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People participate in 510 Society's Trap Yoga event. Photo: Joey Trinh
ALAMEDA, Calif. - MacKenzie Majors graduated from college in the midst of the pandemic and then ended up getting a remote job. She traveled a lot, and then came back home to Alameda, where she wanted to restart her life.
But it was hard, figuring out how to meet people again.
So, the 28-year-old started a side gig called 510 Society, where she organizes exercise events paired with libations. Think: Tennis and tequila, Pilates and Prosecco.
Growing trend of wellness
Then add vendors, goodie bags and elevated aesthetics, like a massive balloon sculpture and selfie sticks, so that everyone who attends can feel like an Instagram influencer.
"I was like, I needed community outside of myself and the people that I know around me that I grew up with," she said.
Majors is part of a growing trend in women's wellness experiences, from free hours-long affairs like "hot girl hikes," to week-long luxury resort yoga retreats at far off places that cost thousands of dollars.
Woman pose for a photo at a coastal cowboy event organized by 925Wellness Club.
Nothing new
Big picture view:
Seeking wellness isn't anything new.
The ancient Greeks long knew about, and participated in, holistic health habits of the body and mind.
But the interest and popularity of self-care is definitely growing, with massive dollar figures attached.
The Global Wellness Institute reported that the "wellness economy" reached a new peak of $6.8 trillion in 2024, growing by nearly 8% from the year before.
North America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe are the fastest-growing regional wellness economies over the last five years and have shown the strongest resilience and recovery in the post-pandemic period, according to data collected by the institute.
Of the overall financial outlook, wellness tourism, personal care, physical activity and nutrition were among the highest grossing sectors, the institute reported.
People in the United States spend an average of $6,300 a year on wellness, the institute found, whether that be on destination spas or fitness programs.
In-person desire after pandemic
925Wellness Club, Ripl Wellness and others put on a yoga wellness day in May 2026.
The backstory:
Like 510 Society, Heather Depiero of Oakley started her wellness experiences right after COVID.
She started teaching fitness classes at Barre Beat in Antioch about five years ago as a complement to her regular job in corporate insurance.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, she noted that people seemed happy to cycle solo on their Pelotons.
But once gyms and studios reopened, Depeiro said people began clamoring again for in-person connections.
"It's human nature," she said, "to want to feel each other's energy."
So, she and the owner of the barre studio began hosting destination wellness retreats. Eight months ago, she started her own company, Ripl Wellness.
This month, she took 25 women to Cabo St. Lucas in Mexico for a luxury wellness trip. Women were begging her to get off the waitlist.
"It really was born and bred from the desire to be together as a community outside of a place where you live, where you could kind of put all of your tasks and to-do list away and just be present with other like-minded individuals," she said.
Right now, Depiero said her business is focused on women. But soon, she'd like to expand to all genders.
"I really feel like the reason these [retreats] are all the rage is because we are all on our screens 24/7," Depiero said. "We're just getting inundated with virtual connectivity. And I think the in-person means more now than it ever has. And having that one-on-one connection and feeling of community."
And the women who attend her events have expressed they love gathering together.
"LOVE THIS!!!! What a fun ay to spend a Friday night," a participant commented on Instagram after taking a "Ratchet Reset" girls night out barre workout.
"So much fun," another woman wrote.
"This is a vibe," another said.
Time is right
People participate in Tennis and Tequila at an event hosted by 510 Society. Photo: Joey Trinh
Why you should care:
There's another key reason that industry experts say that women's wellness experiences are hot now, too.
The timing is right.
It seems like every podcast, video and talk show is highlighting muscle building, protein powders and hormone health, much of it geared toward women.
Danielle Foster, 36, of Brentwood, is highly aware of this burgeoning interest.
Two years ago, she started her full-time business, The Wellness Affair, and she's already drawing up to 100 women at each event, spread out throughout California and even a retreat to Alaska.
"So I feel like we're in this weird intersection of having so much new information coming out and women are hungry for it," she said. "Women want the education. They want to know what's going on with their bodies. They also talk differently than they did 20 or 30 years ago, like asking your mom certain things about your body. It's kind of a really cool time to be in the wellness space for women right now."
Wellness community space
510 Society puts on wellness events including Trap Yoga. Photo: Joey Trinh
Sisters Shelby Kaiser, 36, and Kimberly Moffat, 38, both of Discovery Bay, are also seizing on the moment. They created a side hustle called 925WellnessClub to foster this sense of community in a wellness space.
The two checked out many of the new studios and classes in the East Bay and just felt that there was something lacking.
"So we kind of just started there and did a little Valentine's Day event with our friends and family," Kaiser said. "We got a lot of traction from there and it just kind of snowballed into this bigger thing."
The sisters love health-oriented activities, like sound baths and salt caves and felt that women, but moms especially, need a space to get together to focus on self-care.
"Just spending time and taking time out for yourself," Kaiser said. "And you know, leaving the kids, leaving the husband, and just spending those couple hours just for yourself."
Both Kaiser and Moffat have kept their day jobs and any money they make from hosting events like "Boot Camp 925" and "Sip and Sculpt" like they did this summer in Brentwood, they'll reinvest in the business, like buying mats and paying for instructors.
Their events typically range from $40 to $80, which often include a gift bag full of goodies.
Like many of the others, 925WellnessClub also offers free events too, like community walks, which they dub, "hot girl hikes."
Their last hike drew 100 people on a Sunday afternoon.
"I think just wellness is a big thing right now," Kaiser said. "I feel like everybody's just into eating healthy, working out, longevity and bettering themselves."
Plus, she added: "It's also such a great atmosphere and just a great vibe."
Women do yoga at a 925WellnessClub event. Photo: 925WellnessClub
The Source: Information for this story comes from interviews with the founders of 510 Society, Ripl Wellness, 925Wellness Club, the Wellness Affair, and data from the Global Wellness Institute.