Health Weekly

Relax, stretch and be pampered

March 14 - 20, 2018
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Gulf Weekly Relax, stretch and be pampered

Chief reporter Mai Al Khatib-Camille headed to the desert to check out the latest spa treatments at the luxurious Al Areen Palace & Spa Bahrain. She soon discovered that to get the most out of a massage it pays to put the muscles to the test with yoga with the help of a healing ball and a stretch, scrub and shower therapy thrown in for good measure not forgetting a swim, fabulous facial and healthy lunch.

 

FOR readers finding that life is moving at too fast a pace the perfect cure comes in the shape of proper pampering.

Health experts believe that by indulging in a massage, a workout and having a balanced diet can prevent, delay or reduce many health issues.

For those people that are constantly feeling drained, stressed out or stiff from sitting at a desk all day then it’s time they listened to their body and opted for a much-needed dose of rest and relaxation.

Massage therapists and fitness trainers at the Al Areen Palace & Spa Bahrain understand all too well the harsh reality of modern life. Its award-winning Al Areen Spa and Wellness Centre, now known by its Live Your Life mottto, has revamped its offerings and created several new programmes to help rejuvenate the mind, body and soul.

Situated in Sakhir ‘s five-star-resort away from the hustle and bustle of city life, is a haven for holistic treatments, remedy therapy, detox and re-energising initiatives as well as weight optimisation sessions.

Among the centre’s many features are a state-of-the-art health club for men and women, a Hydrothermal Garden with vitality pool, a Garden Hammam with a steam and sauna, 12 spa treatment rooms and a garden that aims to de-stress and chase blues away.

The hotel’s director of spa, Sirirat Fungkhajon, AKA Lek, said: “Here clients can get fit, healthy and refreshed all under one roof. Guests can walk-in for a consultation and our experts will assess their body, skin and overall health and analyse what they really need.

“We are here to help people unwind, relieve any muscle pain, help with migraines or stress caused from everyday life.”

Both the one-day and three-day/two night programmes are proving equally popular. Lek says more than 70 per cent of the centre’s treatments cannot be found in Bahrain, such as the remedy therapy to cope with what many call the ‘office syndrome’ and Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), a fancy way to describe muscle pain.

“We want our guests to leave here feeling rested and ready to tackle anything that comes their way,” she added.

The centre will be officially launching its new brand to invited guests, members of the media and VIPS on Saturday. I had the privilege to exclusively put their all-day wellness and holistic programme to the test and it left me feeling and looking younger than ever.

My treatment started off in the morning with senior therapist Paul Duangpol, who sat me down in the wellness consultation room with a chilled herbal tea, to assess my blood pressure, height, weight, skin condition and fitness levels and, depending on my results, a programme then would be set.

During the consultation, he asked me several questions. such as how often do I eat three-meals-a-day, do I have any heart problems and whether I have any back, shoulder or neck pain?

Paul even checked the state of my skin using a giant magnifying machine.

After writing everything down in my assessment book, he concluded that in terms of fitness I should not lose any more weight but I did need to build more muscle for my tiny frame.

Apparently I had the metabolic age of a 12-year-old, I’m told that’s pretty good for a 36-year-old! In other words, I have a fast metabolism.

He also advised me to care more for my skin as my face appeared dehydrated and required more oxygen. It also had redness in certain areas and break outs (spots) which needed a deep cleanser and moisturiser.

Paul added that eating a balanced diet is necessary and it’s all about moderation when it comes to treats. He then asked me to choose from a row of oils that were plated before me and I picked out lavender and lemon-grass.

He explained that lavender is great for relaxation and lemon-grass is an excellent re-energiser. He then added a base oil to make sure it’s safe to use on my skin and rosemary to balance the other two scents.

Apparently, if you use pure oil without a base it can sometimes cause a reaction or burning, especially if you have sensitive skin, as I do. This blend would be used to help me relax.

After my assessment was complete, Paul told me that I was going to sample the wellness re-energising programme.

That started with a 15-minute warm-up on the uShape Music vibrating machine which is a platform with three settings which I called ‘wiggle, jiggle and shake!’

The numbered platform told me where to place my feet and, by the end of the body earthquake, I felt fairly winded.

The first step involved a little vibration coursing mostly through the upper body with a little movement around the hips.

Level two is a tad more intense and could be felt in the stomach area.

The third step was the hardest. I shook uncontrollably and I had to maintain my balance and concentrate on the core.

Paul explained that 15-minutes on this machine for 20 days straight would help you lose an inch of fat and users should not eat before stepping into the mix to avoid feeling nauseous.

Next stop was Mary Grace Dela Cruz, the spa’s fitness instructor, for a yoga ball class. She asked if I wanted to have the class in the fitness studio or in the garden by the outdoor swimming pool. It was such a beautiful day outside that I could not resist the latter.

