• Social Prescribing Rises Globally—From Art Classes to Walking Clubs
• Wellness Real Estate Case Study: The Spine, Liverpool, UK
• Sauna Culture Improves Physical and Mental Wellbeing, With the Social Connection as Impactful as the Heat
• Must-Reads from the Wellness World: From how a two-week “dumb phone” detox erased 10 years of age-related decline to how climate action is the key to longevity

Social Prescribing Rises Globally—From Art Classes to Walking Clubs

By Thierry Malleret, economist

More doctors around the world are prescribing social activities to improve physical and mental health—whether through art studios, choirs or walking clubs. The UK, with its National Academy for Social Prescribing, is leading the way. Since 2019, the UK’s NHS has generated more than 5.5 million social referrals. The Netherlands has offered “wellbeing prescriptions” for more than 15 years, subsidizing activities like cycling clubs and museum visits. In the US, the charity Social Prescribing USA wants to provide nationwide access to services like art or music therapy, dance classes and outdoor activities for every American by 2035. The evidence for the approach is mounting: For instance, a large British study found that people who engage in creative activities at least monthly are half as likely to develop depression. Social prescribing is a movement with momentum because it’s a democratic, accessible and effective way to fight loneliness and improve population health.

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Wellness Real Estate Case Study: The Spine, Liverpool, United Kingdom

Wellness Real Estate Case Studies: On May 12, at the Wellness Real Estate and Communities Symposium in New York City, the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) will unveil new data on the global wellness real estate market along with Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies, Volume 2, an in-depth look at groundbreaking wellness real estate projects across the Middle East.

Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies, Volume 1 presented 13 case studies illustrating a wide range of wellness real estate projects across the US and the UK. This research demonstrates how wellness can be implemented in projects at any scale, for any type of occupant, and at any price point.

This month we spotlight The Spine—Liverpool, United Kingdom

A state-of-the-art healthy and sustainable office building, with an iconic biophilic design that evokes the human body—mirroring the pioneering work of its anchor tenant, the Royal College of Physicians.

The Spine is a 14-story healthy and sustainable office building, designed as the northern headquarters for the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in Liverpool. Its goal was to create one of the healthiest buildings in the world while serving as a “backbone” for the long-term development of a life sciences innovation district.

The Spine features several innovative approaches to wellness, sustainability and biophilic design:

• Designed from the ground up as a health-enhancing building that exceeds WELL Platinum standards

• A visual architectural representation of the human body

• Innovative expressions of biophilia to support occupant health and wellbeing

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Wellness Evidence

GWI’s website (www.wellnessevidence.com) is the only resource dedicated to the medical evidence for wellness approaches.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was just added as a modality. Check it out here.

Sauna Culture Improves Physical and Mental Wellbeing, With the Social Connection as Impactful as the Heat

Three new, related studies from UK researchers (including the University of Oxford and the University of Greenwich) showed that regular sauna use is linked to improved physical and mental wellbeing among UK users. Weekly sauna use—but not monthly—predicted higher physical wellbeing, andwhile monthly use was linked to higher mental wellbeing, weekly sessions showed a greater impact. A key finding: The social connection and ritual aspects of sauna-going may be just as “medicinal” as the heat, as wellbeing improved through feelings of belonging—significantly associated with better physical and mental health. The researchers also stressed the potential implications for sauna operators globally.

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Must-Reads from The Wellness World

There’s a Good Reason You Can’t Concentrate
–The New York Times  

A Two-Week ‘Dumb Phone’ Detox Erased 10 Years of Social Media Brain Damage, Researchers Say
–The Washington Post 

Why climate action matters for healthy longevity
–World Economic Forum 

These are the countries moving to ban social media for children
–TechCrunch 

A Striking Stat

Gen Z, stressed by modern technology, wants to live in the past. Nearly half (47%) of US adults ages 18-29 said they’d choose to live in the past if they could. A third of them said less than 50 years in the past; 14% more than 50 years.

Source: NBC News poll, April 2026