Welltodo Today: The Athleisure Market Heats Up, Mental Health Startups Attract Investment, Plant-Based Food Trends

Today’s key global wellness news articles from around the world, impacting the industry and influencing the business of wellness.

The athleisure market is heating up as consumers flock to ‘comfort in uncomfortable times’

If you walk into any Old Navy store this holiday season, you’ll notice a plethora of athletic gear paired with other comfy clothes front and center. Knowing consumers have been drawn to loungewear like leggings, pajama sets and other cozy options during the coronavirus pandemic, the retailer reshuffled its store layout to accommodate the trend, placing those items right at the door.

The Reigning Queen of Pandemic Yoga

The Great ReadFeature The YouTube celebrity Adriene Mishler made yoga accessible and search-optimized even before so many Americans were confined at home. Can she help us learn to live better lives in front of the computer? Adriene Mishler, of “Yoga With Adriene,” at home in Austin, Texas, with her dog, Benji.

Soil Association backs organic food start-ups

Working in partnership with start-up organisations Bread & Jam and Young Foodies, the scheme offers knowledge, insight and resources to help business get off the ground. The package also gives start-ups access to Soil Association ‘meet the buyer’ events, bespoke webinars focused on business support topics and discounts on memberships and training from the organisation and its partners.

100k people to get free gym sessions as fitness industry strengthens its position as an essential service

Up to 100k people will benefit from the free gym and physical activity sessions, thanks to a partnership between ukactive, NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I), Sport England and the National Academy for Social Prescribing.

Reflecting Consumer Demand, Beauty Retailers Showcase Wellness, Sustainability and Diversity

Wellness is top-of-mind for consumers during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and now, it’s top-of-mind for retailers, too. The sector has been growing, last valued at $4.5 trillion in 2018 by the Global Wellness Institute.

Mental health startups are raising spirits and venture capital

A spate of startups focused on mental health recently made enough noise as a group that they caught the eye of the Equity podcast crew. Sadly, the segment we’d planned to discuss this topic was swept away by a blizzard of IPO filings that piled up like fresh snow.

Six plant-based trends for food and beverage firms to exploit in 2021

Investment firm UBS forecasts the global plant-based meat market will grow by 28% a year and reach $85 billion by 2030, presenting huge opportunities for those businesses investing in plant-based and sustainable alternatives. This excites the sustainability consultancy Tasting the Future, which aims to transform food systems. Its new report explores six plant-based food and beverage trends for 2021.