"The fundamental of spa is water, and not just hydration, but connection to fluid therapies. At home, that means time well-spent in your bathtub with Epsom salts or switching from hot to cold water in your shower (called a contrast shower). Or it can mean a bowl of steaming water with an essential oil that you inhale—or even a cup of hot, soothing herbal tea with lemon and honey. I suggest chamomile or peppermint; green tea is always my go-to for immune-boosting.
And then, of course, there's touch, which we think of as massage, and which can be shared with a partner at home, or achieved with a foam roller or even a tennis ball. The pressure of touch, however applied, keeps the essential fluids moving. Try at first with a foot rub, if you're not convinced. Or, spend a few minutes stroking your pet and watching the response.
The third thing is movement. The best way to improve your mood, bar none, says my husband Steve Kiesling, an Olympic athlete and longtime health journalist, is a 10-minute walk. Better still, is doing it with a friend, keeping that safe six-plus feet apart. I'm lucky to also have a complete home gym, but if I had to, I can walk, jump rope, and dance to my favorite music via my iPhone.
The last thing of course, is perhaps the most important and can be the greatest source of real pleasure—food, glorious food! It's learning to appreciate the ritual of cooking and also the art of eating. The ancestral spas all entailed a journey—and the journey was to health. If you think about your meal from safe shopping to preparing to cooking to eating as a journey to health—it will become one. And a good meal will prepare you for a good night's sleep—the ultimate way to start a healthy new day."
Insider's Guide to Spas Website: insidersguidetospas.com
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