What is wellness?

In an increasingly fast-paced world, holistic wellness – or wellness – has become more than just a fad. It is a proactive approach to balancing body, mind and environment to improve our quality of life.

Beyond health, wellness involves habits and spaces that boost our energy, reduce stress and foster healthy relationships. By understanding and applying these principles, we not only optimise our daily performance, but also prevent long-term health problems.

What is wellness?

Wellness is a concept that means well-being and has its origins in disciplines such as psychology, medicine and philosophy. In recent decades, it has become increasingly important due to the constant stress we are subjected to in today’s society.

When we talk about wellness, we refer to a state of complete wellbeing, which has to do with balance in different areas of our lives.

This holistic approach stems from Dr. Halbert Dunn, considered the ‘father of the wellness movement’, who in the 1960s described wellness as “an active process” through which people seek to achieve a “more fulfilling existence”.

This concept has evolved over time and has adapted to today’s needs, including new aspects that affect our daily lives.

The 6 key dimensions of wellness

To achieve full wellness, wellness specialist Dr. Bill Hettler states that we must find balance in six dimensions of our lives:

1. Social. Social wellness is achieved by finding harmony with our environment: family, partner, friends, community and even our links with animals or nature.
2. Spiritual. Spiritual well-being is about integrating with nature, but also finding inner peace or our place in the universe, seeing life as a path of learning and growth.
3. Physical. Physical wellbeing is based on taking care of our body, exercising, adopting healthy habits or improving our sleep.
4. Intellectual. Intellectual wellbeing consists of boosting our creativity and encouraging our learning, either by reading a book, setting a goal to learn something new or researching a subject that we are passionate about.
5. Emotional. Emotional wellbeing involves recognising our virtues and accepting our limitations, which allows us to achieve an emotional and mental state of optimism.
6. Work. Wellness at work is achieved when we develop in the professional field we are passionate about and cultivate good relationships with our work team, balancing our work time with the rest of our activities.

Wellness, therefore, is the result of a personal quest to find an optimal and balanced state of all these dimensions, which will lead us to achieve an integral wellbeing.

What are the benefits of wellness?

Wellness affects multiple facets of our life, so it brings us numerous benefits, such as:

• It reduces our stress levels.
• It improves our self-esteem.
• It eliminates anxiety.
• It recharges our energy.
• It allows us to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Improves our mood.
• It encourages our proactivity and creativity.

How can I incorporate it into my daily routine?

Spending time in the pursuit of our full well-being is more necessary than ever, although it is not a state we can achieve overnight, but rather an ongoing process that we can incorporate with simple practices into our daily lives. How can we introduce it into our daily routine?

• Improve your diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep.
• Engage in recreational activities.
• Help people in need.
• Stay well hydrated.
• Check your health regularly.
• If you smoke, quit!
• Practice mindfulness.
• Disconnect from technology.
• Cultivate healthy relationships.
• Enjoy small pleasures.

Trends: wellness at home, hotels and sports centres

Wellness at home

Our home is also our refuge and what better place to create our own wellness space, where we have everything we need to relax and feel good.

We can start by dedicating a corner to reading or a space to meditate, practice yoga or exercise every day. You can also create your own spa at home. You don’t need too many elements, just a rain shower, a sauna, a large whirlpool bath or a swimming pool. Daily immersion in water can be therapeutic: it will help you reduce stress, relax tension and improve your cardiovascular health.

Choose a space that inspires you (a garden, a room with a window with a view…) and dedicate some time each day to self-care…

Wellness in hotels

If wellness at home is a growing trend, it goes without saying that wellness in hotels is booming. More and more travellers are choosing their holiday destination or accommodation for a getaway with a wellness service that includes a massage and a hydrotherapy session in mind.

Offering this service to guests is giving them access to a luxurious experience to improve their quality of life and overall wellbeing.

Therefore, investing in wellness solutions makes it possible to satisfy this growing demand in society, helping travellers to achieve the full wellbeing that we are all looking for nowadays.

Wellness in sports centres

In sports centres, the loyalty of customers using relaxation areas is up to 40% higher. In addition to gym and group classes, relaxation areas with whirlpool spas or thermal contrast baths promote differentiation and member retention.

Statistics of the wellness sector

The wellness sector has demonstrated a significant impact on consumer decisions and business results: according to ABTA data, 84% of travellers say they would choose a hotel with a wellness area over one without.

For its part, Hosteltur reports that the average ticket in accommodations that offer sustainable experiences – including wellness services – can increase by up to 30% compared to conventional hotels; in the sports sector, the loyalty of customers who use relaxation areas is 40% higher than those centres that do not have these facilities.

Finally, 97% of guests consult reviews before booking, underlining the key importance of customer experience in the choice of accommodation.

Fluidra solutions for your wellness space

Discover how this equipment not only impacts the physical and emotional health of your users, but also generates differentiation, reputation and a greater return on investment. Explore our wellness solutions for the hotel sector.