Trends
five.fittedzero.fittedFIFTY BODYhyphen.capBRAIN GYM
FIRST-PERSON EXPERIENCE: SUSIE ELLIS
o more tangibly understand and which would help test and then improve
T
experience this trend, I tried my brain in a variety of areas such as short
a brain/body workout at the term memory and brain fl exibility. Each of
50fi fty Body-Brain Gym in New York City. the games/puzzles/video challenges were
In one corner of the brain gym was a small clever and fun – and increasingly diffi cult.
desk with a computer and two chairs. I was After my hour-long workout, I was
immediately struck by the vibrant colours convinced this trend will continue to
used in the space. The walls had interesting evolve and grow. The brain exercises
designs, there were shiny red, yellow and were performed after my physical body
blue kettleballs on the fl oor, lavender and had warmed up and the blood fl ow to my
cherry-coloured dumbbells on a rack and a brain increased. And it makes utter sense:
colourful set of weight bars in one corner. everyone knows how sharp one feels at
I later learned that this was purposeful, as work if they worked out that morning.
colour is said to stimulate the brain. I believe ‘brain training’ could become an
My training began with a circuit of important new spa franchise opportunity,
alternating weight lifting exercises and like Exhale (14 locations in the US and
one-minute PowerPlate segments. This number of repetitions. After the intense growing) or even Curves (10,000 locations
was followed by what I soon began calling 45-minute physical workout, it was time to worldwide). We’ll certainly see this dual
the ‘dreaded kettleballs’ which had me tackle 15 minutes of brain exercises on the mind-body workout popping up in spas
hoping for a reprieve after an exhausting computer. I was led through various games and gyms across the globe.
ing the way with their understanding of the brain, however ing specif_i c curricula like the one created by Lawrence C
– the computer gaming industry is also aggressively getting Katz, the late professor of neurobiology at Duke Univer-
into the mix: providing numerous, diverse game of_f erings sity, whose unique system called Neurobics™ is based on
specif_i cally designed to challenge the brain. using the f_i ve physical senses in unexpected ways: whether
that is dressing with your eyes closed, combining two
SMART SPAS
senses like listening to music while smelling f_l owers, or
Although some physicians argue that much of the medical eating with your non-dominant hand.
research on brain health is still in the very early stages, Some spa approaches are quite simple and intuitive: for
there is ever-mounting evidence showing that the human instance, Westin Resorts recently unveiled a programme
brain is continually adapting and rewiring itself and that dubbed BrainBodyFitness that disperses puzzles and
we can produce new neurons, even in old age. brain-teasers throughout the hotel/spa experience,
T_h e more authoritative studies underscore that cardio- as well as of_f ering brain workouts in the spa f_i tness
vascular exercise (SBzero.fittednine.fitted/four.fitted pfour.fittedzero.fitted), mental exercise, relaxation centre. Others are more high-tech or intense: Tao
techniques, healthy foods and sleep all improve brain Garden Health Resort in T_h ailand features Brain
function – and these are precisely the cornerstones of Synchronization on the menu, where guests carry
modern spa programming. out pelvic f_l oor exercises and breathing to activate
With new, compelling research validating this wider more energy in the brain. T_h e Raj Ayurveda
focus on brain health, combined with spa-goers of_t en Health Spa in Iowa, US, worked in tandem with
being early adopters of complementary wellness modali- a brain research institute to develop the Raj
ties, it makes sense that spas would begin putting into Prevention Program for Alzheimer’s. T_h is
action what researchers are only just beginning to suggest. programme is led by brain specialist Dr Alarik
T_h e examples of brain programming underway at spas Arenander who reviews brainwave patterns and
are diverse. Some spas are integrating brain-boosting
games that challenge grey matter to tasks such as juggling,
ballroom dancing, chess, t’ai chi, yoga or modelling clay. One US-based
Meanwhile others, such as Canyon Ranch, are adding spa of_f ers a ‘mind
educational programmes directed by neuroscientists, massage’ with
designed to give guests the tools to make brain health a an interactive
part of their wellness regimen. Elsewhere, spas such as the computer
Mind Spa Mental Fitness Center in Florida are incorporat- programme
4644 Read Spa Business online spabusiness.comm // digital SpSPa BuA BUSINESS 4 2009SineSS 4 2009
©
ccyyberertreekk 200099
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68