Wanting to take a break from daily duties, people often decide to go away for the weekend. More and more hotels offer treatments in the Wellness & SPA zone as part of the stay, aiming to encourage clients to choose their facility.
But is every SPA Wellness, or is every Wellness SPA? And what do these terms actually mean – what is Wellness, and what is SPA? Today, we will take a closer look at this.
The word “spa” has had different meanings over the centuries. It comes from the name of a town in Belgium, famous since ancient times for its therapeutic waters used for health purposes. Therefore, for a very long time, the word “spa” referred to resorts and health spas of all kinds. Nowadays, with the development of new technologies and discoveries in cosmetology, the term “spa” generally refers to all body treatments aimed at overall well-being improvement. Although the term is much older than the concept of “wellness,” it is considered to have a narrower meaning.
Read also: What to wear to the spa?
Wellness is a term that is not limited to naming a set of cosmetic and relaxing body treatments, as seems to be the case with spa. Wellness is a whole philosophy that originated in the 1950s. The term “wellness” generally refers to a healthy lifestyle and good overall well-being, so it is much broader in meaning than the term “spa.” Simply put, spa can be considered an element of the wellness philosophy, but this wouldn’t be entirely true, because one can practice wellness without using professional spa treatments. Although undoubtedly, spa treatments perfectly complement wellness practice and help take care of the body as well as the spirit. All wellness practices aim to maintain body and mind balance, allowing one to achieve a state of happiness.
Wellness, generally speaking, is a philosophy consisting (primarily) of the following practices:
- healthy diet
The principles of a healthy diet are rather commonly known, but unfortunately very rarely implemented. Healthy eating according to wellness is a response to the deteriorating state of the environment and food, much of which is virtually depleted of nutrients. Therefore, one should not only choose fruits and vegetables over processed products but also check the origin of products – choosing BIO food from ecological sources.
In addition, it is important to reject all stimulants that negatively affect the body in the long (and sometimes short) term. This mainly concerns alcohol abuse, drinking caffeinated beverages (including coffee), and smoking cigarettes. Instead, within the wellness philosophy, it is recommended to drink various teas, mainly green tea, and herbs as well as provide the body with the required amount of water daily (from 1.5 to 2.5 liters a day, depending on the individual needs of the body).
- physical activity
This does not mean running marathons but regularly practicing a favorite type of physical activity. According to wellness, a person should not exhaust themselves to the point of collapse but rather enjoy at least half an hour daily of an activity that brings joy. This can be vigorous walks, cycling or rollerblading, yoga, or sports considered more classical, like volleyball or football. It is important to adjust physical activity to the level of one's skills and needs.
- using body treatments
Here wellness overlaps with spa treatments, but the classification is very flexible, and the boundary can often be freely shifted. For example, a spa treatment definitely includes facial treatments or advanced body treatments using the latest technologies, but sauna, massages, or health-relaxation baths belong to both categories simultaneously – so it can be said they belong to the Wellness & SPA zone.
Read also: What to bring to the SPA? First visit to the SPA — what you need to know?
While many establishments can boast a SPA offer, and sometimes even a home-based beautician can perform spa treatments, wellness services require a high level of service and a holistic (comprehensive) approach to the person. Therefore, the Wellness & SPA offer is most often found in luxury, multi-star hotels such as Hotel St. Bruno.
