The 2021 Mindbody Wellness Index: Everything You Need to Know
May 20, 2022
The Mindbody Wellness Index explores what wellness means and looks like across the US.
- What are the healthiest cities in America?
- How are Americans prioritizing wellness?
- How much are they working out?
- How frequently are they engaging in self-care through beauty and grooming or wellness services?
- How happy are they?
- And much more...
The 2021 Mindbody Wellness Index is a bit different than in years past; this time, we’re digging into what wellness looks like during COVID-19, the global pandemic that has upended our sense of normalcy, especially across the wellness industry. This year, we’re still ranking the health of the 50 top US cities (by population) through a number of factors that contribute to a city’s score—including how much locals prioritize wellness and ultimately invest in it (including fitness, beauty/grooming, and integrative health services) as well as their healthy habits (across multiple dimensions of wellness). However, unlike last year’s Mindbody Wellness Index, we did not take into account the success of wellness businesses in the top 50 US cities due to recurring shelter-in-place government mandates.
The way we connect to wellness has changed—but that doesn’t mean that it’s become any less important. In fact, almost 60% of Americans say they’re more focused on their health and wellness since COVID. Americans are realizing that they need to take greater care of themselves to better withstand illness. That’s precisely why this year’s Mindbody Wellness index is one of the most important deep dives we’ve done.
The 2021 Mindbody Wellness Index...what is it?
The Mindbody Wellness Index looks at American wellness across all seven dimensions: physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social, and occupational. We surveyed thousands across the country, asking them about their wellness habits, including how stressed they feel, how close they are with friends and family, how much alcohol they drink, what their workout habits include, how they practice self-care, and much more. This year, we added questions regarding how Americans are coping with the “new normal” and how months of pandemic living have affected their mental and physical health, too.
To rank each of the top 50 cities, we use a proprietary statistical scoring algorithm that incorporates anonymized, city-level analytics data from the Mindbody software and a large-scale Mindbody consumer survey. The scale can range from zero to 100—and resulting scores are ranked, with the highest-ranking associated with the healthiest city, and the lowest denoting the least healthy city.
Who did we survey?
To gather the most accurate information, we asked 19,882 US adults in the largest 50 cities to participate in an online survey between October 16 and November 16, 2020. Survey participants, provided by a 3rd-party recruitment agency, span the ages of 18 to 65, with a mean age of 36. The survey included a variety of behavioral, attitudinal, and preference questions related to consumer engagement in wellness and health behaviors amid a pandemic. The sample is 56% female, 43% male, and 1% who do not identify with either gender.
What the research says
With the results of this year’s survey, we’re able to compile a variety of reports, lists, blogs, infographics, and more—all created with insights from the Mindbody Wellness Index.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that ALL dimensions are critical to overall health.
Check out the content:
Trend Reports for Your Business:
The Top Fitness Trends and What They Mean for Your Fitness Business
7 Beauty and Grooming Trends Every Salon Should Know for 2021
What the Rise of Men's Health and Wellness Means for Wellness Businesses
Trend Reports to Share With Your Customers:
Lists:
Webinars:
Stay tuned as we continue to dig into the research and release more!
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