STRESS AWARENESS:7 ZONES OF SPA WELLBEING

Written by: Sue - 27^th April 2018

April is associated with refreshing showers, St George's Day and, in our hemisphere, with spring. Since 1992, April has also been Stress Awareness Month when experts strive to boost awareness of the causes, negative impact on mind and body and relief techniques. In this month of openings and new beginnings, our blog encourages a fresh focus on wellbeing for frequent travellers and events planners.

Sponsored by the Health Resource Network (HRN) , Stress Awareness Month mobilises stress experts and other health care leaders to collaborate on conveying this message to our nation: become more knowledgable and be more watchful. Along with many of our partners, we are chiming in with a reminder to be particularly vigilant on business travel and manage time to factor in both exercise and relaxation. The time-pressured, always-connected frequent traveller may find the notion of a leisure and spa facility visit laughable, but this is one convenient opportunity which shouldn't be impossible to realize. 

Here are 7 wellbeing points worth remembering:

1 Swimming is a low impact/high reward activity which lowers blood pressure, improves lung capacity, relieves joint pain and enhances bone strength. In 2017 Swim England commissioned scientific research to ascertain the health and wellbeing benefits of swimming. Results reinforced that swimming regularly - compared to never going swimming - corresponds to a 28% lower risk of early death and a 41% lower risk of death due to heart disease and stroke.

2 According to the National Sleep Foundation, swimmers are twice as likely to enjoy a deeper, more restorative night's sleep.

3 Spending time within a heated environment, luxuriating in a warm bath or a jacuzzi aids release of endorphins - the feel-good chemical - which helps to alleviate stress and is conducive to quality sleep.

4 Saunas increase circulation due to elevated heart rate and widened blood vessels which works to reduce muscle soreness and joint pain; a welcome prospect after a day of platforms, concourses, steps and escalators or being confined in a single position around a board table. If you're seeking rapid recovery and tension release to re-gain balance ready for the next day - slope off to the sauna.

5 Steam Rooms, where the heat is wet, help open mucous membranes, relieving pressure and aiding respiration. If feeling under the weather, a steam can offer a sensation of revival.

6 According to Medical News Today: What Are The Benefits Of A Steam Room? , this environment helps to reduce blood pressure and keep the heart healthier. This news is straight from the mouth of the experts! Like saunas, steam rooms aid circulation, allow blood to flow more easily around the body, transporting oxygen. A feeling of wellbeing will ensue.

7 Steam Rooms, according to the above report, can also decrease the level of cortisol in the body. This hormone is released in response to stress and when lowered people feel calm and in control.

 

A hotel with a well-designed and inviting spa suite can be a strong influencer on destination choice for a team incentive or reward experience too. For meetings, conference and events planners, the following venue suggestions each have something very special to offer.

Mottram Hall, Cheshire - QHotels

Nestled in a delightful spot in the heart of the Cheshire countryside, Mottram Hall is a true escape and the perfect fit for a corporate team away day or residential.

Something Special: Alfresco ThermoSpace Spa - the first of its kind in the UK. Overlooking appealing gardens, with alpine fragrances swirling around, you can find a rural herbal steam bath, outdoor body wrap sensory treatments and a mineral stone bath. Here the humidity and temperature are raised by repeated lifting and lowering of a basket of stones; slow and gentle on the cardiovascular system.

Westerwood Hotel and Golf Resort, Glasgow - QHotels

Following refurbishment not too long ago and the introduction of five new treatment rooms - eight now in total - Westerwood Hotel now offers business travellers and residential delegates a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, heated lounges and experience showers, not forgetting an impressive state-of-the-art gym.

Something Special: The relaxation room here is particularly splendid with a stylish, ambient design. Guests may enjoy two double spa treatment rooms which can't be found everywhere and private dining for spa users.

Relaxation Chamber

The Welcombe, Stratford-Upon-Avon - Hallmark Hotels

This hotel, oozing with character in world-renowned Shakespeare-country, has just received the luxurious finishing touches of a major £100,000 investment. As well as the swimming pool, guests can now enjoy a scented relaxation room, foot spas, ice fountain, four thermal experience rooms, hot stone massages, nourishing body wraps and  a gym.

Something Special: the recently-renovated 15-metre indoor swimming pool is a breathtaking sight. The al fresco vitality pool is not to be missed, nor the tropical and polar storm showers.

Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel

Just a mile from the main train station, this destination is right in the heart of grand, historic Bath yet set in beautiful gardens sufficiently expansive to create the atmosphere of a peaceful retreat. The spa suite here boasts seven beautifully-lit, tranquil treatment rooms and an indoor pool. Macdonald's team members here are proud to be one of Bath's most luxurious hotels.

Something Special: this is a 5 star location and experience where the classic exterior, landscaped gardens and interior decor are worthy of special note. The spa features a gorgeous, heated, outdoor hydro therapy pool to be enjoyed whatever the weather. Here, you'll also find spacious treatment rooms, large enough to accommodate couples or guests with disabilities.