Health Spa Treatments at Home

By WLR Guest Writer, Cara Frost-Sharratt

Sometimes it can seem as if your ideal weight is light years away and you’re never going to reach it. However, if you are sticking to your weight loss programme and your weight is going in the right direction then there’s everything to celebrate.

Home Health Spa

A home health spa is a fabulous way to cheer yourself up and give yourself a pat on the back. It’s important to remember that sustained weight loss requires an awful lot of will power and dedication. Although your body shape might alter, changes can be gradual and it’s important to remain optimistic.
You only have one body – look after it, pamper it, learn to love it and it should repay you with many years of loyal service.

Pampering Me

There’s nothing like a little pampering to lift the spirits. Everybody’s mind and body deserves some extra attention every once in a while. Feeling good and a positive mental attitude works wonders when you’re on a weight loss journey.
You don’t necessarily need to travel to a health spa or beauty salon to enjoy the benefits of a relaxing massage or revitalising facial. With just a little preparation you can transform your home into a tranquil oasis and create a relaxing space in which to indulge in health and beauty treatments.

Body Image

Most people are self-conscious about bits of their bodies, particularly when they’re trying to shift a bit of excess weight. But the best way to increase your confidence is to get to know your body and learn to love it.

Hiding your body away and refusing to acknowledge its existence is an unhealthy way to address weight loss. In order to fully embrace a weight loss programme you need to be in tune with your body – bumps and all – and be aware of the changes that are occurring as you lose weight and strive towards your ultimate goal.

Whether this is dropping a number of dress sizes or simply losing a few pounds before your next holiday, a home health spa will provide a well-deserved treat along the way. It’s also the perfect way to give your love life a lift, or to have a day of pampering with friends.

From Living Room to Therapy Room

Although it will take some planning to create your home health spa, there’s not too much work involved. Firstly, you need to decide where you’re going to set up the treatment room.

• If the spa is for you and your partner then the bedroom is the perfect place.
• If you’ve got the girls coming round then the living room would be ideal. You might even want to have a number of ‘therapy’ rooms, in which case you can arrange them to cater to different treatments.
• Tidy up the rooms and clear out any clutter then move tables, chairs or other furniture out of the way to make a large treatment area.
• It’s all about creating the right ambiance and ensuring that there’s a sense of calmness and serenity in the home so you can really relax and make the most of the experience.
• Just before you begin your health spa, switch off your mobile phone, take the landline off the hook and draw the curtains – you don’t want nosey neighbours peering in!
• Lighting should be subtle to create a tranquil environment so place a number of scented candles around the rooms you’re going to use.
• You should also ensure that the house is warm. Don’t forget that you’ll be shedding some clothes so you might need to turn the heating up more than usual; it will be difficult to enjoy a back massage if you’ve got goose bumps.
• Finally, put on some relaxing background music. If you’ve got an MP3 player, create a playlist that lasts a number of hours so you don’t have to keep interrupting your treatments to change the CD.

Home Health Spa Treatments

Massage

A massage can be invigorating, relaxing, healing or sensual, depending on the atmosphere, the type of massage and the oils.

Massage has been used for many hundreds of years in cultures around the world, from the traditional Lomi Lomi massage of Hawaii, to the Abhyanga massage of the Ayurvedic holistic system. Whether it is used to offer relief from a sports injury, or to enhance sexual pleasure, the combination of direct skin contact and the use of massage oils can have a powerful effect on your mood and senses.

There are numerous books on the market that provide step-by-step massage instructions and it’s a good idea to get to grips with some of the basics before your home health spa day or evening.

Stick to a few simple techniques rather than trying to master a complex, centuries-old method.

Aphrodisiac

Massage is a fantastic way to kick-start a romantic evening and, if your sex life has been a little lacklustre of late, then this is the perfect way to inject some passion into the bedroom.

Many essential oils are reputed to have aphrodisiac qualities and a full body massage using rose, jasmine or ylang ylang oil should help to get you and your partner in the mood.

