![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/b51df3f0dd24fddce79aa432023046b658a7ed7e.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
December 29, 2025 \u2014 4:00am<\/p>\n
Save<\/p>\n
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n
Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a year of seed oil hysteria<\/a>, wellness quackery<\/a>, wearable tech getting techier,<\/a> protein mania<\/a>, sprinting<\/a> and \u201clifting heavy<\/a>\u201d, as well as the spotlight being shone on the seedy underbelly of ultraprocessed foods<\/a> and vitamins<\/a> (unless you have a deficiency, don\u2019t waste your precious cash).<\/p>\n What exciting and wacky health trends can we look forward to in the year ahead? I asked five experts for their take.<\/p>\n What stood out was one thing: for better or worse, GLP-1-based medications like Ozempic are changing the landscape from nutrition to fitness and beyond.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the big one, I think, for 2026,\u201d says Trent Rigby, a consumer analyst and director of Retail Customer Advisory. \u201cIn the US, we\u2019ve recently seen obesity rates in adults decline for the first time in decades linked to this. Availability and cost are still barriers here in Australia, but these are improving.\u201d<\/p>\n By 2030, it is estimated that 1.13 billion of the global population will be obese (up 115 per cent from 2010) and about 10 per cent of the population in the US will be on obesity drugs.<\/p>\n \u201cTake-up numbers should be similar here in Australia,\u201d says Rigby. \u201cI see GLP-1s influencing everything from food, fitness, apparel and wellness industries.\u201d<\/p>\n Wearable technology is the number-one fitness trend for 2026, according to the American College of Sports Medicine<\/a>. Its continued evolution means wearables can now do far more than track your steps and heart rate. Features are as varied as fall or crash detection, heart rhythm, blood pressure, blood glucose and skin temperature. This can benefit everyone from people in rehabilitation to fitness beginners, athletes to ageing adults.<\/p>\n Beyond wearables, the star across the rest of the predicted fitness trends was resistance exercise.<\/p>\n It is critical for active ageing (in 2026, more than 22 per cent<\/a> of Australians will be aged over 65), for preventing the significant loss of lean mass that accompanies GLP-1 weight loss (up to 60 per cent<\/a> of total weight loss is lean mass), for balance and injury prevention, as well as for functional fitness.<\/p>\n Related Article Yet only about 40 per cent of Australians meet the recommendations of twice-weekly strength training.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really wonderful to see the emphasis on resistance training,\u201d says strength coach and exercise physiologist Dr Tony Boutagy.<\/p>\n Once the domain of bodybuilders, resistance training will become an even stronger trend next year.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is now so much robust data to indicate that resistance training is effective at improving bone mineral density, stopping the age-related loss in muscle mass, strength and power, and also improving metabolic health, such as glucose regulation,\u201d says Boutagy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s no longer about aesthetics or gym culture \u2013 it\u2019s about longevity, injury prevention and staying functional,\u201d adds Rigby. \u201cNext year, I think we\u2019ll look back and realise cardio-first fitness was a hangover from another era. Gyms, apps and programs are already pivoting hard toward muscle, bone density and resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n If you thought protein had peaked in 2025 (or 2024<\/a> when it was the most talked-about macro of the year) \u2013 and, truly, I didn\u2019t think we could pack any more protein in \u2013 then you (and I) were wrong.<\/p>\n Related Article According to trade publication FoodNavigator<\/a>, we\u2019ll see protein soft drinks as well as \u201cprotein-plus\u201d products, which are products with high-protein, plus a functional ingredient such as fibre.<\/p>\n Obesity drugs are driving the interest in protein, as protein helps to maintain muscle mass<\/a> among those losing weight.<\/p>\n Accredited practising dietitian Dr Joanna McMillan says protein is \u201chere to stay\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMuch of it is good \u2013 people using GLP-1 mimics, menopause, getting older … So many areas of life where we do indeed need extra protein,\u201d she says, before issuing a warning: \u201cI just don\u2019t see that we need it in our water or our chips. Adding a nutrient, protein or anything else, doesn\u2019t turn a food into a health food.\u201d<\/p>\n The high-protein foods that don\u2019t come with ridiculous claims include meat and seafood, eggs and dairy, beans and tofu.<\/p>\n Beyond protein, accredited dietitian and nutrition researcher Danielle Shine anticipates continued growth in \u201cpersonalised nutrition\u201d, using genomics, microbiome or metabolic markers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe science supporting these approaches is still in its infancy, so I don\u2019t endorse them for general use,\u201d she says. \u201cNevertheless, I expect brands will continue to promote them aggressively, given the strong financial incentives.