Healthy Living: Spa treatments are good for you
by Kathy Hagood
Brevard County, FL -
The idea that regular spa visits are a part of healthy living was an alien concept to me a decade ago. I thought spas were just places to be pampered, pleasant retreats for those with plenty of disposable income.
Then a friend, a nurse, received a gift certificate for her birthday to visit La Bella Spa on Merritt Island, the area’s first day spa. She was so timid about going that she waited months and months to use it.
Finally she took the plunge, signing up for the sea-salt body polish and pedicure. The spa was having a special on the combo at the time.
While she enjoyed being pampered, and loved how the treatments revitalized her skin, what really impressed her about the experience was that left her with a sense of calm and well being she had never experienced before. As she was a bit prone to chronic anxiety, those feelings were healing for her.
She began going to the spa periodically to help her get more in touch with her relaxation response and promote a peaceful, positive mindset. She came to believe that an occasional spa visit was like getting her teeth cleaned, an investment in her health.
The nurse shared her experience not only with friends but also Type A, stressed-out cardiac patients she worked with who were trying to learn how to relax to improve their health. The link between chronic stress and heart disease and other illnesses has been shown in numerous studies.
As my friend was such an advocate of the spa experience, I thought I’d give it a try myself. I signed up for the body polish and pedicure combo.
Experiencing the treatments took me to a new place. It was truly an awakening. I felt whole. I was sold.
The women I met while lounging in my spa robe in the waiting area were as passionate about their experiences as I was. Some of them were regular spa goers, and others were first-timers like me.
Afterwards I began periodically visiting La Bella Spa for various treatments, including deep-tissue massage, which helped relieve the painful spasms that were beginning to develop in my upper back. Having facials occasionally was also relaxing, and helped keep my skin glowing.
I also started trying to create a spa-like environment at home, periodically taking a hot bath with gentle music, candles and aromatic oils. Donning a cushy, terry robe after my bath was a critical part of the regimen of course.
Were these measures improving my health? Around the same time I began taking vitamins, exercising more regularly and incorporating yoga stretches into my daily routine, and my general health and attitude did improve significantly.
My periodic spa visits were part of my new determination to take care of myself and enjoy my life more. I was on a path of healthy living.
Around the same time I began visiting La Bella many other Space Coast residents were beginning to develop the spa habit. After several years new day spas started springing up all over the Space Coast, including Imperial Salon and Spa in Suntree and Brent Allen Salon & Day Spa in Cocoa.
I tried those spas and others. I have found I especially like body treatments that combine exfoliation with massage, hydrotherapy and aromatherapy. Talk about relaxation! Plus it’s so good for your skin.
Imperial Salon and Spa introduced me to my first hot-stone massage, and I will be forever grateful.
Recently I tried the aromatherapy oxygen bar at Brent Allen while attending a charitable fundraiser at the spa. As I’d had a long day and was dragging a bit, I really appreciated how the concentrated oxygen and dial-up aromas pepped me up.
To be honest, I’ve never met a spa or spa treatment I didn’t like. But then I only go to those spas I know have an excellent reputation. And I would be very selective and do my research if I were to try certain things that spas offer such as glycolic peels, laser hair removal, etc.
Spas are always coming out with new treatments, so there are ever more choices. And as we all are becoming more sophisticated consumers of the spa experience and more interested in holistic health, top spas are expanding their services to include new, health-producing programs.
La Bella Spa, for example, has introduced several lymphatic drainage treatments, which have become popular with the spas clients, Joe Mandato, the spa’s manager says.
In response to customer demand, the spa now is working to create a new program called Destination Health, which is expected to be ready by the holiday season. The program will combine therapeutic techniques to address such issues as “detoxification, pain management and overall wellness,” he says.
Sounds interesting. After I try it, I’ll report back.