Wellness Trends for 2020
In this guide, we take a look at some of the latest wellness trends, which focus on taking time out from the stresses of daily life to concentrate on what’s really important – your overall health and wellbeing. We also highlight a few of our favourite wellness spas and packages, so you can get a head start on feeling good and enjoying optimal health.
1. Adopting a new approach to ageing
The expression ‘age is just a number’ has never been truer. More people are living longer, healthier lives that are unhindered by advancing age. While previously, we were expected to ‘act our age’ and slow down as we advance through the decades, that’s no longer the case. Whether it’s travelling the world, launching a new career, or taking your fitness to another level, age is no barrier to achieving great things and living your best life.
Spas have always been inclusive spaces, in which people of all ages can enjoy a pampering experience. This has never been more important as people seek to keep looking and feeling their best into their senior years. Looking after your health and wellbeing is a crucial element to enjoying a long, fulfilling life and spas offer the chance to take some time out and simply focus on being the best ‘you’, whatever your age.
For guests who want to give nature a helping hand, there are even spa treatments for wellness that focus on anti-ageing, such as facials that promote cell regeneration and use collagen-boosting products.
Recommended spa package:
- The Boutique Wellness Spa in Cambridge offers a Ytsara Advanced Youth Enhancing Day, which features a 160-minute youth-enhancing face and body treatment. You will also enjoy afternoon tea and will benefit from full access to the spa’s leisure facilities.
2. Embracing the movement ‘movement’
One recent wellness trend is the shift away from limited fitness ‘routines’ towards a more fluid approach to movement. So, rather than a traditional aerobic workout with defined moves and patterns, think dance and gymnastics that stimulate the mind and encourage more organic free-flowing movements. As well as boosting your fitness and building strength and balance, movement-focussed exercise can give your mind a workout.
As with all types of exercise, it is important to start slowly, listen to your body and incorporate warm-ups and cool-downs to help prevent injury. If you’re new to exercise, you will find lots of advice on getting started on the NHS website.
Of course, spas have an important role to play in the movement ‘movement’. Many spas have fitness studios and run classes on-site, in which you can learn something new and start to build more free-flowing movement into your life. Health spas generally offer a range of fitness classes alongside spa treatments and leisure facilities. Try Pilates, dance-inspired or water-based classes that focus on movement, as part of your relaxing pamper package (inclusions vary).
Recommended spa package:
- Champneys Henlow Grange Health Spa in Bedfordshire offers an Exclusive 1 Night Sunday Spa Break, which offers access to 20 daily fitness and wellbeing classes. You will also enjoy a 25-minute spa treatment and will benefit from access to the spa’s leisure facilities, accommodation and dining options.
3. Mixing wellness with sustainability
Sustainability is gaining momentum, as people realise that natural resources are limited, and recognise the importance of protecting the planet. Spas are increasingly embracing this trend to offer guests an environmentally-aware experience.
Some spas feature eco-friendly facilities, such as the luxury spa at Swinton Park in North Yorkshire, which has an outdoor natural pool filled with chemical-free bio-filtered water. Others boast environmentally-friendly accommodation such as Old Thorns Golf & Country Estate in Hampshire, which features eco-glamping pods alongside traditional hotel rooms and apartments.
Many spas and spa hotels also have sustainability policies in place, such as appleby manor country house hotel in cumbria, which has been recognised locally for its environmental performance. among other measures, the hotel composts half its food waste, uses water from its own borehole, recycles extensively, and minimises its energy use and carbon emissions. as owner mike dunbobbin is quoted as saying on the spa’s website: "we are committed to doing everything in our power to protect and sustain our local, natural and global environment for future generations/".
Recommended spa package:
- Enjoy the 1 Night Ultimate Pod Spa Break at Old Thorns Golf & Country Estate, featuring one 25-minute treatment chosen from a menu and access to the spa’s leisure facilities. The package also includes dinner, breakfast and, of course, a night in a cosy eco-pod.
4. Taking wellness beyond just physical health
The word ‘holistic’ has been used for decades, but it continues to gain prominence in the world of wellness. It means paying attention to the ‘whole’ and, in the context of wellness, involves moving past physical health to promote overall health, incorporating the mind, soul and spirit, as well as the body.
Spas have long recognised the links between physical, mental and even environmental wellness. Spa treatments for wellness focus on the body, which in turn promotes a relaxed mind, all set within calming and tranquil surroundings. For example, The Spa at Carden in Cheshire offers a state-of-the-art spa garden that is in harmony with its natural surroundings, alongside thermal spa facilities and treatments that harness plant-based botanicals.
Health spas, such as the Champneys group, have also long sought to provide guests with a holistic experience. In addition to treatments, leisure facilities, and fitness classes, these spas offer nutritionally-balanced menus, alternative therapies, and the chance to get back to nature.
Recommended spa package:
- Champneys Forest Mere Health Spa in Hampshire offers a 1 Night Midweek Spa Break, which features overnight accommodation, access to the leisure facilities, and fitness classes (including yoga and meditation), as well as a healthy buffet breakfast and other dining options. (Note that some classes might incur an additional charge). You also enjoy a 50-minute body radiance treatment.
5. Making wellness personal
Nowadays, personalisation is everywhere. From nutrition to tailored beauty treatments, the trend is towards identifying individual needs, in order to develop a bespoke solution. This is also true in the world of wellness.
Spas have long provided personalised treatments, such as facials, which are tailored to each guest’s skin type and needs. Likewise, massage treatments can be personalised, such as through the use of essential oils that address each client’s specific requirements, whether that’s to reduce stress, improve sleep or boost mood.
Recommended spa packages:
- The Edwardian Manchester (part of the Radisson Collection) offers a Personalised Facial package, which features a tailored 60-minute ESPA facial, along with three hours’ use of the leisure facilities.
- Cedar Falls Health Spa in Somerset offers anAromatherapy Day that includes an ESPA aromatherapy massage, aromatherapy facial and a dry float. You also enjoy lunch and access to the spa’s leisure facilities.
6. Reconnecting with the world
With the rise of smartphones and social media, many of us find that we are losing touch with the world around us. This separation has been linked to negative health impacts, both physical and mental. As a result, one of the current wellness trends is to switch off from technology and re-establish those lost connections to our loved ones and the community.
Again, spas offer the perfect environment in which to both disconnect and reconnect. In terms of disconnection, spas are a tech-free zone, so you get to leave that smartphone behind and be in the moment, away from all those social media apps and distracting notifications! In terms of re-connection, spas provide a calming space in which you can meet up with friends and family on a couples or group spa day. You can also enjoy spa treatments for wellness that encourage reconnection, such as a couples’ spa massage.
Recommended spa packages:
- Our range of 2 for 1 spa packages gives you the chance to indulge in some relaxation and pampering with a loved one. We also offer an extensive range of spa breaks for couples and group spa days and packages so you can take some time out from daily distractions to reconnect with what’s really important.
Are you ready to give your health and wellbeing a boost? Contact us today to book your next wellness spa package.
