In 2026, male wellness isn’t just a trend — it’s a lifestyle.
While spas are very much places for pampering, they are also spaces where different people can explore and enjoy wellbeing on their own time and in their own way. For men, spa culture is becoming an accepted, even essential, part of modern wellness. With rising participation, cultural shifts and exciting new wellness experiences available, whether you’re fitness-minded and looking for better recovery, curious about stress relief, or a partner planning a shared break, there’s a spa break for everybody.
Industry data shows that more men are embracing the world of spa wellbeing than ever before, with a 346% increase in male spa-goers since 2018. That rate of growth reflects not just curiosity, but real behavioural change, both on behalf of men and spas, and as a result, more men are choosing wellness experiences for themselves or to share with partners. That shift is reshaping spa menus and experiences across the UK and beyond, as we all take the time to value and invest in our physical and mental health.
The wellness landscape has changed profoundly over the last 10 to 20 years, reflecting the changing awareness around men’s wellbeing and self-care, as well as a general growth in interest around holistic wellness.
Traditional stereotypes around men’s self-care have eroded over time - a change that’s in part influenced by the rising awareness around the challenges men face with their mental and emotional health, as well as the integral importance of physical wellbeing. We can see evidence of increased uptake in self-care trends for men, through purchasing habits in both products and services.
The Global Wellness Institute's Men’s Wellness Initiative 2025 Trends reported an increase in the use of grooming, skin care, stress management and wellness services. They wrote:
"Younger men especially drive this trend: between 2020 and 2023 the share of 18 to 34-year-old men open to buying skincare/cosmetics jumped from 7.3% to 8.8%, and they are far more likely than older men to use beauty products to feel confident and improve mood. In response, companies have adapted their branding and products."
There's also a shift in the narrative around what men's wellbeing looks like. For example, more men are recognising that strength isn’t just physicality, but taking care of mental and emotional health, noting that stress, burnout and physical strain impact daily life. As a result, spa services like touch treatments and thermal suites are being seen as a positive way of helping to manage overall wellbeing, intersecting with broader health goals including improved sleep, reduced inflammation and better performance.
Spa and Wellness wrote: "A recent report found 95% of men now say mental health is as important as physical health. For the first time in decades, men are recognising that being strong also means being supported, grounded and mentally well."
Perhaps one of the beautiful things about our more open attitude towards wellbeing - for both men and women - is that it's resulting in more shared experiences. Where once upon a time a nonchalant attitude towards taking care of your health might have been in vogue, today, it's becoming an activity that can also be shared, which means it also has a powerful role to play in combating isolation and loneliness. Spa activities such as communal saunas, and shared therapies (for example., mud rasuls, group spa breaks, thermal suites, and hydrotherapy) offer connection as well as health benefits. Such experiences can even be used as a healthy alternative to the traditional concept of after work drinks and weekends of overindulgence.
When men visit spas, certain treatments stand out, both for their impact and their increasing popularity. For example:
Massages are by far the most common spa search term in the UK (over 500,000 searches monthly), in general, not only proving popular and relaxing, but also offering a wide range of benefits from improving sleep quality to aiding recovery after sports and exercise.
Sauna therapy is booming, with these traditional practices gaining traction not just for relaxation, but also for physical recovery, boosting mood, and even supporting respiratory.
The Financial Times writes of a smörgåsbord of benefits, including: "lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, burning calories, improving mood, promoting sleep and aiding recovery from injury. Sauna has been promoted as a treatment for heart disease, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes and dementia, among a long list of conditions."
At the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, contrast therapy and cold exposure are also increasingly popular. Once the domain of elite athletes, it's entered the spa space for overall wellbeing as well as efficient sports recovery.
Skin Inc notes the rise of cryotherapy, as an example, writing: "which involves exposing the body to sub-zero temperatures to promote recovery, reduce inflammation and improve circulation. This therapy is especially popular among athletes and active men looking to speed up muscle recovery or alleviate chronic pain."
Technology is also taking wellness to the next level, inspiring many to get more involved with data-led health. That can span everything from meditative virtual reality during a spa treatment to high-tech experiences that help to personalise your wellbeing.
For example, at SENSORY Wellbeing at Pan Pacific London, they offer a full Body Assessment supported by Pnoé - the world’s leading automatic VO2 and metabolic analysing system. The test delivers a comprehensive analysis of heart, lung, muscular and neuromuscular function, providing you with a 360-degree assessment alongside food tolerance and allergy testing with a 70-page report to see the full scope of your internal and external fitness.
For men aiming to integrate wellness into their lives, whether for performance, balance or recovery, spa breaks can complement daily health practices in lots of different ways. For example:
Touch therapies, and especially massage, are often underestimated for their wide-reaching wellbeing. We all know we like a massage but it’s easy to forget just how wonderful they can be for our overall sense of self. Scheduled massages can reduce tension from work, training or everyday stress, and are dedicated time set aside away from screens and the hum of daily life.
Alternating hot and cold sensations by moving from a sauna to a cold plunge pool or shower, even if it’s just at the gym, is a great way to promote circulation, recovery and relaxation. If you’re short on time, you can simply turn your shower to ‘cold’ for 30 seconds at the end.
Steam rooms, yoga classes, aromatherapy, or guided meditation are great ways to remind ourselves to breathe a little deeper, which helps to reduce stress and improve focus. Lots of us end up ‘shallow breathing’ as stress accumulates through the day - reminding ourselves to breathe does wonders for our wellbeing.
Of course, making time for longer spa breaks a few times a year is a wonderful way to enjoy multiple treatments, relaxation rituals, or simply time to stop and breathe, either by yourself or with a partner. A couple of days can have the impact of a longer holiday thanks to the added benefit of wellness experiences, allowing you to re-set and embrace everyday life with more resilience and a more positive outlook.
In 2026, male wellness isn’t just a trend — it’s a lifestyle. Men are booking spa experiences for recovery, performance, stress management and social wellness, reshaping an industry that was once thought to be the domain of women and reshaping it for everybody. With evolving norms, science-backed benefits and more inclusive spa environments, there’s never been a better time for men to make wellness part of their routine.
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