The Best New Wellness Trips to Book in 2022

How Gym Culture Went From Punishing to Meditative By Maggie Lange-The Cut

I used to complain, very charmingly, that my competitive spin class wasn’t competitive enough, because it divided its ranking of its fastest participants by gender. My argument was less “gender is a construct” and more “put me in, coach, I’m faster than all of them.” Coincidentally, I was also dependent on physical therapy and, not infrequently, I couldn’t walk without seizing pain in my glute. One appointment, my physical therapist questioned my activity earlier that day: Had I really biked across boroughs to a spin class, then to work, then to our meeting to address muscular fatigue? Of course, I answered: Biking was the most efficient way to get anywhere; spin class was the most efficient way to exercise.

At the age of 28, I was overexerting myself. And I might never have learned my lesson if left to my own devices, but in early 2020, exercise studios shut down and I stopped hurtling my bike across the city, because I had no plans anymore. Six months later, the competitive spin chain I used to attend filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and permanently closed its studios.

More than two years of pandemic — which shuttered gyms and boutique fitness studios globally — have quaked the fitness world and created an entirely new landscape in workout culture. This new mindset increasingly prioritizes restorative, mindful movement over punitive and aggressive challenges.

Fitness companies market themselves as tools for mental health. Top-tier exercise platforms — like Apple Fitness+, Peloton, Alo Moves, and Obé — foreground meditation classes, and Mirror, for example, reported that completion of its meditation classes grew by 80 percent in 2021. Market forecasters indicate that “holistic fitness” — an approach that emphasizes recovery and mindbody practices like Pilates or yoga — is set to become a dominant force in the exercise field.

And there are signs that the most challenging workouts are losing their stronghold; the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal showed that HIIT, high-intensity interval training, dropped in popularity from its No. 2 spot in the worldwide survey of fitness trends (sent to thousands of professionals in that field) to No. 5 last year — being just surpassed by the wholesomesounding “outdoor activities.”

In the past year, lower-intensity programs like dancing became one ofthe top-ten most popular fitness activities for the first time (in terms of attendees), according to Mindbody,the fitnessmanagement and booking software. Walking, both silly and serious versions, was one of the buzziest physical activities in the past two years. Some of these qualms about HIIT workouts might be based on new information: A prominent NIH study published in May 2021 reported that excessive exercise training impairs health functions in otherwise healthy volunteers.

Just a few years ago, “the primary motivation was to look good,” says Sunil Rajasekar, Mindbody’s chief technology officer, “and now it’s pandemic stress management.” Mindbody’s 2021 trend report confirms this point: The new, leading motivation for exercise among its consumers is mental health. Rajasekar — who, when I met him a few months ago, told me he’d used an Instant Pot filled with water as a makeshift kettlebell in the early pandemic — says this is a dramatic shift in clients’ outlook. With the priority of reducing stress in mind, says Rajasekar, “People are expanding their fitness routines.”

One of the sharpest examples of this transition in fitness culture — from looking good to feeling good — is the Pilates platform Studio Qila. Until recently, the program was known as Body by Bridget, named by founder Bridget O’Carroll in 2016. “Back then, the goal was making it as hard as possible,” says O’Carroll. But more recently, the Body by Bridget name smacked of diet culture, and O’Carroll couldn’t stand it anymore. She needed to shed a destructive, high-intensity mind-set. “I want this to be something I could sustain over a long period of time,” she says. She started to talk not about physical transformations, but mental ones. She turned to a dictionary for her Alaskan native language of Aleutian and found qila, a word for spirit, and relaunched her program this past November. “I loved the shift of the focus from body to spirit.”

The new prioritization of physical sustainability is promising, according to Pilates instructor Lia Bartha, who has developed a particularly restorative form of the practice called B the Method. “People are trying to find ways to connect deeper, inside of their bodies, instead of distracting themselves with movement — like you would with something highintensity,” she says. “With the pandemic, people are focused on long-term health to protect their body for the future.”

CityRow founder Helaine Knapp agreed that for many of us, our new relationship to fitness might reflect that we’ve gained a general sense of mortality: “We are realizing that we’re going to be moving every day for the rest of our lives, so we better be careful with our one body and not pound the pavement with high-intensity workouts seven times per week.”

