With Pilates retreats emerging as the new yoga retreats, people seeking deeper restoration are also turning to nature’s functional tools to support hormone balance with lion’s mane increasingly celebrated as a true ‘hormone hero.’
Meanwhile, the rise of AI is ushering in a new era of hybrid journalling for the modern mindfulness seeker. Multi-functional activewear is adapting to fast-paced, blended lifestyles, while design-led wellness is stepping up to elevate both mood and motivation.
Pilates Retreats are the new Yoga Retreat
Many in the wellness world are starting to describe Pilates retreats as “the new yoga retreats.” With the word “Pilates” being searched over 27 million times globally in 2025 the low-impact movement will continue to skyrocket. As part of this growth, people will seek out Pilates-focused escapes which follow itineraries built upon their favourite movement style, in new and inspiring environments.
Sophie Hatton founder of Reformer Retreats believes “this is why Pilates retreats will become the new yoga retreat. Women especially seek a retreat experience that feels structured, sculpting, and results driven. Yoga remains a staple, but Pilates retreats are emerging as the new hero category, reflecting a cultural shift toward strength, alignment, and functional movement.”
Recognising that true luxury in Pilates retreats lies not in chasing results but in restoring balance, Sophie Hatton, a leading figure in classical Pilates, stands as the visionary behind Reformer Retreats. At each retreat, Sophie and her team of expert teachers create transformative experiences where refined, chef-prepared dining that celebrates seasonal, locally inspired ingredients meets the precision of classical Pilates. Designed to deliver a complete nervous system reset, each retreat extends beyond the studio with thoughtfully integrated wellness experiences. This ranges from floating sound baths and guided breathwork to immersive nature walks, creating a holistic journey of renewal for body and mind.
Functional Hormone Balance
In 2026 women will balance hormones by incorporating functional mushrooms as a natural tool. Gemma Ogston the founder of Mama Shrooms believes lion’s mane is the real hormone hero. Since launching Mama Shrooms last year Gemma has seen the interest in lion’s mane explode. Also known as “nature’s nutrient for the neurons”, it is known for supporting focus, memory, and mental clarity. Packed with natural compounds including hericenones and erinacines which encourage nerve cell growth and communication between the brain and body, lion’s mane also provides nourishment for the gut, a place where many neurotransmitters (the chemicals that affect mood, motivation, and calm) are produced. That gut-brain connection is vital for women whose hormonal changes can throw both systems out of balance.
With the lion’s mane industry at the threshold of a decade-long expansion trajectory that promises to reshape functional food solutions and cognitive health supplements, the most popular of the fungi group, it is expected to reach a market share from USD 680.0 million in 2025 to USD 1,380.0 million by 2035. Gemma believes the pandemic played a huge role at a time when people became more conscious about immunity, resilience, and overall wellbeing and subsequently gave the chance for mushrooms to move mainstream. Since then, the market has grown not just in visibility, but in genuine consumer awareness too. Gemma comments “what excites me most now is that people are asking better questions about sourcing, extraction, and real benefits, not just buying into a buzzword.”
Through the seasons of womanhood Gemma has learned that the brain is deeply influenced by the body’s hormones. From the rollercoaster of teenage years, the fog and fatigue of perimenopause and the changes of menopause, much of what we feel – focus, clarity, mood, energy starts in the brain. Having always prided herself on being organised, creative and full of energy, during perimenopause things began to shift for Gemma. Suddenly she was foggy, anxious, and mentally scattered, she could feel her hormones changing. Gemma comments: “I’ve been using Lion’s Mane for years, but during that time it became something I simply couldn’t live without. That period of my life is what inspired me to create Mama Shrooms, a blend that supports women through these hormonal transitions.”
Gemma believes that lion’s mane isn’t about quick fixes, but steady nourishment. Gemma goes onto say: “it works quietly in the background, building resilience in your nervous system and supporting that gut-brain link that’s so central to how we feel each day. For me, it’s become part of my rhythm: morning coffee, breakfast, and my mushrooms. It’s simple, grounding, and deeply supportive.”
Hybrid Journalling
In 2026 new tools will blend traditional journalling with streamlined digital platforms. With early studies finding that hybrid journalling can improve positive mood, reduce negative affect and support mindfulness and self-reflection, in 2026 this hybrid approach to journalling will step into the limelight.