After finding out my yoga level, just beyond beginner, we placed our mats on the grass and started with some breathing and stretching exercises. Mary Grace talked me through every movement and encouraged me along the way.

She put me through my paces with yoga poses such as downward facing dog, the warrior stances and the tree.

After breaking into a good sweat she added a big blue ball to my exercise. Who knew that an inflatable ball would wreak the most havoc!

I did a roll and push up using the ball, worked my abdomen by moving it from my feet to my hands and stretching in the process, followed by ball leg raises.

There were a few more exercises and I felt like an out-of-shape weakling. Mary Grace definitely motivated me to work-out and build up my core. Apparently, my frame is great for yoga and this will help tone me up, make me more flexible and fix any knee joint issues. Yes people … I can’t touch my toes! I may be skinny, but it doesn’t mean that I am flexible!

Once the session was over, Mary Grace escorted me to the tranquil Hydrothermal Garden, a shower sanctuary that washes all your troubles and stresses away at different temperatures, pressures and sounds.

It leaves you feeling invigorated and refreshed … not to mention clean!

Receptionist Phyu Phyu Win walked me through the 12 shower and sauna chambers which included rain mist shower, effusion shower, nature’s glow, ice igloo, monsoon shower, bucket drench, grotto steam, pelotherapy chamber, sole therapy, tropical shower, herbal ceramic sauna and more.

When I walked through the corridor shower I felt like a car going through a car wash. I was misted, pummeled, washed and then misted again.

The tropical shower included different settings such as spring shower and summer rain. The monsoon shower was warm and had thunderous sounds, plus an arctic winter feeling.

I’m such a summer, island girl and prefer to shower in hot water. Doesn’t everyone? I had a horrible awakening at the ice igloo room as I was told to rub ice all over me.

It’s great for cellulite and firming your skin. I couldn’t wait to hop into a hot shower after that. The sauna and steam rooms were heavenly and relaxing and I could feel my pores opening up and my muscles relaxing.

I ended my experience with the bucket drench which was hilarious. You stand under a bucket … willingly … and pull on a rope to drench yourself with cold water.

There was a reward at the end in the form of a delicious, healthy three-course meal sitting by the Hydrothermal Vitality Pool.

The vegetable soup was savoury and tasty. The pomegranate, tangerine salad was delicious with sweet and sour flavours. The salmon, mash potatoes and veggies was scrumptious and satisfying. I washed it all down with a refreshing carrot juice.

After a few moments of relaxation, I walked slowly to the swimming pool to test out the different jets and water pressure features. Each area helps work the muscles as well as relax.

Next up was a body scrub, body massage and facial in one of the luxurious spa treatment rooms with Elizabeth Watuka who has a magic touch. The room was cosy and inviting with a changing room, shower and bathroom, a scrub room with two futuristic-looking beds, a massage bed, sofas and a big bath tub to be used for a milky rose or chocolate bath.

Elizabeth had created an apple, green tea and milk concoction for my body scrub session. She asked me to lie on the big green bed in the scrub room and she scrubbed all my dead skin right off. I looked like a giant granola bar!

She then left me in there for another steam and after a few minutes placed a long shower boasting several nozzles to drench me while being steamed.

It was wonderful. I felt nourished and nurtured.

Elizabeth then washed off the rest of the scrub, asked me to dry off and to follow her to the massage table where set about relieving my shoulder, neck and lower back pain.

I asked for a medium to relaxing massage. She applied the special oil Paul made for me earlier in the day. It was warm and smelled amazing.

As she pressed down on my shoulders I could feel my knots disappearing with every touch and although I vowed not to fall asleep ... but dozed off for a time.

I rolled over for the rest of my one-hour massage. It started amazingly well with my legs and arms being rubbed and then I passed out again. I woke up with a tiny comforting pillow placed over my eyes one.

My 45-minute facial and head massage followed. Elizabeth used soothing Elemis Oxygen creams, toners, scrubs as well as silk and gel masks and moisturises.

I ended my spa treatment with a hot cup of herbal tea and some fruits. I felt as though I was in a blissful daze, rejuvenated and reborn. As I examined my face in the mirror I could see that my blackheads were gone and my skin felt as soft as a new born child’s bottom.

I hugged Elizabeth goodbye and thanked the entire staff for a wonderful day. I reached home at 8pm to a happy husband who complimented my youthful glow and appearance. He asked me how it went and all I could say was that it was heavenly and exactly what my body needed. My one day wellness re-energising programme costs around BD125++ and includes all of the above. I was worth it.

For details on other programmes such as the mother-to-be massage, post-partum care programme, weight optimisation, the Hammam Garden and other treatments, contact 17845081 or follow them on Instagram at liveyourlifebahrain or on Facebook  at live your life page or by visiting www.alareenpalace.com

 







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