\u201d<\/p>\n With an ageing, cashed-up population, experts forecast 2026 (and beyond) as the year of the Boomers.<\/p>\n So-called \u201cpositive ageing\u201d<\/a> is among the top trends of the year ahead, according to global market insights firm, Innova.<\/p>\n What on earth is positive ageing? A proactive and holistic approach for consumers across all generations, they say, noting that 73 per cent of global consumers consider healthy ageing as extremely or very important.<\/p>\n Consumer analyst Trent Rigby agrees with their assessment.<\/p>\n \u201cBaby Boomers are usually overlooked from brands and marketers, but a lot of health and fitness brands are now standing up and taking notice,\u201d he says. \u201cIn 2026 we expect to see further growth in fitness programs tailored to older adults \u2013 particularly strength and mobility training, preventative health and recovery are all growing fast.\u201d<\/p>\n Nutrition and apparel brands are also focusing on older consumers.<\/p>\n Related Video<\/p>\n Though there may be positives, Shine warns that the concept of positive or active ageing can be easily co-opted to legitimise supplements and non-evidence-based wellness approaches.<\/p>\n \u201cIn generally well-nourished populations, routine supplementation rarely improves health outcomes or prevents age-related decline,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Professor Luigi Fontana says there is an evidence-based foundation for improving longevity and resilience.<\/p>\n The miracle elixir? A nutrient-dense, minimally processed, plant-rich dietary pattern, combined with adequate high-quality protein, physical activity, good sleep, and enhancement of social and emotional health.<\/p>\n \u201cDecades of longevity research consistently show that sustainable benefits come from coherent mechanisms-based dietary patterns and healthy lifestyles, not isolated interventions,\u201d says Fontana, the scientific director of Sydney\u2019s Charles Perkins Centre Royal Prince Alfred Clinic.<\/p>\n More of us are considering the effects of our diet on our mental health, a trend which analysts refer to as \u201cmental nourishment\u201d. In fact, according to market insights group Innova<\/a>, 27 per cent of consumers have changed their diet or nutrition to manage their mental health.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s positive that people are acknowledging the link between nutrition and mental health, but food and supplements alone can\u2019t carry the weight of emotional regulation,\u201d says Smiling Mind chief executive Sarah La Roche.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cIn 2026, we\u2019ll see a clearer distinction between mental nourishment and mental fitness. Mental fitness is about building the skills to respond to stress, not just soothing it.\u201d<\/p>\n La Roche anticipates people embracing mental fitness the same way we approach physical fitness: \u201cNot waiting until something is wrong, but practising regularly to stay well.\u201d<\/p>\n She adds: \u201cMental fitness is about building skills like attention, emotional regulation and self-compassion, so when life gets hard, as it inevitably does, we\u2019re better equipped to cope.\u201d<\/p>\n What does that look like in practice? Short, accessible daily exercises; low-cost, digital tools as first-line support; and less stigma, more skill-building.<\/p>\n Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox<\/a> every Monday.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"Resistance](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/83d75e678e7b376d2b7c406c5587b2df04988476.jpeg\")
Resistance training is among the top fitness trends of the year ahead. Getty ImagesA pivot in fitness trends<\/p>\n![\"Sixteen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0b0a6d172aee3bf22192ad4e0ce6302081e8933d.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"We](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fe15664ae650cb1e43c39a1542843653a850666a.jpeg\")
We can\u2019t get enough protein. And 2026 will be no different.Getty ImagesProtein hasn\u2019t peaked<\/p>\n![\"Ultra-processed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9bf8e05a4d78487fc7f85010cc1c7dc6da41417a.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2c3c63e4168b7282e48367fd9757f46894dd266d.jpeg\")
A focus on active ageing is predicted to be a trend in the new year.Getty ImagesActive ageing<\/p>\n![\"Mental](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8db2b6aaa5709f6632abf0cdd744536d6b7db496.jpeg\")
Mental fitness involves developing skills and strategies to soothe ourselves. Getty ImagesStrengthening mental fitness<\/p>\n![\"While](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/615e4809f799fc459bc346a4f81df83db027177e.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765574951_80_b51df3f0dd24fddce79aa432023046b658a7ed7e.png\")
Sarah Berry<\/a> is a lifestyle and health writer at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via Twitter<\/a> or email<\/a>.Most Viewed in LifestyleFrom our partners