How wellness is expanding beyond fitness and becoming part of how people spend their time, money and everyday lives
Wellness is getting bigger and broader
The definition of wellness has expanded well beyond exercise and nutrition. Recovery, sleep, mental wellbeing, social connection and downtime are all becoming part of the conversation.
The Global Wellness Institute values the global wellness economy at $6.8 trillion in 2024, up 7.9% year on year and more than double its size in 2013. It now spans 11 sectors, including physical activity, healthy eating, mental wellness, wellness tourism and spa.
The Middle East is particularly relevant to that growth. Middle East-North Africa was one of the three fastest-growing regional wellness economies between 2019 and 2024, with the region showing particularly strong growth and recovery over the period.
Wellness is becoming more central to how people choose to spend their time, money and free time.
From something you schedule to something you live
For many people, a wellness routine now extends well beyond the gym. It includes how they recover after training, what they eat, how well they sleep and what they choose to do with their free time.
McKinsey's 2025 wellness research also points to continued demand for in-person wellness experiences, with consumers across all markets surveyed reporting that they purchased more in-person wellness services than the previous year.
This is changing what a wellness lifestyle looks like. It can include an early gym session or a Pilates class, but also recovery, time outside, a good meal or making more space to switch off.
Recovery is becoming part of the routine
One of the clearest examples is recovery. What was once more closely associated with athletes and performance training has become a much more familiar part of everyday fitness culture. Stretching, massage, sauna, cold therapy and dedicated recovery sessions are increasingly sitting alongside workouts rather than being treated as an occasional extra.
From what we're seeing at Privilee, people are paying attention to what happens around their workouts too. Training might be followed by time in a sauna, a recovery session or a slower day afterwards.
Wellness is becoming more social
There is a social side to this change too.
Group training, run clubs, racquet sports and performance-led formats give people a way to combine movement with community. Fitness can be a workout, but it can also be where people meet friends, find people with similar interests or spend their free time.
Strava's 2025 Year in Sport Trend Report found that 37% of people surveyed viewed run clubs as a good place to meet people. Its research also found that Gen Z was more likely than Gen X to use fitness to meet people who share their interests, while the number of new clubs created on Strava nearly quadrupled during 2025.
That social element helps explain why wellness is extending further into lifestyle. Movement is becoming another way people choose to spend time together.
How wellness is showing up in leisure time
At Privilee, we see this in the way people choose to spend their free time.
Hotels and resorts bring many elements of wellness together in one place. Pools, spas, gyms, restaurants and spaces to switch off can all play a role in how people spend their downtime, including closer to home.
It shows how closely wellness and leisure are starting to overlap. Looking after yourself can mean training and recovery, but it can also mean getting outside, spending time with people or simply having somewhere to slow down.
What this means for businesses
As people's definition of wellness expands, there is an opportunity for businesses to think differently about the experiences they provide.
For employers, a wellness benefit focused solely on fitness may only cover one part of how employees look after themselves. A more rounded approach can give people more choice across movement, recovery and downtime.
The same applies to customer rewards and loyalty. As wellness becomes more closely connected to everyday lifestyle, experiences in this space can offer brands another way to provide value that feels relevant and useful.
Choice matters here. People have different routines, interests and definitions of what makes them feel good, so a wellness proposition needs enough flexibility to accommodate that.
A broader approach to everyday wellbeing
At Privilee, we see this crossover every day. Our own UAE data shows that Corporate Members are using Privilee 15% more often than a year ago, across multiple wellness and lifestyle categories.
Members might use their membership to train at a gym or studio, spend time at a hotel pool, book a recovery session or make use of Member rates on dining and spa treatments. Across the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Singapore, those different experiences sit within one membership.
Fitness remains a major part of the picture, alongside a growing focus on recovery, leisure and social connection.
The market is expected to keep growing. The Global Wellness Institute forecasts that the global wellness economy will expand by 7.6% annually through 2029, reaching approximately $9.8 trillion.
For businesses, the opportunity is to understand what sits behind that growth. People's relationship with wellness is changing, and how they choose to spend their time is changing with it.
Get in touch
If you're exploring how wellness could play a bigger role in your employee benefits or customer proposition, our Corporate team would be happy to share ideas.
Email corporate@privilee.ae to find out more.
