We here at Naipo love massage, health, wellness, and fitness. We are always talking about the latest advancements in health, wellness, and massage. We loved some of the trends of 2017 such eating healthy, fat burning foods. So of course, as we head into March we were interested in what kind of spa and wellness trends we will see this year.
Well, we did some digging, asked around, and this is what we found:
1. Spa Admin Goes Online
According to the ISPA’s most recent US Spa Industry Study, nearly a quarter of the spas surveyed said that they plan to introduce new spa management software in 2018. Many spas will also be paying attention to technological advances. As more and more people get online for their everyday things and the purchasing power of millennials grow, we’ll see more and more spas getting online with online bookings, virtual communication, and social media.
But it’s not just spas going online…
2. Meditation Goes Mobile
More and more people are beginning to realize the benefits of meditation. With benefits like reduced stress, improved concentration, increased happiness, and slowed aging, meditation is now seen as being beneficial outside of just spirituality, such as business and studying. But as people get more interested in meditation and how to practice it, there is a problem, not everyone can afford (time or money wise) a meditation class or retreat. Of course, in today’s mobile world people are turning to their smartphones and the internet for help. You can find many videos on Youtube, but most people are using apps dedicated to teaching meditation to learn. Headspace is one the most popular meditations apps, with InsightTimer being a personal favorite of mine.
3. Yoga Goes Mobile
Yoga has been a trend for many years now and many people from stay-at-home moms to elite athletes are now practicing yoga. But while yoga has already gone from trend to mainstream, one trend we will see this year is yoga going mobile. Just as with meditation, not everyone has the time or money to attend a yoga class or have a personal yoga trainer. And once again people are turning to the internet and their smartphones for a solution. You can find an abundance of articles and tutorials on the internet showing you how to do certain poses or routines, such as our article showing you 10 easy yoga morning stretches. But people are also turning to their smartphones for help and guidance. One of the most popular free yoga app is the Down Dog app.
4. Sugar Detox
Recently, more and more experts, doctors, and dieticians have spoken out about the dangers of sugar. Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, as well as being linked to tooth decay and accelerated aging. With more people finding out about these dangers and just how much food contains sugar, more and more people are turning to sugar-free diets. Many high-end spas and wellness resorts offer sugar-free detox diets, promising better digestion, increased energy, and clearer skin. With more people turning away from sugar every day, expect to see more spas and resorts offering the service.
5. Sleep Optimization
It’s not just us at Naipo who have been talking about the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. Doctors, therapists, fitness trainers, and CEOs have been talking more and more about the benefits of sleep and people are starting to listen. Everyone is starting to recognize the importance of sleep and trying to figure how to optimize it. Everyone is trying to optimize their sleep by researching the best sleeping position, buying smart mattresses, or using sleep tracking apps. More and more people are now trying to get the most out of their good night’s rest.
6. Brain-Boosting Supplements
A trend that emerged at the end of 2017 and that we will see grow throughout 2018 is the use of brain-boosting supplements to enhance thinking and reduce stress. Called nootropics, these supplements help reduce brain fog and stress levels. These cognitive performance enhancers were first made popular by biohackers in Silicon Valley and are now reaching a wider audience, thanks to their reputation for fine-tuning minds and lowering stress. Limitless anyone?
7. Clean Makeup
Here’s one for the ladies. A trend you can expect to see in your makeup store is a growing amount of clean, non-toxic makeup products. A growing amount of women are beginning to question the health impact makeup with questionable ingredients might be having on their bodies. There is now a growing demand for “clean” makeup that uses non-toxic, natural ingredients. And this demand is being met by a growing number of clean cosmetic companies. This growth is thanks to companies beginning to make every seriously pigmented shade you could ask for, and all without the toxic, non-organic ingredients.
8. Medical Testing
Nowadays spas aren’t just offering stress-relief and relaxation. More and more spas are beginning to offer a medical component as well. With many clients dealing with a serious health issue or having a specific focus (such as weight loss), spas have begun to offer medically enhanced facilities focusing on genetics testing and biometrics. These treatments have highly-trained specialists run tests to determine not just what ails you, but also how to specifically treat your issues. The trend at spas this year is to offer seriously personalized programs (including customized diets based on DNA and blood type).
9. Extreme Bathing
One trend we will be seeing this year is people trying to “find comfort in uncomfortable situations”, we’re talking about extreme heat and extreme cold exposure. Many people are beginning to learn the techniques of and attend the retreat of Wim “The Iceman” Hof, who touts the benefits extreme cold exposure and is a rising star in the wellness world. And it’s not just Wim Hof who is preaching the benefits of cold exposure, here is Paul Chek on the benefits of taking cold showers:
10. Deep Tissue Massage
A growing trend in 2017 that looks set to continue to grow this year is deep tissue massage. Deep tissue massage is so good at relieving muscle pain (as well as other benefits) that experts from massage therapists to fitness experts are recommending it. Deep tissue massage works by breaking down adhesions to relieve pain and restore normal movement, often releasing chronic muscle tension. Adhesions can be the result of injury, overuse, or dehydration, and occur when the muscle is chronically contracted. The massage therapist can break down these adhesions using direct deep pressure. A cousin of deep tissue massage is trigger point massage. You can also do deep tissue massage yourself using a foam roller or handheld massager.
There are a lot more trends we’ll be seeing in 2018 but these are the top 10 trends we believe we’ll be seeing the most of in 2018. All of these look really great and we’ve already gotten started on some of them. Why don’t you join us in making this the healthiest, most relaxed year yet?
