There has been a shift in the way employees approach wellness, with further changes in behaviour predicted for 2025, data has revealed.
An analysis of hundreds of millions of ‘check-ins’ from millions of Wellhub app users around the world showed that there has been a 112 percent surge in interest in nutrition.
In addition to the increased focus on nutrition, healthy habits and mental wellbeing were also top priorities for employees in the past 12 months. The data showed there was a 72 percent growth in healthy habit tracking on the app.
Globally, strength training remains the most popular exercise despite a 17 percent drop in overall usage, while pilates has experienced a 7 percent increase in use. In the UK yoga was the most popular workout.
Public Sector employees were found to be the most active workforce. Employees in this sector had the highest engagement with wellness activities, followed by employees in financial services and technology.
The trends are outlined in Wellhub’s Annual Report, which is based on the data from 500 million work outs.
The wellness provider also made predictions for the year ahead.
In the report, it said: “We’ve already seen healthcare organisations like Northwell Health and Lifepoint Health step up their employee wellness game in 2024. Expect this to continue as the industry prioritises programmes to combat the burnout crisis and improve employee health in 2025.”
The provider said that policies mandating a return to the office are expected to drive a resurgence in at-home workouts.
“Digital fitness is exploding (app usage is up 130 percent in 2024) because it gives employees the flexibility and control they need – expect to see more remote workouts in 2025.”
Employees looking to ‘work out anytime, anywhere’ is also forecast to increase in popularity, the provider said.
“As the lines between work and personal time become increasingly blurred, employees will find ways to fit wellness into their busy schedules. Employees will crave better work-life integration and begin using wellness breaks to be more productive and less stressed. We’ve already seen a noticeable uptick in midday workouts and we expect this to rise in 2025.”
