Spa & Wellness Travel Trends for 2017

Eat-Well Detox Holidays

Top 3 Destinations: Ti Sana Liver Detox (Italy), Kamalaya Comprehensive Detox Rejuvenation (Thailand), Como Shambhala Estate Detox, Bali (pictured at top)

Gone are the days when a detox holiday entails a punishing regime of fasting and tiny portions; time for the eat-well detox. Foodie lovers in search of a cleansing detox will be pleased to know that on an eat-well detox you’ll be able to refuel with well-proportioned nutritious meals throughout the day, that won’t leave you going hungry. Focusing instead on eating a generous amount of healthy food, try a more satisfying experience for those looking to detox without forgoing food.

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Stop Smoking Retreats

Top 3 Destinations: SHA Anti-Tobacco (Spain), Kurotel Anti-Tobacco (Brazil), Marbella Club Anti-Tobacco (Spain)

If the thought of going cold turkey while dealing with work stress and daily temptation has you reaching for your lighter, why not combine your first steps towards going smoke free with a healthy holiday that will help you to de-stress, break triggers and build new healthier habits. With the luxury of time, expert medical consultations and specialist therapies, you’ll return home renewed and fully equipped with the long-term answer to continuing your smoke-free journey.

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Optimal Health for the Modern Man

Top 3 Destinations: Chiva Som (Thailand), Komune Resort (Bali), Marbella Club (Spain)

Following an increasing move away from the ultra-masculine man towards the Modern man, more men than ever are now going to spas and wellness retreats. In today’s ever more liberal society, it’s becoming more socially acceptable for men to escape on a wellness holiday where they can take part in masculine activities, like boxing and HIIT, before recovering with a massage or spa treatment. With men, still significantly less likely than women to make time to consult a doctor, wellness retreats catering to men also offer a more approachable means of addressing health issues.

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Healthy Mind and Emotion Healing Holidays

Top 3 Destinations: Shreyas Silent Retreat (India), Marbella Club De-Stress Emotional Rebalance (Spain), Kamalaya Embracing Change (Thailand)

With more of us looking for ways to boost self-confidence or learn how to manage stress, it is little wonder that mind and emotion healing holidays are a rising trend in the wellness world. With a growing understanding that a healthy mind leads to a healthy life, retreats offering coaching in mindfulness, meditation and yoga, are helping sufferers of modern-living burnout to reconnect their mind, body and soul.

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Post-Cancer Recovery Retreats

Top 3 Destinations: Chiva Som Cell Vitality (Thailand), Kurotel Post-Cancer (Brazil), The BodyHoliday BodyScience (St Lucia)

No longer shying away from the complexities of treating a cancer sufferer, a rise in wellness spa retreats creating specialist post-cancer recovery programs offers a sanctuary for cancer survivors to recharge and rejuvenate. Helping you to feel like the best version of yourself again, a range of holistic spa therapies and alternative natural medicine treatments, from acupuncture to Ayurveda, will nurture and resort your well-being. Combined with expert consultations from psychologists, nutritionists and physiotherapists, regain your appetite and your strength as you rejuvenate your mind, body and soul in a luxurious wellness sanctuary.

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Full-Body MOT Holidays

Top 3 Destinations: The Body Camp (Ibiza), The BodyHoliday BodyScience (St Lucia), 38 Degrees North Healthy Hedonism (Ibiza)

Every year, drivers spend thousands taking out MOTs on their cars, so why not spend the same amount of money and loving attention on your own body? After all, it’s the only one you’ll ever have. Enter full-body MOT holidays where fitness training, wellness activities, spa treatments and diet plans are personalized to your body. Taking personalized wellness one step further, some even offer DNA analysis, to really tailor the treatment plan to your health needs.

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Zen Adrenaline Junkies

Top 3 Destinations: Zighy Bay Sense of Adventure (Oman), The BodyHoliday Fusion Fitness (St Lucia), Maya Ubud Adventure (Bali)

The idea of zen and adrenaline might seem like an odd combination, but more and more of us are now embracing ‘adrenaline-après’ holidays where we can satisfy a thirst for high-octane adventure with kite-surfing and paragliding, before relaxing with spa treatments, meditation and yoga. A great way to train your body and mind to let go of stress and enjoy living in the moment, embrace the mind-body cocktail of zen adrenaline and return home ready for anything.

