What is the true cost of wellness culture?

Wellness culture is rising in price, and so too is its cost on students’ wellbeing.  The constant expectation to focus on our ‘wellness’ is not just taking a big chunk out of our weekly budgets, but also taking a cut from our mental health. Defined by the Global Wellness Institute as “the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health”, the prevelance of ‘wellness culture’ has risen throughout the last few years.  

Young people are putting more focus on their wellbeing than ever before, as Gen Z students seem to be prioritising wellness over other typical aspects of university life. Nights out have declined in popularity by around 61%, with students instead putting their money towards skincare and gym memberships.  

For a generation living under the looming financial pressures of student loans, the cost of living crisis, and a failing job market, it may come as a surprise to realise that young people are spending so much money on their ‘wellness’. 

However, consider the proportion of current issues in Britain harshly impacting the youth. Financial pressures. Mental health struggles. Political polarisation. And social media has brought a whole new wave of unrealistic beauty standards, as influencers flaunt their stress-free daily routines and perfectly-toned bodies to the masses. 

Whilst young people might be struggling to deal with the complicated web of societal problems that they exist within, wellness culture offers a simple solution, giving people a clear path to follow. If you are stressed, do your skincare routine. If you are sad, go to the gym. If you are tired, take five different multivitamins. Of course, there is a place for wellness in our lives. But perhaps issues arise when it becomes the focal point of it. 

According to Save The Student, the average university student spends £21 on their ‘Health and Wellbeing’ per month. In 2024, The Gym Group found that 22% of people aged 18-24 spend over £50 a month on fitness. When taking into consideration that the average student’s living costs are about £1,146 per month – with half of that immediately going towards their rent – this is quite a significant amount to be spending.  

Inclusive membership at the Sports & Wellness Hub has increased from £299 (2019/20) to £376 (2026/27).

Demonstrated by on-campus gym prices, inclusive membership at the Sports & Wellness Hub has increased from £299 (2019/20) to £376 (2026/27). Finlay Bradbury-Smith, an Economics Student and frequent user of the gym, described this as: “an unfair financial burden on students who want to prioritise their mental and physical health”. As the attainment of ‘wellness’ rises in price, it excludes students with less expendable income, who are forced to put their weekly budget towards cheaper groceries and general living costs.  

However, attending the gym has nonetheless become more of a priority for young people, with a UKActive report finding that memberships have risen from 1.6 million to 11.5 million (from 2022 – 2025). This statistic has been largely attributed to ‘Gen Z’.  

Social media seems to have turned wellness culture into a lifestyle, rather than a life choice.  A generation raised on a constant stream of online content, specifically designed to feed into insecurities and encourage engagement. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are rife with product placement, as influencers are paid in the thousands to promote their ‘healthy lifestyles’; alongside athleisure brands, skincare products, and protein supplements.  

Insecurities are created, capitalised on, and commercialised by brands who then offer the perfect solution to the issue you never realised you had in the first place, typically in the form of a product with an expensive price tag.   

Therefore, it is no surprise this is a generation is looking to wellness culture in order to solve its problems. Modern society has interlinked self-conceptualisation with how much money you spend ‘fixing’ yourself. Or – more simply put – our phones are making us feel bad, then selling us the solution.  

The ‘Clean Girl’ aesthetic is a great example of this cultural phenomenon. Minimalistic and well-maintained, the ‘Clean Girl’ has a twelve-step skincare routine and drinks light-green matcha on her morning stroll to a pilates class. She seemingly has no stress, relationship problems, or financial worries. And she would never go on a night out with friends if it meant missing her workout the following morning.  

Despite the majority of us not being a ‘Clean Girl’, this expectation seeps through our algorithms anyway. One of the biggest discussions in Britain at the moment is about how little Gen Z seems to be drinking, in comparison to previous generations. There are now more 24-hour gyms than there are 24-hour licensed nightclubs in London. Some go as far as to argue drinking culture is on the brink of death, as the alcohol consumption rates of 16-24 year olds Brits continue to fall, and gym memberships rise.  

“Gyms and fitness are increasingly part of the identity of emerging generations. It’s part of how they want to live, how they want to socialise, how they want to express themselves”

– Will Orr, Head of The Gym Group

A survey by The Gym Group into the spending habits of 18-24 year olds found that 18% of respondents prioritise their health and fitness over socialising. Due to this cultural shift – alongside a general lack of ‘third spaces’ – the gym is becoming considered a new place for people to socialise and make friends.  

Will Orr – Head of The Gym Group – describes this phenomenon as a form of self-expression for younger people: “Gyms and fitness are increasingly part of the identity of emerging generations. It’s part of how they want to live, how they want to socialise, how they want to express themselves”.  

Wellness culture is not only becoming a lifestyle for people, but a reflection of who they are and how they want to be perceived by others.  

However, as the student mental health crisis only worsens, there is also an argument to be made for this increasing number of young people prioritsing wellness, merely as those putting an active effort towards sustaining good mental health.  

Many students engage in various wellness practices to support their wellbeing, as they may struggle to balance the pressures of living independently and having a social life, alongside the academic workload. A Student Minds survey (2024) found that around 57% of respondents experienced mental health struggles during their time at university. One of the most highly-recommended ways to tackle a mental health issue is through exercise. The NHS has found that fitness is important for stress relief, motivation, and dealing with hard emotions. It is also a tool which many people use to gain a sense of control over their lives. Wellness clearly has a place in everyday life, and it does undoubtedly have its benefits. But people cannot look to it as the solution to all problems.  

It can also be hard to balance the pressures of maintaining your wellbeing, alongside the financial burden of affording these products. Second Year student Em Ellard describes this mental load of self-care, especially on a university budget: “It is so difficult to take care of yourself more than the bare minimum, whilst balancing studying and being a student – at the end of a long day, you just want to collapse into bed. I don’t want to have to think about taking my vitamins and buying more body wash”.  

In a world where the average price of a pint has increased by 36% over the last four years, and fresh produce is now a status-signalling photoshoot opportunity for celebrities, it makes sense that young people are less willing to spend their money on things (e.g. drinking or ‘unhealthy’ food) which will make them feel worse, rather than better.  

How are young people supposed to know when the early-mornings, twelve-step skincare routines, and soggy overnight oats recipes stop actually being productive, and start taking a toll on their mental wellbeing? For example, a research study conducted by Pukka Herbs found that over half (52%) of the respondents felt “overwhelmed” by attempts to keep up with modern wellness trends.  

Perhaps this constant pursuit of ‘being well’ has begun to take a mental cost which outweighs the fiscal. Dedicating so much mental energy to constantly striving for the ‘perfect’ wellness routine seems only to result in further stress when life inevitably gets in the way.  

There is nothing wrong with trying to do better for yourself, but it is important to recognise what is being sold to you – and how much it truly costs.