Who doesn’t start off the new year with a resolution? Eating healthier, working out more, spending less, saving more… My resolution this year is to focus on my health and to read more books (hoping to get the same reading voracity as my pre-shortened-attention-span reading days).
When it comes to my health-related goals, I’m getting a ton of inspiration and useful info from Instagram influencers, mainly dieticians and nutritionists.
And like me, people are setting health and fitness resolutions for 2026 inspired by the wellness influencers they follow. So how exactly are these influencers inspiring people to work on their health? And how can brands join in on this movement? Let’s take a look.
The start of a new year signals the beginning of change. This is when people say “New Year, New Me,” as they work to make a positive change in their lives, whether it means picking up a new hobby or working on their health.
2026 is no different, and people are still making New Year's resolutions, with most of them focusing on their health and wellness goals.
The search patterns on Google tell a story of how people’s interests in wellness surge every new year.
Here’s the 5-year search pattern for “fitness”:
“Health”:
And “wellness”:
McKinsey also found that 84% of U.S. consumers are prioritizing wellness. And almost 30% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers say they’re prioritizing wellness a lot more than they did one year ago.
Clearly, people are making New Year health resolutions, which ultimately translate to dollars spent as they invest in products to help them achieve those goals. From health supplements to health tracking devices and workout wear, the New Year is a prime time to engage consumers as they’re more open to trying new products and services.
This is where wellness influencers enter the picture, driving both inspiration and action with social platforms serving as direct sales channels.
Now you may be wondering what’s the big deal with wellness influencers. People were making New Year health resolutions years ago, even without these influencers, so why do they matter now?
Wellness influencers make all the difference between someone simply making a resolution to get fit and someone following through with that resolution. Here’s why they have such a big impact on people’s resolution journeys.
When influencers share their everyday fitness journeys and personal experiences, they make habits more relatable. This encourages the audience to follow along as they work through their resolution journeys together.
They model consistency by regularly sharing healthy lifestyle content. Since these influencers have to follow a consistent publishing schedule, they serve as a reliable source of inspiration.
Beyond simply inspiring people, wellness influencers also provide actionable steps. They share recipes, routines, tips, and advice that make it easy for folks to follow as they work through their resolution journeys.
Wellness influencers often engage their communities to share goals publicly. And that’s just what you need to increase accountability and encourage people to follow through with their resolutions.
So which wellness influencers are leading the movement? Here are the best of the best that brands should consider working with.
Why she matters: Short workouts anyone can follow
Chloe Ting’s practical and easy-to-follow HIIT videos were what helped me keep my fatty liver in check during COVID. As a top female fitness influencer, she continues to inspire millions with workout routines and annual challenges to help people achieve their New Year health resolutions.
Brand/Partnership Example: Chloe links to affiliate products on her Amazon storefront when she publishes workout videos on YouTube.
Why she matters: Holistic wellness beyond workouts
Jordan Younger, aka @thebalancedblonde, is a wellness influencer whose focus is all about mindfulness and spirituality. She considers herself a spiritual teacher and hosts a podcast where she discusses everything from healing and aging to detox and boundaries with invited guests.
Brand/Partnership Example: Although mostly known for her meditation app integrations and nutrition partners, Jordan has also partnered with Your Reformer to host a giveaway campaign where a lucky user was gifted a full Pilates reformer.
Why he matters: Strength training for long-term lifestyle change
Simeon Panda is a renowned fitness influencer known for his strength training routines. He regularly creates short “work out with me” videos where he shares simple routines that his followers can replicate.
Brand/Partnership Example: Simeon plays a key role in fitness influencer campaigns involving gym gear brands and supplement companies like Inno Supps.
Why she matters: Integration of mental and physical wellness
Massy Arias is a fitness influencer whose skillful balance between physical and mental wellness has helped her earn an engaged and loyal following. She shares practical workout routines, mindfulness tips, and motivation.
Brand/Partnership Example: Massy often promotes activewear and wellness supplements, being a part of fitness influencer campaigns with major brands like Adidas.
Why she matters: Makes nutrition fun, approachable
Jeannette Aranda is a wellness influencer who creates healthy lifestyle content involving food and nutrition. She often shares healthy recipes and wellness tips in addition to giving her followers glimpses into her life as a mom.
Brand/Partnership Example: Jeannette has been involved in a number of influencer marketing campaigns for healthy snacks or organic food brands.
Why she matters: Mind-body wellness, community building
Rachel Brathen initially gained influence as a yoga instructor and has since expanded to self-care and mind-body wellness through her From the Heart Podcast. She regularly creates content on homesteading, meditation, and community building.
Brand/Partnership Example: Rachel has been involved in promos for yoga props and mindfulness apps. She’s also helped to promote resorts and vacation spots that align with her values.
