Key findings:
- 27% of U.S. adults regularly engage in wellness-related activities as part of their lifestyle or routine.
- Eating fresh fruit and vegetables (71%) and outdoor exercise (60%) are the most common weekly health and wellness activities measured.
- 31% say they are spending more on health and wellness than they were a year ago, while 13% are spending less.
- 29% can afford some of the health and wellness products, activities or services they want but have to prioritize what to spend on.
- 20% say they are likely to increase their health and wellness spending over the next 12 months.
Looking after your health and wellbeing can be an important part of everyday life, but some wellness products, services and activities come at a cost. With household budgets under pressure, spending on gym memberships, supplements, fitness classes and other wellness services may have to compete with other expenses.
New YouGov data explores how U.S. adults approach health and wellness, which activities form part of their routines, how affordability affects their spending choices and whether they expect to spend more over the next 12 months.
For this survey, respondents understood health and wellness to cover products, activities and services that support physical or mental health and wellbeing – from exercise and healthy eating to vitamins and supplements, meditation, mindfulness and other wellbeing activities or services.
How do U.S. adults approach health and wellness?
More than a quarter of U.S. adults (27%) say they regularly engage in wellness-related activities as part of their lifestyle or routine. A further 18% mainly turn to them when they feel they need to, while 15% take part primarily because they enjoy them or they make them feel good.
One in eleven (9%) mainly engage in wellness activities to achieve a specific goal, while 3% are primarily influenced by advice or trends they encounter online or in the media. One in five U.S. adults (20%) say they do not generally engage in wellness-related activities.
What are the most common health and wellness activities among U.S. adults?
Nutrition and exercise feature prominently in weekly wellness routines. Among U.S. adults who engage in health and wellness-related activities, 71% eat fresh fruit and/or vegetables at least once a week, while 60% run, walk, cycle or do another form of outdoor exercise. More than half take vitamins or dietary supplements (58%) or exercise at home (55%).
Activities focused specifically on mental wellbeing are less common. Around a quarter (27%) do activities such as journaling or breathing exercises, while 20% practice meditation or mindfulness.
One in five (20%) go to a gym or fitness center at least once a week, while 8% practice yoga outside a paid class and 5% attend fitness or exercise classes outside a gym membership. Paid activities are less common: 7% use paid fitness, meditation or wellness apps, 5% pay for wellness treatments or services, and 2% have personal training sessions.
Are U.S. adults spending more on health and wellness?
More than two in five U.S. adults who engage in wellness-related activities (45%) say their overall spending on health and wellness products, activities and services is about the same as it was a year ago.
Around three in ten (31%) are spending more, including 9% who say they spend a lot more and 22% a little more. In comparison, 13% are spending less than a year ago. Another 8% say they do not spend money on health and wellness.
Which health and wellness expenses are U.S. adults cutting back on?
Half of U.S. adults who spend money on health and wellness (50%) say they have not reduced or stopped spending on any of the categories measured because of cost over the past 12 months.
Among the areas where people have cut back, fresh fruit and vegetables and gym memberships rank highest, each at 13%. Vitamins or dietary supplements and protein supplements or products follow at 12% each.
Smaller shares have reduced or stopped spending on wellness treatments or services (8%), fitness or wellness apps and subscriptions (8%), fitness or exercise classes (7%) and healthy or prepared meal services (6%).
Can U.S. adults afford health and wellness products and services?
Among U.S. adults who engage in wellness-related activities, 16% say they can comfortably afford all or nearly all the health and wellness products, activities or services they would like. A further 15% can afford most of them but choose not to pay for some.
Nearly three in ten (29%) can afford some but have to prioritize what they spend money on. Another 14% have the money for very few of the products, activities or services they would like, while 12% say they cannot currently afford to spend money on health and wellness.
Will U.S. adults spend more on health and wellness in the next 12 months?
Looking ahead to the coming 12 months, one in five U.S. adults who engage in wellness-related activities (20%) say they are either very (4%) or somewhat (16%) likely to increase their spending.
Around three in ten (31%) are neither likely nor unlikely to spend more, while two in five (41%) say they are unlikely to increase their spending, including a quarter (24%) who are very unlikely to do so.
Methodology: YouGov polled 1,003 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older between September 17-18, 2026. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, political affiliation, education level and region. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.
Image: Getty Images
