As health and wellness continued to evolve in 2025, few voices captured the shift toward sustainability and self-trust quite like Manissa Montour.
A wellness entrepreneur, fitness educator, and community builder, Montour is the founder of Nissafit—a platform rooted in strength training, daily movement, and routines designed to support real life, not perfection.
Through her work, she has helped thousands of women redefine what it means to “get in shape,” emphasizing consistency, embodiment, and long-term habits over extremes or aesthetics. Exploring the intersection of wellness, discipline, and personal empowerment, Montour reframes fitness as a foundational practice for clarity, confidence, and generational healing.
Montour looks back at the health and wellness trends that shaped the year.
1. How would you describe the overall fitness and wellness landscape of 2025, and how is it different from what we were seeing just a few years ago?
2025 feels less extreme and more intentional. A few years ago, fitness was about pushing harder and doing more. Now it’s about doing what you can consistently. Classes are back, Pilates has become mainstream, and community-based movement is having a real moment. You see it with things like Gunna launching a run club—it’s not about elite performance, it’s about culture, accessibility, and showing up together. Walking groups and run clubs are everywhere because people don’t want to do fitness alone anymore.
That’s how I approach Nissafit. It’s not about extremes or quick fixes—it’s about helping people build real routines: strength training, simple movement, and consistency they can maintain in real life, with community and accountability built in. The goal isn’t just changing your body, it’s changing how you relate to fitness long-term.
The rise of Ozempic and GLP-1 medications has really shifted things. People are more open about the tools they’re using now, and that transparency has taken a lot of the shame and mystery out of the conversation for some people which helps people set realistic expectations for themselves.
2. Mental health and physical fitness continue to overlap—how are you seeing that connection show up in people’s workout routines this year?
People are choosing movements that support their mental health, not just their bodies. You’re seeing more people walk, join run clubs, take classes, and train in ways that help them regulate stress. Workouts are being used as a mental reset instead of another thing on the to-do list that drains them and it’s great to see. Working out can’t replace therapy but it can truly help mental health.
3. Social media still heavily influences fitness culture—what’s helping people stay motivated, and what’s actually hurting their progress?
What helps is relatability and community—seeing people show up imperfectly and stay consistent over time. What hurts is comparison and overconsumption. Watching too many workouts without a plan can make people feel overwhelmed or behind, instead of motivated. Social media should support action, not replace it. Having a healthy relationship with social media is so important for our mental and physical health.
4. Recovery seemed just as important as the workout itself in 2025. What are people finally taking seriously?
People are finally respecting recovery as part of the process. Sleep, mobility work, rest days, and stress management are being treated like non-negotiables instead of extras. There’s a better understanding now that your body doesn’t change when you’re constantly exhausted—it changes when it’s supported. Balance is the key and I think people are finally getting it.
5. For busy people juggling work, family, and life, what does a realistic fitness routine look like right now?
A realistic routine is flexible and simple. Two to three strength-based workouts a week, daily walking, and one structured session—like a class or a run club—for accountability. Shorter workouts done consistently matter more than long workouts done occasionally. Youtube is also a great resource, finding community online is also great if you’re busy. You don’t need to workout for 2 hours everyday, finding little pockets in your day whether it’s a 20 minute strength training session at home or a walk makes a big difference over time.
6. How has wellness culture shifted for Black and brown communities specifically, and what conversations are we finally having openly?
There’s more honesty and ownership. We’re talking about stress, access, rest, and long-term health—not just weight loss. There’s also a stronger emphasis on community-centered wellness and culturally aligned spaces where people feel seen and supported, not judged. We’re creating our own spaces online and in our local communities and it’s changing the landscape of fitness.
7. What advice would you give someone who wants to “get healthy” in 2026 but doesn’t know where to start?
Start smaller than you think you need to. Focus on daily movement, strength training a couple times a week, better sleep, and simple nutrition habits. Find support—whether that’s a trainer, a class, or a community—so you’re not trying to do everything alone. Health isn’t built overnight; it’s built through consistency. Take your wellness journey on a day by day basis. If you don’t have time for the gym or class? Get a walk in, moving your body is the key to your success.