A sense that life is short and fleeting has also reduced any patience, says Amanda Butler, a personal trainer with Onyx. She tells me, with emphatic, energetic pride: “Diet culture is finally starting to be shamed. There’s been a lot more progress in the two years than in the past ten years.” People are starting to insist that exercise express the pleasures of how they can move instead of being an obligatory regimen to punish the way they look. Butler, a former cardio obsessive, now loves walking — “I really love anything low-impact” —and has been trying to pass this appreciation along to her clients. “It has been ingrained into us that the harder you work, the more you sweat, the better the workout.”

Over the past couple years, it’s also been cheaper and easier for people to test new programs. Digital classes were often free to try, and no commute to work freed up a hunk of time for some of us.

Mindbody’s survey noted that on days people work from home, they are twice as likely to try out a new fitness studio. Upended schedules prompt exploration and more introspection of what feels good, says Dr. Chloe Carmichael, a psychologist and author of the book Nervous Energy. A former yoga teacher as well, Dr. Carmichael has a bird’seye perspective on people’s relationship to fitness. Rather than a maximization approach, she sees a joyful sampling taking hold of attitudes about exercising. “It’s like the Montessori school of fitness — where a child gets to run around and do what they want to do.”

Pre-pandemic, I was constantly asking my body to do things for me — to pump my legs faster, to do this harder, do it for the glory and to ignore the warnings from my perpetually disappointed physical therapist. My body listened to my requests, because I am very convincing, but it also kept having meltdowns. Now, I think that my constant question to my body has adapted from something like, What do I want you to do today?to something more like, What do you want from me today? It’s possible I’ve become more humble. My relationship to exercise started to become less gladiatorial. Now, I prefer lower intensity. I do dancerly aerobic routines that I would have never wasted my time with, or even considered exercise.

I keep thinking about something O’Carroll often repeats in her Studio Qila classes: “Form over ego.” In the old-school hierarchy that I learned, ego (the mind) is meant to rule over id (the body). But this never quite worked out for me. And, though I never expected it, getting ego out of the way has been gloriously painless.

The Best New Wellness Trips to Book in 2022 By Annie Daly - Vogue

Welcome to the age of wellness travel. After nearly two years of uncertainty and unease, people seem to be craving the serenity and healthy boost a wellness trip can provide. A recent survey from American Express found that 68% of world travelers are likely to plan their next trip around improving their well-being—and the travel industry is listening. In the past year or so, there’s been a slew of new wellness hotel and spa openings around the world, all of which answer our craving for rest and relaxation. Because who wouldn’t want to treat themselves to a little TLC after the ~time~ we’ve had? (That said, make sure to check travel restrictions and requirements well ahead of your trip.) Read on for the best new wellness trips to book this year, from tropical getaways to mountain adventures, so you can start 2022 off on the right (moisturized, tension-free) foot. Best for communing with nature: Joali Being, Maldives

Though it’s hard to imagine not feeling amazing in the Maldives, there hasn’t been a resort there specifically dedicated to the wellness cause—until now. Joali Being, opened in November 2021, was designed to help you reconnect with yourself through reconnecting with Mother Earth. Tucked into the lush coconut palm groves of Bodufushi, a secluded private island in Raa Atoll, the 68-villa property is surrounded by crystal-clear lagoons and beautiful beaches so unspoiled, they’ll make you feel more fresh and free just by looking at them. But Vitamin Sea is not the only natural healer here. Joali Being also has all sorts of incredible wellness facilities that harness the power of the earth, from an overwater meditation deck to an outdoor sound

therapy oasis to an herbology center led by a resident herbalist who creates natural treatments inspired by traditional Anatolian remedies. Consider signing up for one of the property’s specialty immersion programs, which offer various workshops, classes, and treatments focused on their four pillars of well-being—mind, microbiome, skin, and energy— and range from five nights to three weeks.

Best for a dose of Vitamin D: The Standard, Hua Hin, Thailand

In December, The Standard opened an outpost in Hua Hin, a seaside city just a few hours from bustling Bangkok. With 171 rooms and suites and 28 pool villas, the property—The Standard’s first in Thailand— has all the usual offerings the playful brand is known for, from colorful decor to a lively pool scene. But it’s also big on the wellness front. The spa is focused on integrative medicine, with an emphasis on meditation, breathwork, and energy healing practices (think vibrational sound bowl ceremonies and crystal and quartz-infused oils). Thai-inspired massages are also a highlight, of course, though the standout must-try treatment is the DIY Mud Lounge, where you lather yourself with healing essential-oil-infused clay and sunbathe on the private beachfront lawn. Like most Standard hotels, the food is tasty, too, with a mix of Thai, Italian and American bites, plus a juice bar for living the green life. And for a true Thai fitness experience, head to the gym, where there are all sorts of workout classes taught by local instructors, from Muay Thai boxing to tai chi.

