2026 Health & Fitness Investment Surge: Why Coco Calypso and Wellness Stocks Are Gaining Momentum

The health and fitness industry has exploded from a niche segment into a defining investment theme. Consumers today aren’t settling for occasional gym visits—they’re seeking complete wellness ecosystems that blend structured exercise, balanced nutrition, mental health support, and real-time health tracking. This fundamental shift in consumer behavior is creating unprecedented opportunities across multiple investment vectors: from supply chains that deliver natural food products, to innovative beverage platforms like Vita Coco’s Coco Calypso line, to digital health infrastructure and connected fitness technology.

Technology has become the accelerant. Apple’s integration of the Apple Watch with Fitness+ content, Amazon’s expansion through One Medical’s AI-enhanced telehealth, and Peloton’s evolution into a subscription-first fitness platform are reshaping how wellness is delivered and experienced. Wearables now provide real-time feedback, personalized coaching is accessible at scale, and clinical workflows are becoming increasingly automated. Meanwhile, wellness culture has moved from trend to permanent fixture, driven by widespread concerns around obesity, chronic disease prevention, and mental well-being.

The $11 Trillion Opportunity: Market Forces Behind 2026’s Wellness Boom

Market research underscores why this moment matters for investors. The global health and wellness market is projected to reach $11 trillion by 2034, growing at a steady 5.4% CAGR through 2025 and beyond. This expansion isn’t driven by hype—it’s anchored in structural demand: preventive care initiatives, workplace wellness mandates, supportive policy frameworks, and a demonstrable consumer willingness to prioritize health spending.

The market is also fragmenting in productive ways. While mass-market fitness platforms gain scale, boutique fitness studios and premium wellness clubs are thriving, signaling a maturation toward more holistic offerings. This diversification is creating pathways for specialized companies to carve out defensible niches. Companies positioned at different nodes of the health ecosystem—distribution, product innovation, digital platforms, and hardware—are benefiting in tandem, creating a virtuous cycle that rewards multi-angle exposure.

How Four Market Leaders Are Capturing the Wellness Wave

United Natural Foods: Distribution as the Health Sector’s Backbone

United Natural Foods (UNFI) operates at a critical nexus: it connects the supply of natural, organic, and specialty products directly to consumer-facing retail. The company’s portfolio spans natural and organic groceries, fresh produce, dietary supplements, personal care items, and select wellness-focused non-food products. By offering value-added services—supply chain optimization, merchandising support, data analytics, and retail solutions—UNFI has positioned itself as an essential partner for independent grocers, large retail chains, and specialty retailers navigating the shift toward health-conscious assortments.

Over its evolution, UNFI has consistently expanded its natural and organic selections in response to clean-label demand and functional nutrition trends. Strategic investments in distribution infrastructure—including automation, network optimization, and facility consolidation—have enhanced both scale and operational efficiency. The company’s acquisition of strategic businesses and customer relationships has further entrenched its role as the primary distributor for health-driven brands and independent retailers.

Importantly, recent management focus has emphasized operational discipline: streamlining costs, optimizing inventory, and closing underperforming facilities. These actions are designed to strengthen margins and cash flow while maintaining the retail support that’s critical during this period of accelerating health trend adoption. With a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), UNFI exemplifies how traditional distribution can be reimagined around the wellness megatrend.

Vita Coco: From Single-Product Pioneer to Multi-Platform Functional Beverages Leader

Vita Coco Company (COCO) has traveled a remarkable path: from introducing packaged coconut water to U.S. consumers to building a diversified functional beverage ecosystem. Today, Vita Coco Coconut Water remains the brand’s foundation, positioned as a natural hydration solution for everyday wellness and active lifestyles. But the company’s strategic vision has expanded significantly.

The launch of Coco Calypso represents a critical evolution in this strategy. This product line extends Vita Coco beyond pure hydration into a more integrated functional space—addressing specific wellness moments and consumer occasions. Coco Calypso exemplifies how Vita Coco is now thinking about beverages not as single-use products, but as curated solutions within the broader health ecosystem. The introduction of PWR LIFT, a protein and electrolyte-rich drink designed for post-workout recovery, further signals this pivot toward performance-oriented offerings that compete directly with sports nutrition.

Recent portfolio moves underscore disciplined execution: the company has exited smaller brands like Runa and paused Ever & Ever, concentrating resources on core products and higher-potential innovations. This strategic focus has allowed Vita Coco to invest more aggressively in marketing, global expansion, and product development while maintaining strong coconut water sales growth. With a Zacks Rank of #1, COCO reflects how consumer beverage brands can successfully reposition themselves around health and fitness demand.