Why she matters: Recipe-led behavior change
Sally O’Neil originally built her influence through her blog – The Fit Foodie, where she shared healthy recipes and nutrition tips, and has since transitioned to building her own personal brand. She promotes science-led nutrition through The Status8020 Method, where she provides meal plans and macro coaching.
Brand/Partnership Example: Sally’s brand partnerships mostly involve cooking brands and specialty food products, as well as grocery shops like Farmers Pick.
Why he matters: Functional movement for everyday lifestyles
Daan Schel is a Gymshark brand ambassador who creates healthy lifestyle content related to cycling, running, and gym workouts. By regularly sharing his active lifestyle, he helps promote functional fitness and inspires his audience to work on their fitness.
Brand/Partnership Example: Besides his long-term partnership with Gymshark, Daan also works with nutrition brands like Vitakruid.
Why she matters: Community-first mental + physical wellness
Roxie Nafousi is a motivational speaker who mainly focuses on self-development and manifestation, empowering her audience on their journey to achieving mental wellness. She provides manifestation coaching sessions and hosts a podcast where she interviews inspirational guests.
Brand/Partnership Example: Roxie has partnered with multiple wellness and lifestyle brands, even collaborating with The Head Plan to create an affirmation pack.
Why she matters: Evidence-based fitness insights
Dr. Jess is a doctor specializing in pediatrics and sports medicine. She shares simplified explanations of medical stuff by reacting to viral videos, helping spread awareness and education.
Brand/Partnership Example: Dr. Jess has partnered with companies dealing in recovery tools and supplements, as well as over-the-counter medicines and skincare products.
So how exactly are these influencers driving their audience to make real behavioral changes that align with their New Year health resolutions? Let’s take a look:
With practical tips and step-by-step guides, wellness influencers make it easy for their audience to follow them on their fitness journey. Since the information is bite-sized, they can incorporate it into their daily routines, building healthy habits over time.
Some even create annual challenges to encourage their followers to keep maintaining their fitness habits over the years.
Part of the reason why wellness influencer content helps shape habits is because they’re sometimes produced as a series format. From 30-day challenges to daily “work out with me” routines, this regular healthy lifestyle content keeps audiences coming back for updates. So it promotes consistency by giving folks a clear idea of what to expect and when.
Wellness influencers also build a strong and engaged community by getting their followers to create content alongside them. Branded hashtags and duet and stitch features on TikTok and Instagram make it even easier for their community to participate. This creates UGC loops that encourage audiences to share their own journeys and experiences inspired by the influencer.
Building fitness influencer campaigns that work isn’t just about finding the right creators to work with. Here are some practical tips to find success with wellness influencer marketing campaigns.
When you’re looking to engage audiences at a prime resolution moment, you need to align your campaigns accordingly. This will involve timing influencer content in a way that will resonate at specific times.
For instance, you don’t want to start sharing your daily workout Reels series before the New Year begins. Rather, this is when you want to push teasers and countdowns. Here’s a sample timeline along with the best content types to use across these key resolution moments:
One-off sponsored posts won’t always incorporate well into people’s resolution journeys. Even if they gain initial traction, they don’t always translate to long-term results. That’s why you need campaigns designed to support consistent healthy behavior over a longer period, which will ultimately help them achieve their fitness goals.
It’s less about sponsoring influencers and more about co-creating paths for their audiences to follow. Here are a few ideas:
It’s good to note that different influencers won’t have the same kind of impact depending on their following size. For instance, nano influencers, with their tight-knit and trusting communities, will be great for promoting local businesses like a gym or fitness studio. But to reach a national audience, you need to think bigger with macro and mega influencers.
So make sure to tailor your campaign approach and pricing strategy for each influencer tier. Here’s a quick guideline on how to work with influencers according to their tiers.
Fee approach: Product + modest base fee + small performance bonus
Fee approach: Mid-tier base + performance incentives
Fee approach: Higher base + optional usage rights
Fee approach: Premium flat + long-term partnership
The New Year brings on predictable consumer behavior spikes with increased interest in health and wellness habits that align with resolutions. Brands and agencies can win when they treat resolutions as seasonal ecosystems—not just campaign moments. Wellness influencers are the guides that turn intentions into habits, and products into tools that help people win at themselves.
Wellness influencers are content creators and public figures who’ve built an influence around health, fitness, and mindfulness. They create content that inspires their audience to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Some of the biggest health and wellness influencers include names like Chloe Ting, Simeon Panda, and Massy Arias.
A wellness influencer regularly creates content sharing practical tips and information related to workouts, fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, and/or holistic wellbeing. This may include content such as daily workout routines, meal prep guides, supplement ideas, or meditation tips.
The four main types of wellness influencers are: fitness influencers, holistic wellness influencers, mental well-being influencers, and nutrition influencers.