The health and wellness trends set to dominate 2026: Contrast therapy, gut health and food traceability

We’ve never known more about our health, thanks to a plethora of wearable technology and tracking devices which allow us to monitor everything from heart rate and sleep quality to brain waves and organ function.

But wellness in 2026 could see a return to the simple pillars of movement, rest and repair and looking within — specifically to the gut — to unlock physical and mental health and wellbeing.

After years of focus on self-optimisation and performance, experts believe 2026 could bring a more balanced approach to being well.

According to global consultancy The Future Laboratory, which recently released its top 50 trends for 2026, the health and wellness landscape is shifting focus from performance to presence – “prioritising empathy, community and the humans that shape the sector.

The Future Laboratory senior foresight analyst Alice Crossley said the industry was moving away from a fixation on optimisation.

“There is a shift happening towards something softer, more intuitive and balanced. Brands and businesses that acknowledge that often life takes precedence over performance will be the ones that resonate in 2026 and beyond,” she said.

Here are the trends we can expect to see more of in 2026.

Contrast therapy and connection

It’s a practice which dates back to ancient cultures, but a modern wave of entrepreneurs have brought contrast therapy to the masses amid a heightened focus on recovery, connection and holistic wellness.

Perth is home to a growing number of centres offering not only saunas and ice baths but compression boots, IV drips and red light therapy beds.

Inspired by a cherished weekly ritual of swims at City Beach with his dad, Pete Carbone set up a single ice bath in a gym storage room more than five years ago to help a friend who was struggling with their mental health.

Another ice bath followed, then a sauna, and Mr Carbone was quickly hooked by the sight of the revitalised, joyful faces that greeted him as they emerged from contrast therapy.

“Some were coming for physical recovery, some for mental health issues, and they were leaving with smiles on their faces,” he recalled.

“I’ll never forget a customer that brought his son in, and he said ‘I haven’t seen him look that lively in weeks.’ I thought, ‘there has to be something in this.’”

Mr Carbone flew across the country studying larger-scale recovery studios before embarking on an eight month search for the perfect property. He sold everything he owned after finding a run-down building in Wembley and spent months transforming it into his dream space, Reclab.

Reclab offers hot and cold plunge pools, a Finnish sauna, steam room, IV drips and red light therapy. For Mr Carbone, who hopes to open his second centre next year, it is the sense of community that he is most proud of.

“I think after COVID everyone thought, what can we do for ourselves on a regular basis that can help us not just maintain a good level of health, but increase our longevity?” he said.

“Now we have kids as young as 14 next to people in their 70s, we have AFL players, they are all sitting there chatting and I think what’s happening is these modalities are allowing people who wouldn’t necessarily spend time together, to do just that.

“There’s a connection beyond just getting hot or getting cold, you jump in and you look at the person next to you and it doesn’t matter who they are, you’re both freezing, and all of a sudden you have something in common.”

Power of the gut

Often referred to as the second brain, the influence of the gut on mental and physical health and wellbeing is profound.

And the more scientists uncover about the gut microbiome — a complex eco-system of bacteria, viruses and fungi — the more it emerges as a key pillar of wellness.

At Perth’s Edith Cowan University, the Gut Health Research team is working on several studies to help understand the complex interaction between the gut microbiome and diet and disease.

Among them is Amanda Devine, professor of public health and nutrition, who said Australia’s reliance on highly processed foods was contributing to poor gut health.

“A lot of people don’t eat enough vegetables and whole grains, and about a third to half the population don’t reach their fibre requirements,” Professor Devine explained.

“And then there’s the high protein diet that a lot of people are on, so they are removing foods that are really key to building and nourishing the microbiome.

“And you’ve got people who are on a poor Australian diet that is highly processed, or those with irritable bowel syndrome trying to change their diet so they have less symptoms and missing out on foods that are critical to better gut health.”

The team, including Professor Devine and Associate Professor Claus Christophersen, have recently launched their own product aimed at improving the gut health of Australians.

Ur Gut is a dietary fibre powder containing resistant starch, which is vital to good gut health and contained in foods such as oats, rice, green bananas, beans, and legumes.

Professor Christophersen said with about 80 per cent of adults not meeting the recommended resistant starch intake, the product was an easy way to maintain gut health.

Clinical trials showed improved gut and mental health outcomes for patients living with IBS.

“Seventy per cent of your immune system sits around the gut, so when you start thinking about that, and what it means for our health, if we are constantly triggering our immune system it’s going to affect your whole body,” Professor Christophersen said.

AI-powered wearable tech

Wearable tracking technology continues to evolve, taking users well beyond measurements of step counts, heart rate and sleep quality.

But a move away from performance, to “preventative presence” is predicted according to The Future Laboratory.

“With self-responsibility reshaping attitudes to wellness, consumers are becoming more receptive to passive, always-on health technologies that promise early insights without friction,” its 2026 report reads.

“This shift reflects a broader mindset of preventative attunement – a desire to manage wellbeing continuously and unobtrusively, without the burden of constant self-tracking.”

This could look like wearable microsensors that attach to teeth to collect real-time biometric data, software, sustainable tampon products, software and laboratory diagnostics which deliver predictive reproductive care.

AI-led advancements now allow users to monitor blood pressure, glucose levels, brain waves, skin temperature, organs and sweat, with the potential to predict and prevent illness and personalise treatment.

Dubbed the biggest global fitness trend for 2026 by the American College of Sports Medicine, wearable technology is expanding beyond wrist-worn devices such as the FitBit and Whoop to smartglasses, “hearables” and smart jewellery.

“Nearly half of adults now own a fitness tracker or smartwatch, so the question is no longer whether people will use wearables,” said report author and exercise physiologist Cayla McAvoy.

“What matters now is teaching people how to use them in ways that best support their health and behaviour change.”

Food and drink traceability

For many consumers, it is no longer enough just to know what is in their product.

They also want to know where it comes from, how it is made, who makes it and its impact on the environment.

Above all, amid a rise in misleading health and wellness claims, they want to know if they can trust a product and the company that makes it.

This demand is fuelling the booming food traceability industry, which allows consumers to track their products through every step of the supply chain, most commonly by scanning a product’s QR code.

Traceability now goes far beyond ingredient lists and food safety; some businesses allow shoppers to see who picked and packed their fruit, or invite consumers to watch videos showing the harvesting or handling process.

Perth brothers Rhys and James Williamson have been at the forefront of this movement with their company Orijin Plus, which they initially created as a way to build connection and trust with consumers of their wholesale meat business.

They have since created a “connected packaging platform”, which gives food and beverage and health and wellness brands the digital tools to reach their consumers directly from their packaging.

“Consumers are more aware of health, sustainability, and ethical sourcing than ever before,” James said.

“A quick scan with a smartphone can reveal a wealth of information that goes far beyond what can be communicated through traditional labeling.

“When you can show people the journey your product took, from the farm to their table, it builds a kind of trust that’s hard to get any other way. It’s like opening up your kitchen and showing them exactly how you prepare a meal.”