Doximity: Building Digital Infrastructure for Modern Healthcare Delivery

Doximity (DOCS) has evolved from a professional networking platform into a critical infrastructure layer for digital healthcare. Its core offering—a verified professional network combined with a personalized medical newsfeed—has expanded into a comprehensive suite of clinical workflow tools.

Key innovations reflect this deepening integration: Dialer enables secure telehealth visits; digital fax and secure messaging reduce administrative overhead; and recently, Doximity GPT assists with clinical documentation and writing tasks. These aren’t peripheral features—they’re embedded directly into physicians’ daily routines, making healthcare delivery more efficient while keeping clinicians informed and productive. The platform’s subscription-based commercial model serves pharmaceutical companies and health systems seeking targeted physician engagement, recruitment support, and enterprise workflow solutions.

Doximity’s role in the broader health ecosystem is significant and expanding. As telehealth adoption accelerates and healthcare systems seek to reduce administrative burden, Doximity’s workflow automation tools are becoming increasingly indispensable. With a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), DOCS represents how software infrastructure companies can create recurring revenue streams while supporting the operational transformation of healthcare itself.

Peloton Interactive: Redefining the Fitness Experience Through Subscriptions

Peloton (PTON) has undergone a strategic recalibration that mirrors broader industry trends. Initially built around high-end connected equipment—the Peloton Bike, Bike+, Tread, Tread+, and Row—the company is now emphasizing recurring subscription revenue over hardware margins. The shift reflects a clear market signal: engaged fitness communities value on-demand content and community connection more than they value device ownership alone.

The Peloton App and All-Access Membership structure exemplifies this evolution. Users now have access to thousands of workouts spanning cycling, running, strength training, yoga, and functional fitness, with flexible subscription options. This shift toward software-first thinking has allowed Peloton to reach users beyond those who own equipment, dramatically expanding its addressable market while building a more resilient revenue base.

Operationally, Peloton has become leaner and more efficient. The company has expanded distribution through retail partnerships and international channels while simultaneously restructuring its cost base and optimizing supply-chain operations. Continued investment in safety standards, mobile app capabilities, and software features—including the relaunch of Tread+ with enhanced safeguards—demonstrate management’s commitment to responsive product development. With a Zacks Rank of #2, PTON reflects how hardware companies are successfully transitioning into subscription-driven digital fitness platforms.

The Convergence: Four Companies, One Powerful Trend

What ties these four disparate businesses together is the recognition that health and fitness has become a holistic, multi-billion-dollar ecosystem. UNFI ensures that healthy products reach retail shelves. COCO—through Coco Calypso and its functional beverage portfolio—provides the nutritional support that consumers demand alongside their fitness routines. DOCS creates the digital infrastructure that connects healthcare providers to each other and their patients. PTON reimagines how people engage with fitness at scale, from equipment to community to personalized coaching.

These aren’t isolated businesses; they’re complementary nodes in an expanding wellness network. As consumers continue to invest in their health, each of these companies benefits from network effects and category tailwinds.

Why 2026 Could Be a Breakthrough Year for Wellness Investors

The timing matters. We’re now at an inflection point where health-consciousness has moved from aspirational to mainstream, where digital infrastructure is maturing, and where consumer spending on wellness shows no signs of abating. Market projections for $11 trillion by 2034 are grounded in real behavioral shifts and policy support, not speculation.

For investors seeking exposure to this megatrend, the case is compelling. Our Health & Fitness Investment Screen highlights these four companies alongside other players capturing this structural opportunity. Zacks Rank ratings provide additional conviction: with multiple companies ranked #1 and #2, the research team’s confidence in this cohort is evident.

History offers perspective. Nano-X Imaging surged +129.6% in just over nine months, demonstrating the outsized returns possible for companies positioned at the intersection of healthcare innovation and consumer demand. While past performance is no guarantee, the current positioning of UNFI, COCO, DOCS, and PTON suggests they could deliver similarly compelling returns as the health and fitness ecosystem continues to mature.

For those ready to explore this opportunity further, Zacks offers curated thematic investing screens covering 36 cutting-edge investment themes. The health and fitness space represents one of the most compelling, with sustainable tailwinds and multiple expansion vectors.

The wellness revolution is no longer coming—it’s here. The question for investors isn’t whether to participate, but how to gain the most balanced exposure across the entire ecosystem.