Championing this trend and moving beyond “just a journal”, but into something that fuses education, community, and personal transformation is Evolve Journey. On a mission to make journaling accessible, inspiring, and sustainable for everyone, the mindfulness experts have recently launched The Evolve Journal™ V3. Marking a major leap forward, both in design and experience, beyond the physical journal, they’ve expanded into a complete journaling print and digital eco-system designed to help people build and sustain reflection habits.
In addition to launching a digital Discovery Course, an online guide on “How to Journal Effectively” they’re also offering their community The Evolve Journal™ Club: a new online community which offers daily prompts, journaling workshops, monthly challenges, expert sessions and prizes. Meanwhile the new physical Evolve Journal™ V3 includes over 300 pages with more freeform writing space and space for daily, unique daily prompts, quotes, and reflections and therapist and clinical psychologist input is integrated throughout.
Multi-Functional Activewear
The activewear world is seeing a surge in multi-functional pieces (designed to swim, travel, workout, and live in) without needing a change. This trend takes it further with modern pieces built to be versatile enough for the airport, gym sessions, pool swims, and everyday errands. Designers are emphasising stretchy, quick-drying, performance fabrics, ergonomic cuts, and hybrid styling so you might slip on a top, go for a run, jump in the pool, and then grab coffee, all without changing clothes. As a result, activewear in 2026 isn’t just for workouts, it’s becoming a core part of a lifestyle where movement, comfort, and flexibility meet practicality and everyday life.
Photo: www.caraheathphotography.co.uk
Pioneers of the multi-functional trend is Heulog Active. Crafting sports bras that double as bikini tops, they also offer chlorine and sun cream resistant leggings, shorts and bikini bottoms. Wanting to make the most of precious time (whilst saving on the packing space) Heulog offers stylish, and sustainable activewear outfits that provide women with a capsule wardrobe that you would not only wear whilst travelling – but also for the day-to-day busy lives back at home. Meanwhile British winter label My Sunday Ski also champions transitional, multi-functional pieces they say have been created to adapt from ‘piste to party’. Seamlessly fusing fashion and performance, examples include stylish ski suits, base layers, snow boots and accessories.
Design-Inspired Wellness
As the wellness revolution evolves into 2026, design is taking centre stage. No longer an afterthought, aesthetics are now integral to how consumers experience and invest in wellbeing: from the spaces they live in to the products they use every day. Modern wellness enthusiasts seek beauty and balance in equal measure, proving that great design can elevate both mood and motivation.
At the forefront of this design-led movement is Onyx, Britain’s award-winning wellness brand redefining the future of workout equipment. Fusing form with function, Onyx creates pieces that are as stylish as they are supportive to enhance contemporary studios, homes and wellness spaces alike. Founded and designed by London-based interior designer Alison Banks, Onyx seamlessly integrates design principles with functional performance. Drawing on her 30 years of experience designing private homes, restaurants, and clubs, Alison identified a gap in the market for workout equipment that complements British interiors whilst being sophisticated, durable and beautifully made. Every Onyx piece embodies this vision: smooth, rounded edges, soft hues, and timeless silhouettes that blend effortlessly into modern environments. The collection spans nine key product lines in tranquil blues, harmonious greens, comforting beiges, and grounding neutrals with an exciting, trend-led new colourway set to launch in 2026.
Meanwhile Reformer Retreats believe that a beautifully designed space is no longer a luxury; it is part of the wellness experience. The global rise of design-led wellness means travellers expect environments where architecture, interiors, materials, light, and landscape work in harmony to support restoration. Founder Sophie Hatton comments: “travellers expect environments where architecture, interiors, materials, light, and landscape work in harmony to support restoration.’ Sophie personally handpicks architecturally-led spaces that inspire, relax and encourage calm. Sophie goes onto say: “My guests choose Reformer Retreats because they’re investing in wellbeing experiences that meet them exactly where they are, re-energising the body, rebuilding and restoring internal harmony, and enhancing both emotional and physiological calm.”
Brands referenced in this report include Reformer Retreats, Mama Shrooms, Evolve Journey, Heulog Active and My Sunday Ski.
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