What Wellness Consumers Want Next, Live From Eudēmonia

A birds-eye perspective of the forces reshaping fitness and wellness.

Fitness operators know the definition of wellness is expanding well beyond the workout. The harder question is where their members are headed next.

Which technologies, treatments and approaches to health are consumers actually exploring? Where are they investing their time and attention? And which experiences could shape what they eventually expect from their gyms and wellness providers?

Few places are better to watch those questions play out than the Eudēmonia Summit.

The annual wellness summit puts thousands of highly engaged consumers in the same environment as physicians, researchers, fitness and health leaders, founders, brands and investors. Attendees can experience equipment and protocols, hear the science behind them, talk to the developers and see firsthand what consumers are curious about and what they’re willing to spend money on.

“Eudēmonia is a live window into where consumer health is heading,” said Tyler Wakstein, Partner and Chief Revenue Officer. “Fitness operators can see firsthand what people are curious about, what they’re willing to spend money on and which experiences are resonating.”

The summit returns to West Palm Beach November 5-8, 2026, expecting more than 8,000 attendees, following a 2025 event that drew nearly 5,000 attendees, almost double the approximately 2,700 who attended its inaugural year in 2024.

A Live Look at Consumer Behavior 

After two years of Eudēmonia, one lesson stands out to Wakstein.

“Experience beats explanation,” he said. “You can hear someone talk about recovery or a new health technology, but actually trying it creates a different level of understanding. People can feel the difference for themselves.”

That applies to operators evaluating what could complement their businesses, while also giving them the chance to observe a more sophisticated consumer asking questions and making their own evaluations in real time. 

“Consumers are asking about mechanisms, evidence and measurable outcomes,” Wakstein said. “They don’t just want to hear that something is good for them. They want to understand why it works.”

That’s useful intelligence for an industry deciding how far beyond traditional fitness it should go. What these consumers are exploring today can offer an early look at what fitness members may be asking for next.

Four Areas Fitness Operators Should Be Watching 

So where is that consumer heading?

Wakstein points to four areas.

Recovery and hormetic stress is one. Heat, cold, breathwork and other structured protocols can extend the member experience beyond training and into recovery when implemented thoughtfully.

Strength for longevity is another. Muscle mass, strength and functional capacity are becoming central to how consumers think about healthy aging, particularly among women and adults over 40 who want to remain strong and independent.

Hybrid fitness and community-driven competition are also resonating. Formats such as HYROX combine strength and endurance with a social experience and a tangible reason to train consistently. This year, HYROX and Orangetheory Fitness are bringing that concept to life at Eudēmonia, building a 2,000-square-foot gym on site and running six classes a day.

Data-informed coaching is another area to watch. Wearables, sleep metrics and health assessments are putting more information into consumers’ hands and creating new ways for coaches to personalize training and recovery. 

“The same person who wants to get stronger or train for a competition is also thinking about sleep, bloodwork, metabolic health, hormones and recovery,” Wakstein said. “They want a more integrated approach to feeling and performing their best.”

The takeaway for operators is not to add every service showing signs of consumer interest.

“The opportunity isn’t to chase every new trend or turn a gym into a medical clinic,” Wakstein said. “It’s to identify the services that genuinely improve members’ lives and build a more complete health experience around them.”

What Does That Mean for the Fitness Business?

Fitness operators are already starting from a powerful position.

“A physical space, an established relationship with their members and frequent opportunities to influence behavior give fitness operators a unique advantage,” Wakstein said. “The opportunity is to build on that foundation and become a more meaningful part of a member’s overall health routine.”

Wakstein sees several practical ways that could happen. Recovery services can become a more integrated part of membership. Diagnostics partnerships can help members establish baselines and measure progress. Coaches can consider sleep, stress and recovery when making training decisions, while referring medical questions to qualified professionals.

“The goal isn’t for every gym to offer everything,” he said. “It’s to build a thoughtful ecosystem of services and partnerships that meet members where they are and help them make healthier choices over time.”

Eudēmonia gives operators a place to explore what those ecosystems could look like. 

Its Health Innovation Lab, or HIL, brings founders, CEOs, investors, healthcare leaders and operators together to examine the business opportunities taking shape across health. The emphasis is on connections and partnerships, giving operators access to companies building new technologies and services as well as other leaders thinking about how to bring them to market.

“If you’re looking for new technologies, strategic partners or business opportunities, you’ll want to make the Health Innovation Lab a priority,” Wakstein said.

Turning Information into Action

The demand for more integrated health experiences comes with another expectation: Consumers also want to understand what they are doing and why. Eudēmonia combines hands-on experiences with access to physicians and researchers, while ACE continuing education opportunities bring that learning directly to fitness professionals.

That guidance is particularly relevant as consumers arrive with more information about their own health. Sleep scores, heart rate variability, bloodwork and metabolic data can provide insight without necessarily telling someone what to do next.

“The real opportunity is helping people translate that information into action,” Wakstein said. “What does it mean for how I train, recover, eat and sleep? What should I actually change? The providers who combine useful data with great coaching, trust and community will have a real advantage.”

Community is another strong consumer signal. Wakstein said attendees are drawn to diagnostics and advanced recovery tools as well as movement, breathwork, time outdoors and human connection. Eudēmonia is leaning further into that this year with Eudēmonia at Night, including a Run the Night 5K followed by SOFI TUKKER on November 6 and performances by The Head and the Heart and Wilderado on November 7.

Eudēmonia recently signed a five-year extension to remain in West Palm Beach every November through 2031. Wakstein describes the larger ambition as building the “SXSW of wellness,” bringing health, science, technology, fitness, culture and community together.

Come as a Participant First

Wakstein’s advice for operators attending Eudemonia is simple: “Come as a participant first and a buyer second.”

Try the treatments, testing, recovery technologies and workouts. Watch where consumers spend their time and what they ask. Talk to physicians and researchers. Ask companies about evidence, implementation costs and staff training. Spend time in the Health Innovation Lab with founders, operators, investors and potential partners.

In other words, use the summit as a live testing ground for what could come next in your own business.

“If you’re a fitness operator looking to understand where the industry is going, discover new opportunities and build a more valuable experience for your members, join us in West Palm Beach this November,” Wakstein said. “Come curious, be willing to try things and leave with a few concrete ideas and relationships you can put into action.”

Join us at Eudēmonia and get 10% off your badge at eudemonia.net/athletechnews.