After the year (or more!) we’ve all had, it’s not too surprising that a focus on wellness has popped into the trend spotlight.
Wellness can mean all sorts of things, from overall health to mental health to spiritual health to physical health and everything in between. It can often mean a more holistic focus on all of the above components since they’re all connected in one way or another.
Regardless of what wellness means to you, there are some exciting things about wellness that are trending in a few areas. Let’s explore them and their potential impacts.
Fitness Tech and Blockchain
A push for better physical fitness as a way to help ward off chronic disease has contributed to a rise in wearable technology. More than just the old-school pedometers that counted your daily steps, we now have access to a somewhat dizzying array of wristbands or smartphone apps that can help us track everything about our physical health, from how well we sleep to how many miles we jog in a week. You can even map out your daily jogging route and post it, along with a sweaty selfie of course, to Instagram after you’re done.
While this technology is convenient, it can represent some potential privacy problems. It seems that hackers are in the news nearly every day, having hacked into some large tech company’s database. Perhaps you aren’t too concerned with someone seeing how many steps you took. But what if a hacker gained access to your daily jogging route and could track you wherever you went?
Fortunately, some enterprising organizations have developed a more private option using blockchain technology. Blockchain can help you track this type of data. It can also help keep physical fitness information more private, which is a good thing in this modern day and age. Some companies even offer fitness classes through their apps, providing new workouts to try along with enhanced privacy.
Wellness Retreats
If you’re not quite as into taking physical fitness classes or keeping track of your daily miles, perhaps wellness retreats are more your style. Travel + Leisure noted that wellness retreats seem to be gaining in popularity as of recent months.
As with the term ‘wellness’ itself, wellness retreats encompass a wide range of activities. You might enjoy a spa-focused resort that enhances relaxation, for instance. Or you might find a retreat that offers gentle yoga and meditation to calm the mind. Some retreats offer a combination of spa services and exercise-focused packages to keep your mind and body in good health.
Unique Spa Treatments
Speaking of spas, there are some in the United States that offer rather unusual services with some interesting benefits. The Monarch Casino Resort & Spa in Colorado for instance offers up its Gemstone Signature Massage, complete with a full-body dry brushing for exfoliation prior to the massage itself. Their menu notes that they use an ‘exquisite gemstone oil’ during the massage along with the more traditional hot stones. Or go all out and get the massage along with a gemstone facial or gemstone body wrap to really pamper yourself.
These services don’t come cheap, but they certainly sound heavenly for someone in need of some relaxation! (And really, I personally find it hard to resist something that involves anything even remotely sparkly.)
Wellness is Here to Stay
In some ways, it feels a bit overdue that we’re all a little more focused on health and wellness. The trend of incorporating wellness into a getaway or a spa’s offerings is wonderful. And the blend of blockchain technology and wellness apps looks like it will be a beautiful combination, allowing both usefulness and privacy.
