Today marks Global Wellness Day, an international initiative to promote the concept of “living well.”
But what does it really mean to live well? And what role does the wet leisure industry have to play in promoting a brighter, healthier approach to everyday life?
The slogan for this year’s Global Wellness Day, or GWD, is “One day can change your whole life.” And the idea behind it is simple: by taking time out of our busy lives – even if it’s just one day – we can start to reassess some fundamental ideas about who we are and what makes us feel happy, healthy, and fulfilled.
In the past, the GWD mission has been taken up by a variety of fitness practitioners, championing activities as diverse as pilates, yoga, reiki and Qigong. But as all of us in the industry know, saunas, spas, and swimming pools have their own role to play in promoting physical and emotional wellbeing.
According to the experts, regular sauna use can improve wellbeing in a number of ways. In one 2005 study, for example, participants suffering from conditions such as depression, fatigue, and appetite loss showed notable improvement after undergoing a series of infrared sauna treatments. And three years later, another study asked 45 participants to assess their mood via six key indicators both before and after a 20-minute sauna session. Across the board, ailments such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression were shown to improve.
Incredibly, one Finnish study even found that symptoms of dementia significantly decreased in men who attended between two and three sauna sessions a week. But it’s not just saunas that are making a positive contribution to the nation’s wellbeing. Ever since the Ancient Egyptians took their first tentative strokes down the Nile, human beings have enjoyed swimming for pleasure and exercise as well as survival. And along the way, they have discovered the many ways in which this simple activity can improve their physical and mental health.
Several studies have shown that swimming – like all forms of exercise – releases endorphins, those famous “feel-good” hormones in the brain. But there’s also evidenceto suggest that simply being immersed in water can have a positive impact on blood circulation, improving physical health as well as cognitive ability. And if you’ve ever experienced that satisfyingly sleepy feeling after a long session at the pool, you’ll know that swimming is a great tool in the fight against insomnia as well.
Meanwhile, many medical experts have also been singing the praises of steam rooms, highlighting their humid, tropical-like atmospheres as a fantastic way to clear congestion and ease frustrating ailments such as coughs and colds. And some studies suggest that they can also help reduce blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.
Like dry saunas, steam rooms are also believed to tackle inflammation, reducing the risk of serious conditions such as heart disorders, diabetes, and strokes. And, of course, regular use has been linked to the same relaxation benefits associated with other types of thermal therapy. Similarly, hot tubs and spa baths are considered an excellent way to unwind and destress, giving the wet leisure industry another string to its bow when it comes to improving wellbeing.
Clearly, then, there are a number of health benefits associated with installing a sauna, swimming pool, or spa in your business or home. But traditionally there have been a number of barriers in place that have prevented many from reaping these benefits – barriers that are finally beginning to crumble as the world shifts around us.
In the past, the wet leisure industry has often been associated with luxury and indulgence: the prestige of an in-home swimming pool, for example, or the sort of five-star spas found at some of the world’s most exclusive resorts. But now, at a time when a growing number of people are coming to value mental and physical wellbeing over material wealth, the appeal of home swimming pools, saunas, and spas has taken on a whole new dimension. And in 2024, these products have come to feel less like an indulgent status symbol and more like an essential tool for combating the stresses of modern life.
And even that ultimate 20th-century status symbol – the private swimming pool – has been experiencing a transformation of late. Of course, not everyone has the room to install a full-sized pool in their garden or home. And while a swim in a public pool should technically tick all the wellness boxes, time and transport constraints often prevent us from using these facilities as often as we would like. Thanks to the growing popularity of swim spas, though, the benefits of regular water-based exercise are becoming accessible to a whole new audience. Now, it’s possible to install equipment that emulates the experience of swimming in a full-size pool in practically any space, from a cramped inner-city courtyard to the corner of an underused outbuilding or garage.
Interestingly, the pandemic also affected attitudes to the wet leisure industry, with hot tub sales soaring as people searched for ways to make their homes more pleasurable places to spend time during lockdown. And there’s even evidence to suggest that regular sauna bathing reduces the risk of viral infection, protecting the body against respiratory diseases such as COVID-19.
In other words, the growing obsession with wellness has affected the wet leisure industry in a number of different ways, all of which show that interest in saunas, swimming pools, and spas is on the rise. And with experts predicting that the global wellness market – currently valued at a staggering $1.8 trillion – will continue to grow, it’s a trend that is showing no signs of slowing down.
