Weekend at the spa: does it really work?

Too much stress? Let’s stop for a couple of days and dedicate ourselves to ourselves in the round. With the help of spa facilities.

Mud, volcanic stones, water and aromatic plants: the formula that guarantees to regain psychophysical well-being is based on more than natural substances. Only at the spa.

The offers for short spa stays are tempting, long weekends in the name of the healthiest selfishness: being massaged or hydromassaged, draining, smearing mud or scented compresses, in an environment where relaxation is the watchword.

Nothing better to forget stress, unplug from commitments and worries. But does it really work?

There is a science that proves it

Psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology, the medicine that studies stress-related disorders, indicates that among the symptoms of this state of general malaise there are chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating and expressing oneself, alterations in appetite, stomach pain, headache, blood pressure rise and a greater predisposition to get sick.

And those who try to “detoxify” from stress by treating themselves to a couple of days in a spa can count on benefits that last over time.

Some studies, in fact, report that treatments based on thermal waters raise the level of endorphins, the hormones responsible for the feeling of well-being and relaxation, and that these remain active for longer.

Water healing, and stress goes away

An unusual anti-stress hydrotherapy, designed for those suffering from anxious states, is water healing, which consists of gradual immersion in the thermal pool followed by stimulation of the head and limbs by the trainer while floating on a special mat.

Which waters to choose? In the absence of pathologies, all waters are fine. Recommended in particular to combat stress are the salsobromoide (Abano Terme), the sulphurous (Saturnia) and the sulphurous salsobromoiodic (Sirmione) while to recover energy are indicated the arsenical-ferruginous (Levico Terme).

Heat and massage

How do they act? First of all, the thermal waters are warm and the heat has the power to relax the muscles and the nervous system. The temperature of a thermal bath ranges between 37 and 38 ° C, the application of mud reaches 40, 42 ° C (for aesthetic purposes only, however, the mud is previously cooled).

Subsequently, the body reacts with perspiration, thus eliminating toxins.

Finally, a massage should be provided, which can be performed with different techniques: each spa has its own proposals, from evolutionary energy massage to massage with volcanic stones.

In order for it to be truly effective, we suggest the massage performed by the professional and not by machines.

And then the sludge, but not only

Mud therapy is useful in case of muscle tension caused by stress desk: cervical, lumbago, back pain in general.

But a weekend at the spa also means immersing yourself in an environment where everything is designed in the name of relaxation: you spend the day in a bathrobe and slippers, passing from the whirlpools to the emotional, chromotherapy and aromatherapy showers, to the most traditional saunas, Turkish baths, vascular hydropaths.

For a no-stress action it is more than enough, but an extra treatment, for example a foot reflexology session, can put us at peace with the world.

Also try peloidotherapy, regenerating mud packs and emotional massage, which combines manipulation with music, colors, scents.

Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.

The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.

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