Missed connection

The Brief

Welcome back, Wellworthy readers.

Loneliness isn’t just a feeling — it’s a health risk. While we don’t always link social connection to well-being, that’s starting to change.

More people are finding community through movement, whether it’s a run club, a group workout or a simple fitness app. And it’s working.

Today, we're looking at how loneliness affects your health and the surprising ways that sweating together can help.

Here’s what’s inside:

• Why doctors don’t screen for loneliness (but should)

• How isolation affects your physiology, not just your mood

• New data on how people are using fitness to fight disconnection

• Plus: A breath tracker that clips to your shirt, Venus Williams' plant protein overhaul, and our 2025 gift guide for the wellness lovers on your list

— Here we go!

Jake, Joana & Ash — Team Wellworthy

Wellworthy 2025 Holiday Gift Guide 🎁

Our gift guide is here — and we're genuinely excited about what's in it.

We skipped the generic spa kits and focused on gear, supplements, and tech that fit how people actually live.

Whether you're shopping for someone who's always training for something or the friend who's serious about sleep, there's something here that'll land.

Check it out and let us know what you're grabbing (for someone else, or let's be honest, yourself). 👀

The Breakdown

New research shows that social isolation harms your health about as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But, in a survey of over 2,300 people, most didn't believe social connection affects physical health — even those who reported feeling lonely.

The gap also exists among doctors. Most of the 681 surveyed providers didn't consider loneliness medically relevant. Those who did said they didn't have time or tools to address it.

Why it matters

While healthcare plays catch-up, people are creating their own fixes. Fitness communities are booming because they solve two problems at once: movement and meaningful connection.

Take Sweatpals — a fitness app with over 1M users. Co-founders Mandi and Salar describe the shift as "daylife": Gen Z and Millennials socializing through fitness instead of relying on bars or dating apps.

And it's resonating. 

"People are stacking socializing with movement and seeing better outcomes on their overall fitness and mental wellbeing," Mandi says. Users have become best friends, roommates, even partners. 

"When you show up and sweat together," Salar adds, "it opens the door to real relationships."

What you can do

• Treat connection like a real health factor. Connection isn't a bonus; it improves wellness, just like sleep, nutrition, or exercise.

• Think about your week. When's the last time you moved with someone else?

• Start small. A walk with a friend, a group class, even a FaceTime — it all counts.

• Don't overhaul anything. Just notice where a little connection could fit.

The takeaway: Connection is health. And for a lot of people, movement is where they're finding community.

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Not just one better workout — but a training cycle that actually builds on itself.

Just Dropped

New products and drops spotted → 

Supplements & nutrition

Venus Williams just overhauled Happy Viking after a year of customer feedback. The new formula packs 30g plant protein, 10g fiber, and 100+ superfoods. It's built to be a full meal replacement, not just a protein hit. Get it here.

Boostcous is high-protein couscous that somehow packs 46g protein and 13g fiber into one serving. Three simple flours (chickpea, lentil, pea), cooks in minutes, and gives you added nutritional benefit without touching a protein shake.  Try it here.

Jüced just dropped pre-workout gummies that don't make your skin crawl. 95mg of natural caffeine from green tea, plus L-carnitine and betaine for endurance. A peachy flavor that fits in your pocket, and works for the gym or a midday slump. Get them here.

Fitness & training

Nike Strength just dropped a 12-in-1 adjustable dumbbell that goes from 10 to 65 pounds in 5-pound increments. Cast iron, proper knurling, doesn't roll between sets. If you've been waiting for a reason to skip the gym commute, this might be it. Get it here.

BodyPark released ATOM, an AI motion tracker that analyzes your form in real time and builds training plans based on how you move. Place it at arm's length to track 34 body points with 96% accuracy — with live voice feedback on your form. Preorder here.

Nike's ACG Zegama is a max-cushioned trail runner built for rugged terrain and long days. ZoomX foam gives you bounce, Vibram Megagrip handles traction on wet and dry surfaces, and the wider toe box accounts for foot swell that’s common on long distance runs. Coming 2026.

Longevity & recovery

JOVS introduced the first FDA-cleared at-home laser mask that goes deeper than LED. Four wavelengths hit the dermal layer, where wrinkles and sagging actually start. During testing, over 90% of users saw real tightening by week four. See it here.

Alveos One just dropped the first wearable that tracks your breath. It clips magnetically to your shirt, listens to your patterns (again, just your breathing — not your Zoom calls), and creates personalized routines to help you recover, focus, or calm down. Reserve it here.

Ozlo teamed up with Calm on Sleepbuds that actually help you sleep better, not just track your current routine. The earbuds combine Ozlo's noise-masking tech with 300+ hours of Calm's Sleep Stories, soundscapes, and meditations. While most sleep tech tells you what went wrong, this one tries to fix it. Shop here.

On Our Radar 

What's moving in wellness this week → 

Blood donations are getting the wellness treatment. Superpower teamed up with the American Red Cross for Blood Friday — donate blood (or $100+), post about it, and if you're in the first 1,000, you get a free membership covering 100+ biomarkers. Wellness brands are starting to connect self-care with community care; your health data and someone else's literal lifeline in one move.

Non-alcoholic beer is becoming a performance drink. Athletic Brewing is pushing 500,000 barrels this year and showing up everywhere people actually want a beer: Arsenal games, IRONMAN finish lines, 100+ concert venues. Nearly a third of UK adults are cutting back on drinking, and Athletic is figuring out how to sell the ritual without the next-day regret. 

Gen Z is choosing running clubs over Instagram. Strava's Year in Sport report analyzed billions of activities and found Gen Z turning away from doomscrolling toward real-world movement. They're also putting their money where their feet are — 30% plan to spend more on fitness in 2026, with wearables as their biggest investment. The shift: people are logging off and lacing up.