Pulse September-October 2026 | Page 31

percent reported experiencing loneliness— all statistically significantly higher than observed within the 45-to-64

Get exercise

Table 2 engagemenT

Plan to patronize a wellness / wellbeing-themed facility, service, or event during next 12 months

Collect and monitor my health metrics

Use spa / alternative medical practices / other healing therapies on a regular basis

Interested in visiting a destination wellness resort during next 12 months

95 %

86 %

79 %

71 %

21 %

90 %

71 %

67 %

53 %

13 %

87 %

63 %

65 %

36 %

* Top two box ratings on a 5-point scale; statistically significant differences with the lowest row value appear in bold.

6 % and 65-plus cohorts. Add to this their concerns about geopolitical uncertainty( 75 percent expressed concern about world events) and climate( 42 percent believe too much attention is given to climate change, suggesting high awareness of the issue), and the weight of their emotional burden is clear.

Yet, this stress has not resulted in disengagement. Rather, in one of the most commercially significant findings of the entire survey, the elevated emotional strain evident among WELLZoomers was associated with more intense engagement with health-related activities. Ninety-five percent of WELLZoomers exercise regularly, 79

WELLSURVEY 1.0, CONDUCTED BY CO-AUTHORS KEVIN KELLY AND PETER YESAWICH in January 2024, was the first national probability survey to examine how U. S. adults understand the concepts of wellness, well-being and longevity. The survey polled a representative sample of 1,004 adults aged 25 to 74, 52 percent female / 48 percent male, drawn from the top half of all U. S. households by annual income( median $ 127,500; mean $ 155,400).

That research found adults tend to view wellness, well-being and longevity as related but distinct concepts in the achievement of a healthy lifestyle.

1 Wellness activities are seen as“ inputs” people undertake to support their health, such as exercise, spa treatments, fitness programs and preventive practices.

2 Well-being is the integrated experiential outcome and is understood to be a result of those activities viewed through the lens of emotional health: the way a person feels physically, mentally and emotionally.

3 Longevity is a measure of whether that outcome is sustained over time, and is perceived as the beneficial outcome of durable well-being.

These distinctions are critically important for industry providers to recognize because they frame the appeal of the products, services and experiences consumers seek in the marketplace. This is especially true given one of the most important revelations of WELLSurvey 1.0 about the addressable market: More U. S. adults are interested in enhancing their well-being than wellness.

The survey also identified a distinct market segment christened“ WELLZoomers” by the authors. Between 25 and 44 years of age, this cohort of well-seekers is defined by a unique set of attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, as well as the financial resources and spending habits likely to influence how industry providers evolve product and service lines and brand strategy.

What WeLLSurvey 2.0 examined The results shared in this article derive from WELL Survey 2.0, a sequel survey conducted by the authors in November 2025. The trans-Atlantic survey included 2,648 respondents from the U. S., UK and Germany, 857 of whom were WELLZoomers. The sample was screened to yield respondents evenly split by gender, 51 percent male, 49 percent female, with median annual household incomes of $ 131,000 in the U. S., £ 98,000 in the UK and € 91,000 in Germany, representing the top half of households in each country by annual income. The survey was fielded online.

“ WELLZoomers Are Embracing Our Industry” appeared in the March / April 2025 edition of Pulse. ISPA members may access previous issues at pulse. experienceispa. com.

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