Men’s wellness has long reflected evolving ideals of masculinity, with current trends—from supplements to cold plunges and testosterone talk—casting well-being as a form of power. Virility’s prominence is no accident. For centuries, masculinity has been linked to strength and vitality, exemplified in classical Greco-Roman depictions of the male body. Though these marble forms are historical, the ideals endure, now reframed in modern wellness culture where health is both maintained and visibly displayed.
Self-care, which was once focused inward on health and balance, now plays a visible role in shaping how one appears. Today’s routines not only affect how one feels but also influence how one is perceived, blending personal upkeep with the projection of confidence and presence.
Dr Sandor Heng, a senior clinical psychologist at Promises Healthcare, explains how this growing visibility verges into a form of identity signalling. “Visible markers of ‘wellness’—such as physique, biohacking routines, wearable data tracking, supplementation and productivity optimisation—often function as signals of discipline, control and status,” he explains.
Yet visibility alone does not necessarily render wellness completely hollow. As prominent fitness coach Sam Ajdani observes: “Appearance is often the entry point, it draws people in. But it should not be the destination.” He further recalls that in his earlier years, wellness drew strong parallels with physique and performance. “Strength without mental clarity and spiritual grounding is incomplete,” he reflects.
Today, Adjani views wellness as alignment—strengthening body, mind and spirit to foster a steadier sense of self. While strength remains central, virility has grown more nuanced, combining outward confidence with inward resilience.
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The masculine language of health and vitality
The language surrounding virility is equally revealing. Framed as optimisation and resilience rather than holistic care, it emphasises advancement—sharpening, maximising and sustaining these ideals. Heng notes that the way men engage with and respond to content depends heavily on how wellness is framed. “When positioned as optimisation, resilience or performance enhancement, engagement tends to increase—particularly among men who have internalised achievement-oriented or solution-focused norms,” he expounds. Furthermore, he cautions that the persistence of performance-led messaging is not without consequence. “It constrains the broader dimensions of personal growth, such as emotional maturity, relational depth and meaning-making. This framing can foster conditional self-esteem, where self-worth is tied to maintaining physical vitality, competitiveness or sexual capability.”
For Joshua Hee, health and wellness influencer and co-founder of Bion, this framing once felt definitive. Growing up, he admits, his understanding of wellness was bound to the outward. “As a skinny kid, my self-worth was completely tied to external validation. Wellness to me meant trying to look big enough so people would approve of me,” he recalls. Despite this, experiencing a period of depression led to that equation fracturing. “I realised then that wellness is not about how much you can bench press. It is about having an anchor. It shifted from asking if I look good to asking if I can trust myself to keep small promises today.”
Hee observes that modern men are growing sceptical of today’s hyper-curated wellness culture. “Guys are tired of the polished, perfect highlight reel of fitness content,” he notes, adding that what resonates now is process: tracking progress, gamification and incremental ‘levelling up’ appeal more than the traditional, domineering approach.
Despite evolving language and trends, some conversations remain on the margins. Heng notes that traditional discourse emphasises mastery, discipline and outward success, which internal experiences—such as intrusive thoughts, vulnerability, grief or uncertainty—receive less attention. When self-worth is tied to role fulfilment or social recognition, it risks fragility, and intrinsic validation remains largely overlooked.
Hee reflects on seeing this fragility up close. “Many guys tie their entire identity to their physical performance, their job or their strength. When an injury, plateau or career burnout occurs, they crash because they lack a foundation beyond the gym.”
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Even common misconceptions about virility reinforce this narrow view. “One major misconception is that masculinity means emotional suppression and constant toughness,” Adjani explains. He challenges the idea that virility is purely physical, arguing that masculine vitality also stems from hormonal balance, mental clarity, emotional stability and disciplined living.
The tension arises not from a lack of ambition, but from prioritising what is visible and measurable, where outward progress can eclipse the quieter work of inner growth.
Wellness in flux
If virility has long shaped male wellness, the future points to a more flexible approach. Newer self-care models are emerging, not rejecting strength but offering a recalibrated understanding of it. For Adjani, that expansion reframes what self-care alludes to. He envisions a model rooted in intentionality, encompassing fitness and recovery alongside solitude, reflection and spiritual connection. “I hope it shapes men who are grounded, disciplined, emotionally intelligent, and purpose-driven. Not just men who look strong, but men who are unshakable from within.”
Hee pictures the future of male wellness in similarly expansive terms. “The new model of self-care is having range,” he remarks. “At the end of the day, I hope it shapes into a culture where consistency is celebrated over perfection and where mental resilience is trained just as regularly as our muscles.”
When taken together, these transformations point towards a wider redefining of masculinity. Heng observes that contemporary models of self-care are beginning to include emotional regulation, relational competence, psychological flexibility and sustainable functioning. This evolution, he suggests, lies more so in integrating strength with resilience and adaptability as opposed to relinquishing it. “A healthier model can be identified by its outcomes: a man who demonstrates emotional awareness without loss of agency, maintains meaningful relationships, adapts to stress with resilience and sustains physical and psychological well-being within his environment.” In this view, a healthier model of masculine well-being is a less a fixed prescription than a perceptible turn towards approaches that are more holistic, adaptive and attuned to growth over time.
While virility still anchors men’s wellness, its scope is expanding to include the resilience and self-regulation of the modern man.
This story appears in Vogue Singapore’s Vogue Man ‘Pursuit’ issue, available online.
