The Effects of COVID-19 on the Wellness Industry

COVID-19 has affected so much of our lives, from our workplaces to our home lives, to the way that we shop and do business. It has also affected our hospitals and just generally created a huge societal shift. Various industries have been created and some have had to change the way that they do things in order to ensure that the population’s health and safety is put above-and-beyond profit margins.

This has meant that businesses such as dine-in restaurants have had to shift to a take-out or delivery-only menu. Hair salons and barbershops have long been closed down and are only now reopening in many parts of the world. Schools were shuttered and the kids transitioned to an online learning model. With the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, we are starting to see some of the world that we knew before COVID, reopen. It is a joyous occasion indeed.

One of the industries most affected by COVID-19 has been the wellness industry, with people stuck in their homes, some have really changed themselves during this time. Beginning to refocus on their own personal health and fitness. The wellness industry, like many others, has had a tumultuous time during the pandemic. Here are some of the effects that COVID-19 has had on the industry.

Remote Work Driving at-home Fitness Routines

COVID has been ‘good’ for the at-home, in-home fitness sector of the industry. If you’re a Bowflex or a treadmill company, chances are, you’ve seen a huge uptick in profits since the start of the pandemic. Given that people are working from home much more than ever before, there’s no excuse for folks to say, “Well, I don’t have enough time to work out!” This has meant that people are getting off their office chairs and into their new home gyms! Keeping active on the job is important for your overall health. People now recognise this and are taking great strides to improve their quality of life while stuck at home.

Demand for In-Home Services Increasing

Given that most of us have been at various stages of ‘grounded’ over the last eighteen or so months, it’s no wonder that we are adapting to that new reality by getting most of the services that we used to go out for, now delivered straight to our door. Everything from groceries to in-home veterinary services is now available at your doorstep. The world has adapted to this new detached reality and businesses that were previously considered in-person-only have shifted to a mostly online platform. While the social element of these in-person businesses has been a great loss to society writ large, the new and exciting possibilities, particularly for those in the health and wellness industry has been eye-opening.

Community Shift from Online to Offline

Before COVID-19, no one could have fathomed that we would live in a world where we would be so reliant on our internet connections for just about everything. Sure, we had Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and everything else that went on in the online space, but we had no idea just how rapidly almost everything else could shift to such a portal. Our groceries, our favourite beers, our schools, our workplaces, even our social gatherings and visits with family became an online event.

COVID-19 changed the way that we interacted with each other. The wellness industry changed, just like the rest of the industries. Counselling sessions were moved online, health and fitness clubs started doing online classes, broadcasted via a live video feed, as gyms shut down. Medical appointments not requiring an examination with your doctor that used to be in-person were moved online in some parts of the world. Everything that could be moved online, was moved online.

The Race for a Vaccine

One of the earliest realisations by medical professionals the world over was that COVID-19 was going to linger for a very long time. Such was the devastation that it had wreaked during the early months of 2020 that scientists and doctors knew that the only way to beat back the virus was to create a vaccine. Luckily, we had almost two decades of research from COVID-19’s predecessor - the SARS Coronavirus - while the world was able to beat back much of SARS, vaccine research has been ongoing since that time. The wellness industry received a huge boost from things like the sales of PPE and hand sanitiser.

Accessibility Has Increased

One of the best things to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the increase of accessibility of health and wellness services to the wider community, regardless of wealth. Before, it was often the case that only the wealthy had access to certain types of treatments, products and services, because of the expense associated with these products and services. Spurned on by the internet, these services became much more widely available and levelled the playing field, so to speak, so that these services were available to everyone who wanted them for a much smaller price.

Final Thoughts

COVID-19 has changed the way that we see the world in so many ways, and in some ways, it has completely changed our social interactions and made us look at each other differently. However, there is a multitude of positives to come out of the pandemic, too. One of those has been our newfound time and space to really work on ourselves, and in a multitude of ways, create the best, healthiest versions of ourselves. The wellness industry adapted to the new circumstances of the Coronavirus and has reaped the rewards since.