A new era of wellness emerges

Denverites understand that wellness is more than just lifting weights.

Why it matters: Since the start of the pandemic, reports of stress and anxiety have increased with social isolation. Now people are focusing on getting out of the house and creating connections to boost well-being.

What they're saying: "People are out and about all the time," says Megan Hanson, co-founder and CEO of High Ride Cycle, which has multiple locations in the Denver area. "The mountains, the lakes, the hikes and the ski culture lends itself to being a very active city."

State of play: The trend in Denver is similar to what's happening nationwide where there's been a shift in how people view working out, according to the annual Mindbody + ClassPass Wellness Index.

• More than a third of survey respondents said they were more likely to pick a spa or fitness studio if it's known for creating social connections.
• Nearly 25% said they were focused on wellness to stay connected with others.
• "People are now craving human interactions and unique experiences," Hanson told Axios Denver. "We've always had a really strong community but it seems even stronger now post-pandemic."

Of note: Hanson also said that people are looking for more flexibility in class times.

• "We see our middle of the day class utilization (times like 9:30am, 12pm, 1pm, and 4:30pm) growing. We used to have 5am classes every weekday and now those classes are not as popular anymore. People have and want more flexible schedule options."

The bottom line: There's no "one size fits all" way to improve your well-being.