Best for a rainforest retreat: The Well at Hacienda AltaGracia, Costa Rica Could this even be a wellness travel story without Costa Rica on the list? The country is worldrenowned for its luxurious wellness offerings, and THE WELL at Hacienda AltaGracia certainly fits the bill. As a collaboration between beloved New York City-based wellness center The Well and Auberge Resorts, the new 50-casita well-being resort, opened in November 2021, is the epitome of holistic luxury. Set among 180 acres of lush Costa Rican rainforest, the retreat provides a highend blend of eastern and western therapies, from energy healing to lunar gong baths to craniosacral facials to an immersive riverside meditation at a nearby stream. All treatments begin with a purifying local clay treatment and herbal exfoliation at the property’s pièce de resistance, Casa de Agua, a sunny, greenhouse-style relaxation room that overlooks the sweeping treetop canopy below. Though simply chilling in your casita is enough to feel totally immersed in nature, the resort also offers lots of guided excursions to help you explore the surrounding tropical forest and wildlife even further, including a stargazing session led by a local astrologer. TL;DR: With eight treatment rooms, five seasonally-inspired restaurants, a hydrotherapy tub and thermal suite, an assortment of mindful movement classes, and endless potential for outdoor adventures, The Well at Hacienda AltaGracia truly has everything you need to leave feeling better than you did when you arrived. The only hard part? Actually leaving.

Best for a digital detox: Willka T’ika Wellness Retreat, Peru

Sometimes you just need to disconnect, and Willka T’ika is one of the most incredible spots in the world to do so. Located in Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas, near Machu Picchu and other ancient ruins, the 26-room boutique hotel is surrounded by the Andes mountains and was created in part to honor Pachamama, the Andean deity who represents Mother Earth. With such a strong focus on nature, it should come as no surprise that Willka T’ika doesn’t have TVs or phones in the rooms, and only offers Wi-Fi in designated areas—perfect for a soulreviving digital detox. And while the property has been a staple in wellness circles since it opened in 1995, they launched a new seven-day “Essential Wellness” program earlier this year, designed to help you restore your body, mind, and soul during difficult pandemic times. Each day of the program targets one of the seven chakras, or energy centers, of the human body through traditional Andean healing ceremonies, vegetarian farm-to-table meals, immunity-boosting juices and teas, yoga, breathtaking hikes, and time spent in their beloved Seven Chakra Gardens. Don’t miss the coca leaf reading with Layka, a traditional Andean healer who’s been with the property for more than 20 years.

Best for a healing soak: Sky Lagoon, Iceland

Chances are, you’ve either been to Iceland or know someone who has. The secret’s definitely out on the country’s life-changing potential, especially its naturally healing geothermal waters. But there’s a new spa on the scene that’s worth planning another trip around if you’ve been already (and worth factoring into your first-timer’s itinerary if you haven’t). Sky Lagoon, opened in March 2021, is built into a cliff just 15 minutes outside of Reykjavik town and is meant to honor authentic Icelandic bathing culture. Like its now-competitor Blue Lagoon, the longstanding must-visit spa on everyone’s Iceland bucket lists, Sky Lagoon embraces the country’s geothermal waters—but it also has its own signature skin-care line and offers sweeping panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean from its breathtaking infinity pool. The treatment to get here is the Seven Step Ritual, which takes you through a series of traditional bathing experiences, from a cold glacier pool to a bright sauna to a warm waterfall shower, all of which leave you feeling like a softer, silkier, cleaner, and more rejuvenated version of your old self. Bonus: If you can go soon, you may be able to catch the Northern Lights while you’re there—peak viewing season in Iceland is October through February. And while the spa does not have accommodations, there are plenty of hotels in nearby Reykjavik to book. 101 Hotel is a favorite among design lovers, and The Reykjavik EDITION just opened in November 2021 with 253 rooms and a rooftop perfect for processing your epic adventures.

Best for a breezy seaside getaway: Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, New York

In March 2022, the Gurney’s you know and love is relaunching with a serious upgrade: a newlyrenovated seawater spa. Designed with the help of Alonso Balaguer Designs, best known as the