Health Update: The convincing case for bare minimum wellness – and the habits that actually matter – What Experts Say

Amid uncertainty, the wellness industry promises control: you can fix yourself, it assures. But the goalposts of those fixes keep moving. McKinsey’s 2025 Future Of Wellness report saw Gen Z and millennials expanding the remit of wellness from physical health (how older generations classified it) into functional nutrition, longevity, sexual health and mental optimisation. Coined ‘maximalist optimisers’, key demographic traits were experimentation and being highly influenced by social media.

‘I’m chronically susceptible to wellness trends,’ shares Emma Calder, a 34-year-old writer from Manchester, who’s exhausted by the ‘shoulds’. Over the past two years, she’s cycled through intermittent fasting, infrared saunas, biohacking supplements, cold plunges, mouth taping, cycle syncing and three meditation apps. ‘Spending nearly £250 a month trying to optimise myself, yet I’ve still fallen ill repeatedly,’ she sighs.

Possibly because much wellness content on social media isn’t actually helpful, according to a study in the Journal Of Nutrition Education And Behavior. It analysed the 250 most-viewed TikTok videos tagged #healthylifestyle and found that 38% focused heavily on weight loss, and 24% objectified bodies.

What’s more, the avalanche of wellness information we’re exposed to causes overwhelm. A 2022 study of health messaging during the pandemic showed that the more information people got, the more they got ‘message fatigue’. Sophie Mort, clinical psychologist and author of (Un)Stuck, believes the current trend for constant self-monitoring, with a sense that you either pass or fail depending on how much you achieve, can ironically worsen wellbeing.

‘The brain begins to treat positive habits as pressure, which is why people feel overwhelmed by routines meant to support them. As the list grows longer, standards rise and the nervous system ends up exhausted – not from life itself, but from the ongoing effort to optimise.’

It’s why health experts are advocating for simplicity – a focus on robust essentials rather than an ever-increasing arsenal of scientifically sketchy novelties. Cue the following guide: a capsule collection of sensible, timeless behaviours that have (strong) legs.

Biohack 1: Prioritise consistent wake times, regardless of sleep length

After an interrupted night, it’s tempting to hammer snooze. And yet, a study of 500,000 people in the journal Sleep showed that a consistent wake-up time mattered more than sleep hours when it came to preventing death from strokes, heart attacks and cancer.

Leading sleep physiologist Stephanie Romiszewski, author of Think Less, Sleep More, supports prioritising the habit.

‘Research increasingly shows that when we wake up and how we use light in the morning can strongly influence our body clock. Morning light helps anchor circadian rhythms, supporting alertness during the day and sleepiness at night,’ she explains.

This doesn’t mean your wake-up time has to be identical every day. ‘Our bodies are adaptable, and occasional lie-ins or later starts are part of normal life – but most of us don’t have any consistency in this at all,’ adds Romiszewski.

‘What matters is having a generally consistent rhythm over time. And light exposure earlier in the day appears to play a larger role in setting this rhythm than many evening sleep rituals, which are often overstated.’ It’s about supporting the body clock most days – without obsessing over strict rules – for more reliable, less effortful sleep.

Biohack 2: Stop chasing extra sleep

We’ve become perfectionists about getting enough, says Romiszewski, but this can make things worse. In her book, Think Less, Sleep More, she insists sleep is less fragile than we think.

‘Lying in, going to bed early, catching up at weekends or taking naps “just in case” all dilute the sleep drive [how sleepy you feel at night] and confuse the brain’s association between bed and sleep,’ she explains.

When you constantly interfere with your body’s natural rhythm, ‘the result is lighter, more broken and more anxious nights’. Her message is reassuringly simple: trust your sleep system more, micromanage it less.

Biohack 3: Don’t panic if you’re awake at night

Around one in six people are estimated to have insomnia, and the way we live fuels the problem. With constant stimulation and late-night scrolling, your brain tries to wind down in an environment designed to keep it alert – the steady stream of dopamine and blue screen light tricks it into thinking it’s daytime, therefore raising arousal levels when they should be dropping.

But Romiszewski believes the fear of insomnia feeds the problem.

‘Being awake at night is not the enemy,’ she reassures. ‘When you treat wakefulness as catastrophic, your arousal system spikes and sleep becomes impossible. A calmer approach, including leaving the bed briefly if needed and dropping the clock-watching, helps retrain the brain that night is not a threat.’

Biohack 1: If you’re time-poor, training once a week is still worth it

With social media a bragging ground for back-to-back classes and multi-digit-length runs, it’s easy to succumb to the noise that a regime isn’t worth it unless you’re all-in, pushing hard.

And yet: ‘One session of resistance training a week beats seven days of “I’ll start when I can commit to three sessions a week”,’ says Davies, whose new book, Training For Your Old Lady Body, is out in March.

‘One of the biggest systematic reviews on resistance training showed that all training frequencies – even once per week – improved strength and muscle compared to doing no training,’ she says.

What’s important is to use that window to actually build strength, urges Sunni Torgman, a health coach training in sports science. ‘So, no classes that trivialise resistance training or ability, such as “women’s classes” with tiny pink dumbbells.’

Biohack 2: Squeeze mobility moments into your day

Who hasn’t signed up for a 30-day movement challenge only to lose steam after the first week (day)?