When you use essential oils for massage they need to be diluted in a ‘carrier’ oil, such as grapeseed, sunflower or almond oil. This is because essential oils are extremely potent and can irritate the skin if they’re applied neat (not exactly the best way to begin a romantic evening). You only need a few drops of essential oil in the carrier oil, or you can combine a couple of oils, if you prefer.

If you’re normally hesitant about your partner seeing you naked, massage provides the ideal opportunity to become reacquainted with each other’s bodies in an environment that is both familiar and romantic.

Head, shoulder, hand and foot massages are ideal for a friends or family health spa day. They can be quick and easy to master and won’t require as much space, so more than one person can be massaged at the same time. If there’s an even number of people, split into pairs and take it in turns to give each other a massage.

Manicures and Pedicures

A manicure or pedicure is a treat that doesn’t have to be confined to the beauty salon. Perfectly good results can be achieved at home and all that’s required is a steady hand and a bit of practice. Get the following ready before you begin:

• Nail polish remover
• Cotton wool balls or cotton buds
• Emery boards
• Nail scissors
• Nail polish (selection of colours) 

Begin by removing any existing nail polish, using cotton wool balls. Wipe the nails clean and then trim and file them to the required length. It’s a nice idea to give the person a hand or foot massage now and this also helps to smooth the skin. Finally, you can carefully apply the nail polish, removing any excess with a cotton bud dipped in nail polish remover.

Spice up your Love Life

If the only quality time you and your partner spend together is while eating dinner in front of the television then you’re the ideal candidates for a home health spa. Whether you’ve got a few hours, a day, or a whole weekend at your disposal, you can tailor the experience to suit your schedule.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you might be reluctant about stripping down to your underwear or swimsuit in front of strangers at a spa but that’s no reason to miss out on the benefits of massage, relaxation and essential oils. Chances are your partner isn’t exactly brimming with confidence in the body image department either and men, in particular, can get extremely self-conscious about the idea of visiting a spa or health resort.

A home health spa offers the ideal way for both of you to spend time pampering each other and getting intimate in the comfort of your own home.

• If you have children, arrange for them to stay with a friend or relative for the day or, better still, overnight.
• Treat yourselves to some new pampering products and the whole experience will be much more indulgent.
• Clear your diary and don’t make any plans or take any calls during the day.
• Start the day with breakfast in bed. Fresh fruit, particularly berries and grapes, is a natural antioxidant, as well as being easy and fun to feed to each other.
• Don’t get dressed at all during the day; just put on dressing gowns.
• Take it in turns to massage each other. Try different oils and choose different parts of the body to massage throughout the day or evening.
• Take a bath together, with scented candles and essential oils. Wash each other and dry each other when you get out of the bath.

Here Come the Girls

Put a date in the diary, invite the girls round and turn your house into a health spa. It’s a great way to catch up on the gossip while enjoying relaxing beauty treatments. If there are a number of you hoping to shed a few pounds, then this could provide a much-needed boost to your self-esteem or a well-deserved treat when you hit a crucial milestone.

Spa Days

You can arrange your home health spa for an evening, or set aside a whole day and pack in more treatments. If everyone chips in some money, the hostess can provide lunch, oils and beauty products. If it all goes well, why not make it a monthly date with someone different hosting each time?

• Tell everyone to bring comfortable clothes for lounging and bathrobes to wear between treatments. Get everyone to change into them on arrival to set the health spa scene as soon as possible.
• Set up specific areas or rooms for different treatments and have all the products laid out in advance. Dim the lighting and place plenty of scented candles around the rooms.
• Prepare a quick healthy lunch of couscous or rice salad, fresh fruit and smoothies. Leave out jugs of iced water and bowls of fresh berries for your guests to snack on throughout the day.
• Set aside an hour to follow a fitness DVD or a relaxing yoga class in the front room. It’s better to do this early on in the day, as people might not feel like doing a workout after a massage.