Modern Wellness Podcast

We start with the news that health has become the top VC investment sector, with H1 2025 funding close to $8 billion, surpassing both FinTech and software. This matched with reports that  health and wellness stands out as the only area where consumers' intent to increase spending outpaces the desire to decrease spending, it certainly seems like the industry boom is only getting bigger. Next up, in great news for the frequent fliers amongst us, Qantas will soon add 12 new and improved A350-1000ULR aircraft to its fleet, featuring the world's first in-flight ‘wellbeing zones’. To encourage passengers to get up, stretch and reset, the wellness zones will also be fitted with on-screen exercise programs featuring digital instructors, sculpted handrails specifically made for stretching, and a healthy, self-service refreshment station with snacks and hydration beverages. The best part is that the wellness zones are totally free for all passengers! Are you Team Adrienne, face-masks and stretching? Or More Team Sammi, airport pints and a G&T on board? And finally, it's move over matcha - black sesame is here to take your crown for summer 2026. With reported health benefits including improved hair/skin health, stronger bones, and steady energy, it has become a popular nutrient-dense alternative to coffee. But will you switch your morning drink?

On the first Modern Wellness Podcast Interview Special of Season 7, Adrienne speaks with Harrison Hide (@harrisonhide) and Louie Blake (@loui_blake), founders of Long Lane (@joinlonglane), a new luxury wellness-focused members’ club, hotel, and restaurant in West Sussex. Set to open this Summer in the South Downs National Park, it’s designed around deep rest, real connection and recovery-first living. Harrison and Louie explain Long Lane’s alcohol-free decision as a downstream commitment to prioritising guest wellbeing, aiming to create community without relying on alcohol. The goal isn’t to create a “perfect” wellbeing bubble, it’s to have somewhere that helps people reconnect with themselves, with nature and with other people… all without needing alcohol or burnout to make it happen.

The team are back for Season 7 of the Modern Wellness Podcast! Back to go through all the headlines, trends, facts, fads, and everything in between in the wellness industry.First up today, we start big. Biotech in wellness is the application of cellular and molecular biology to enhance health, longevity, and personal care. It moves beyond traditional, reactive medicine to offer proactive, personalised solutions by manipulating biological processes to boost immunity, reverse aging at a cellular level, and create precise, sustainable nutritional products. So with the world now turning to AI in every corner, what’s next for wellness? Next up, it’s a term that seems to be increasingly more popular in common parlance… Brain fog. Brain fog is a term for cognitive dysfunction characterised by confusion, forgetfulness, lack of focus, and mental exhaustion. It is not a clinical diagnosis itself but a symptom of underlying issues like stress, lack of sleep, or illnesses like long COVID, causing a "cloudy" feeling that hampers daily functioning. So why is it on the rise? And lastly in trending, Adrienne says that with Kylie Jenner smoking a cigarette in a Vanity Fair Spring Issue cover, smoking cigarettes is back. Have you seen an upturn in the amount of people smoking? 

As the season draws to a close it’s time for another Listener Q&A episode. Today the team take on Charlie’s question on Regenerative Medicine - what is it, and what do they think of it?

Have you thought about the health of your workout gear? Understanding of the skin microbiome has increased dramatically in the past five years. With sportswear being very tight, and often made with lots of chemicals, the question around toxicity has reared its head once more. Read more at the Financial Times here. From Oura to Garmin, Apple Watch to Whoop, Fitbit and beyond, there’s wearables everywhere… Rings, watches, patches…. But it seems like people are moving away. From not liking what they see, to feeling like it’s nagging them, there’s many reasons that this seems to be moving. Have you had enough? Let us know. And in Trending… Have you started morning jumping? Lymphatic hops are a gentle, rhythmic exercise involving small jumps or bounces on the toes, designed to stimulate the lymphatic system, promote drainage, and reduce fluid retention. Keen to give it a go?

Our resident physiologist and VO2 enthusiast Oli Patrick interviews Iain Dickson, founder of Hero (gohero.io), a groundbreaking digital platform that democratizes VO2 Max testing. Oli and Iain explore the significance of VO2 Max as a longevity and health marker, how technology is making it accessible, and the potential impact on health, fitness, and insurance industries.And as a bonus for Modern Wellness listeners, Iain has given us a link to get free access to Hero, to test your VO2 Max. Just follow this link: https://app.gohero.io/downloadHuge thanks Iain and the Hero team!More about Hero: Hero is an app that provides personalised cardiorespiratory fitness insights, using just your smartphone. By combining the precision and immediacy of body-tracking and AI technology with gold-standard assessments and analysis, Hero transforms complex movement data into tangible insights. Meaning you can learn your estimated VO2 Max, and therefore understand your cardiorespiratory fitness level, in just a few minutes. 

Exercisers want a human in their corner. @lesmills’ 2026 Global Fitness Report surveyed 10K+ consumers across five continents and found only ~10% prefer AI-led workouts — while a majority lean human for connection and expertise. That’s notable because automated coaching is accelerating fast, from wearables layering in richer training signals to platforms pushing personalized programming at scale. Read more at Fitt Insider's Instagram (@fittinsider)What about running? With the ever increasing list of must-haves and must-dos is it becoming a bit exclusive? The team ask if running still is the most accessible form of exercise?And in trending, Adrienne takes on Chinamaxxing. What is it? And is there any merit to it, or is it just another TikTok trend?

First up, the team look at the rise in “Soft Cardio”, which is the latest trend in fitness but Zone 2 cardio has been a thing for a while. Simply put it’s cardio performed  at a moderate intensity , where your heart rate rises but you do not become breathless. Good for improving your endurance, burning fat, and keeping your heart healthy , without breaking down muscles or compromising recovery. Then the team turn to Burnout, as The Guardian report that it’s yet again on the rise, with over 75% of people experiencing it. Read more here.And lastly, Sammi is looking at the rise of using fitness as an excuse to travel. Have you headed abroad for a race or event?