Key Findings:

  • Americans are more likely than Britons to associate wellness with physical and mental health and engage in wellness activities more frequently.
  • Supplement and vitamin use leads wellness product adoption in both markets, though usage is notably higher in the US.
  • In-person wellness formats are preferred in both countries, but the UK shows stronger preference for face-to-face experiences.
  • Younger adults in the UK are more goal-oriented in their approach to wellness compared to their US peers.

To understand how people define and practice wellness, we conducted a YouGov Survey: Serviced poll among adults in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The results show that while wellness is a shared priority, the two markets differ in habits, usage of wellness tools, and preferred formats.

Wellness associations: Physical and mental health take the lead

In the US, wellness is most commonly associated with physical (87%) and mental health (84%). Other frequently cited aspects include sleep (69%), emotional or spiritual wellbeing (64%), and body care, such as skincare and haircare (56%). Women in the US are significantly more likely than men to associate wellness with emotional wellbeing (72% vs. 55%) and body/personal care (64% vs. 48%).

In the UK, mental health edges out physical health in its association with wellness (81% vs. 78%). Across most categories, UK adults show lower association levels than their US counterparts. For instance, 42% of Britons associate wellness with clean eating, compared to 53% of Americans. Similarly, 39% in the UK link it with body care, versus 56% in the US.

Wellness products: Supplements lead, but usage varies

Usage patterns also reflect this divergence. In the US, 56% of adults report purchasing or using supplements or vitamins in the past 12 months, making it the most common wellness product. In the UK, supplements or vitamins still top the list (46%) but fall 10 percentage points behind US levels. Fewer UK adults report buying organic food (16% vs. 26%) or using at-home fitness equipment (14% vs. 22%).

Mental health and therapy app usage skews younger in the US — 16% of adults aged 18–34 report using them, compared to just 5% of those aged 55 and older. However, gym memberships are as popular in the UK as US (20% vs. 18%), particularly among younger adults — 31% of Britons aged 18–24 and 23% of 18-34 Americans report having a membership in the past year.

Frequency of engagement: Americans are more consistent

Engagement with wellness activities is more frequent in the US. Over half of American adults (58%) say they engage in wellness-related activities at least a few times a week, including 27% who do so daily. Only 11% say they never participate in such activities. Most US adults who engage in wellness activities (45%) strive to balance mental and physical health equally, while 17% prioritize physical health and 16% focus more on mental wellbeing.

In contrast, UK adults report lower levels of engagement. Fewer than half (48%) say they participate in wellness activities at least a few times a week, and 21% say they never engage — almost double the proportion seen in the US. Still, like their American counterparts, most UK respondents who engage in wellness activities (37%) aim to balance both mental and physical health. However, a higher share (27%) in the UK prioritize physical health specifically.

Motivations: routine, relief, and results

Motivations for engaging in wellness are largely similar across the two countries. In the US, 30% of adults who engage say wellness is part of their routine, 20% cite the desire to feel good, and another 20% do it to achieve specific goals. About one in five (20%) engage in wellness only when needed, such as during periods of stress or illness.

UK adults report comparable motivations. Three in ten who engage (30%) say wellness is integrated into their routine, and 20% do it for enjoyment or general wellbeing. Younger adults in the UK, however, are more goal-oriented — 27% of those aged 18–24 say they practice wellness to achieve specific outcomes like weight loss or fitness.

Format preferences: In-person leads

Wellness consumers in the US and UK show remarkably similar preferences when it comes to how they engage. In both markets, about a third (34% in the US and 36% in the UK) prefer fully in-person experiences—such as gyms, massages, or face-to-face therapy. Another 14% in each country opt for a hybrid approach, while 9% prefer to engage entirely through virtual formats.

Even the share of those who prefer mostly in-person with some virtual (19% US and 17% UK) and those who prefer mostly virtual with some in-person (7% US and 5% UK) is similar. This alignment suggests that attitudes toward wellness delivery formats are consistent across the two markets.

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Methodology:

UK: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on 14-15 August 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 2,187 adults (aged 18+ years) in Great Britain, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in the United Kingdom (18 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.

US: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online on August 18-20, 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 2,446 adults (aged 18+ years) in the US, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, race, gender, education, and region to be representative of all adults in the US (18 years or older), and reflect the latest population estimates from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

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