But you don’t need a 60-minute yoga class to benefit from better mobility – the real magic often happens in tiny pockets of your day. Even 10 minutes of daily stretching can improve strength and flexibility, according to a 2022 study.

It doesn’t even need to look like exercise. Think: shoulder rolls while waiting for the kettle, ankle circles under your desk or a quick doorway stretch between emails (place forearms on a doorframe with elbows at shoulder height, step forwards and lean into the stretch).

These micro-bursts of mobility keep your body feeling spacious rather than compressed, and because they fit naturally into your day, you’re likely to stick with them.

Biohack 3: Seek out cardio you find fun

In a fitness world where buzzy acronym-named classes claim to go above and beyond anything before, and rival workout tribes insist their discipline is better, it can be intimidating to find your place.

For Torgman, who incorporates behaviour-change science into her training, be led by enjoyment not the herd. ‘Pick something that feels good for you and suits your body, ability and preferences.’

While this may be running, swimming or cycling, there’s no failure in admitting traditional cardio gets you sweaty but leaves you cold.

‘That’s why people put together recreational sports teams with friends and take up pickleball or dancing. If you’re getting your heart rate up, it counts – especially if your enjoyment means you do it regularly.’

Davies agrees: ‘People think they need the perfect programme, when the most effective programme is simply one they can stick to.’ Permission to follow your curiosity, granted.

Biohack 1: Create friction to reduce mindless phone use

The smartest way to stop doomscrolling is to avoid getting to the scrolling stage. As you pick up your phone (a habit that’s often unconscious), label the one reason you’re unlocking it and what you’ll do when you finish that task.

‘This small pause works like a psychological speed bump,’ says Dr Mort. ‘It interrupts the automatic drift into mindless scrolling and restores choice.’

Over time, she adds, as your phone shifts from a source of constant demands to a tool you use with intention, your stress levels will usually decrease.

If your compulsion to check devices comes first thing, Angie Tiwari, a yoga teacher and ayurveda wellbeing consultant, recommends an Indian wellness ritual known in Sanskrit as prabhate kardarshanam – which is looking at your hands for a few moments on waking to connect with your body.

‘Drawing your awareness inwards in the first moments of the day serves as a gentle reminder to keep coming back to yourself throughout the day,’ she describes.

And when you are on your phone? Prioritise connection over consumption.

‘A sense of belonging and the knowledge there is someone you could call in the middle of the night are among the strongest predictors of long-term happiness,’ says Dr Mort. ‘When your relationships feel solid, your nervous system settles and everything from mood to resilience tends to follow.’

Biohack 2: Try a one-sentence journal check-in

Traditional journalling is wonderful, says Dr Mort, but also the first thing people drop when life gets hectic. Instead, she recommends a one-sentence check-in.

‘It takes 10 seconds and still gives the psychological benefits of emotional labelling, which research shows can calm the brain and create control.’

The prompt is very simple: What is the headline of my mood right now? Write that single sentence down.

You could then ask: What is the smallest thing my future self would thank me for doing next? ‘That tiny pivot towards agency is often enough to move you out of a spiral.’

Biohack 3: Use your breathing as an emotional dashboard

Noticing your breathing is like taking a scan of how you’re feeling, describes Tiwari.

‘If you’re stressed or anxious, you’re likely to breathe short, sharp and shallow,’ she says. ‘This type of breathing doesn’t allow for the most amount of oxygen to flow through the body, so you’re not as energised as you would be breathing into the belly and diaphragm.’

Tiwari says a great way to reset is with humming breath (bhramari pranayama), where you inhale through your nose and exhale while humming.

Research shows that humming increases the amount of nitric oxide we produce by 15 times, which boosts serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, as well as immunity and circulation.

Biohack 1: Aim for 30 plants per week

This guideline does so much, enthuses health coach Sunni Torgman.

‘There’s evidence that people who eat 30+ plants per week have better gut health and general health outcomes than people who eat 10 or fewer.’

It’s easier to achieve than it sounds: a mushroom and lentil stew can contain 12 plants, for instance.

Aiming for this target means you’ll also eat 25 to 30g of fibre per day, which is important in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.

While diet culture often links healthiness with cutting back, embracing a food rule that encourages abundance fosters a healthier mental relationship with food, too.

Biohack 2: You need fewer supplements than you think

From the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey data, nutritionist Tina Lond-Caulk correlates women’s nutrient needs to different reproductive stages.

Women trying to conceive often lack iron, calcium, iodine, folate and omega-3, as well as being low in magnesium and selenium. During menopause, vitamin D, calcium and protein become important for bone and muscle health.

She recommends daily leafy greens, beans, tofu, dairy/fortified plant milks, oily fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.

Otherwise, weak UK sunlight necessitates a vitamin D supplement between October and March, folic acid is essential pre-conception and early pregnancy, and omega-3 and iodine are useful if you rarely eat fish or dairy.

Biohack 3: Eat at regular intervals

Establishing a regular pattern around food is a foundational step, says Torgman – who encourages going no longer than four hours without eating.

‘Intermittent fasting is popular, but the biggest risk factor for bingeing is restriction,’ she confirms.

‘A lot of my clients struggle with overeating in the evenings, for example, and one of the biggest reasons is not eating enough throughout the day.’