a look at other people. OK, and finally, leaving maybe the best to last, fart walks. yeah i'm not sure this is so much as a trend as something that's really gone viral on socials the idea is that you have a really fiber rich meal wait an hour or two and then take a little walk and you can guess the rest there is actually some science here we know that fiber is great and a post-meal walk helps move any gas through the digestive system and can also improve blood sugar control but i do agree with will bolsevitz that with fiber we need to build up slowly and train our gut like a muscle so that we don't actually need to pass loads of wind.

17:42But anyway, if you want to hear more about this, check out Merlin Smith on social. She's a cookbook author and calls herself the fibre queen. And one of her more recent posts has clocked up nearly 10 million views. Plus, she's been on national television in America talking about her fart walks. Again, I'm not sure it's going to be a trend, not one I'm going to be taking on. Maybe my dog. but it's certainly a fun talking point brilliant well I think we've got some really really

18:10Dr Sophie Shotter:interesting stuff there and I think I agree with you on the fart walks but a few other things I am I think I'm going to be looking into myself so thank you so much Sophie and super super interesting as always thanks Fee and that ends this week's podcast if you want to find out more about me and my work or maybe book a consultation head to dr sophie shotter.com and you can find me on socials at dr sophie shotter and again thank you so much for listening