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Physical Therapy Holidays

Top 3 Destinations: Chiva Som Physical Renewal (Thailand), Lefay Sports & Posture (Italy), Amatara Fitness (Thailand)

Everyone puts their bodies through a lot of stress. Whether from being hunched over a desk or working out to the extreme, muscles are frequently being strained, pulled or teared. Answering the call for worn out bodies, the rise of physical therapy holidays provides opportunities for recovery from your injuries and to re-train your body to peak perfection. Heal your body with a wide variety of treatments, from expert consultations with physiotherapists to aquatic therapy and posture alignment.

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Family-Wellness Holidays

Top 3 Destinations: The BodyHoliday WellFit Families (St Lucia), Fusion Maia (Vietnam), Terre Blanche (France)

Following the rising realization that the next generation of spa goers are the younger generation, more spa and wellness retreats are now opening their doors to families. No longer a no-go zone with the children in tow, with an array of mini spa treatments designed especially for children, now the whole family can be pampered from head to toe. Also focusing on drawing the kids away from their iPad’s and video games, action packed kids clubs encourage children to experience new sports and activities, as they swap their smartphones for bicycles, tennis and water sports.

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New Waves in Wellness

Top 3 Destinations: Epic Sana Sup Fitness (Portugal), Komune Yoga & Surf (Bali), Paradis Plage Surfing (Morocco)

With 71% of Earth being covered in water, it only makes sense that we’ve taken to board sports like ducks to water. Riding a new wave in wellness, more of us are now turning to board sports as a fun way of toning up and shaping up. From stand-up paddle boarding to indoor board fitness classes and surfing, board sports offer a great workout for training your core and legs.

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Preventative Health to Lower Your Biological Age

Top 3 Destinations: SHA Rejuvenation (Spain), The BodyHoliday Healthy Ageing (St Lucia), Longevity Anti-Ageing (Portugal)

Already highly popular with the Baby Boomer generation, the appeal of preventative health holidays offering the chance to help slow down the clock are also rising in popularity with Generations X and Y. Proving that age really is nothing but a number - whether pressing pause on ageing by learning to let go of stress or sweating your way to a more youthful you, reducing your biological age is the new mantra of the ‘ageing gracefully’ gurus.

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Social Group Fitness Holidays

Top 3 Destinations: The BodyHoliday September Solos (St Lucia), Wildfitness Zanzibar (Tanzania), The Body Camp (Ibiza)

If you’re a social butterfly and like to make friends wherever you go, then you’re probably a part of the ever-rising number of people escaping on social group fitness holidays. Whether a group of friends or the solo traveller who doesn’t want to train alone, with the added support of individuals going through the same process, you’ll soon reach your fitness goals. Offering the opportunity for you to train in groups where you can learn from each other, you may even make some lifelong friends.

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Workplace Wellness

Top 3 Trips: Ultimate Luxury Around The World Wellness Trip (Worldwide), Lefay (Italy), Kamalaya (Thailand)

When you think of Workplace outings, images of trudging through mud, inspirational speakers and team-building exercises spring to mind. However, workplace wellness holidays offer something different; workers can enjoy stress-management retreats, yoga holidays to increase brain power or mountain-biking and ocean kayaking to encourage team building.

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Eco-Friendly Wellness Retreats

Top 3 Destinations: Karkloof Safari Spa (South Africa), La Clairière (France) Aro Ha (New Zealand)

With a rise in green conscious travelers in search of a wellness holiday that is as kind to the planet as it is to you, there has been a growing emergence of eco-friendly wellness retreats offering a trip, without the guilt trip. Return home an expert on the local fauna and flora with educational eco-forest walks, indulge with all-natural spa remedies and refuel with healthy organic cuisine from onsite gardens.

For more information visit: www.healthandfitnesstravel.com

Top photo: Como Shambhala Estate, Bali