Biohacking and high-tech spa treatments

Technology is now an inextricable part of our lives, and if the powers that be are anything to go by, then within a decade we probably won't be talking about AI as much as we do now because it will simply be part of everything we do.

In wellness, technology is making significant gains, from wearable devices to AI-powered diagnostics, all offering more personalised approaches to managing our health. Already it's becoming commonplace for people to track their sleep patterns, heart rate, and activity levels using a Fitbit or Apple Watch, while wellbeing in spaces like spas and leisure facilities are also taking a high-tech approach to support wellbeing as part of the 'biohacking' movement.

What is biohacking?

The term biohacking has become pretty commonplace in recent years, with the rise in a swathe of wellness apps, devices, ideas, and practices about how to optimise wellbeing through varying degrees of self-care.

In a podcast interview, Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Melissa Young described biohacking as:

"Biohacking is the art and science of maximizing human performance by hacking our biology. I think, simplicity-wise, it's making intentional changes in lifestyle, our environment, our body, to maximize our mind, body and emotional health."

Not all biohacking is about being high tech - Dr. Young notes that practices ranging from intermittent fasting to light therapy, meditation to cryotherapy are all part of the movement. However, where tech plays a role is by bringing accessible data into the picture to improve our collective and individual understanding of personalised health. Furthermore, tech has the capacity to make certain types of holistic therapy more accessible to different parts of the population.

What does high-tech wellness look like in spas

The prevalence of technology in the holistic wellbeing space is rapidly becoming wide reaching, with different spa destinations electing to incorporate technology at different levels (or sometimes not at all). For those who are curious about exploring the growth in tech-driven wellbeing in spa environments however, there's a whole world to choose from, ranging from touchless treatments to personalised fitness. For example:

Infrared saunas

You've probably heard of infrared saunas and wouldn't necessarily have considered them high tech. They often feature in thermal suites, emitting light (infrared waved) to warm the body without relying purely on air temperature like more traditional saunas. The particular type of heat they emit gets deep into the skin, causing the body to heat up and enjoy all the benefits of sauna experiences but without feeling quite as hot as traditional saunas. As a result it's more comfortable for lots of people, and supports circulation, detox, and muscle relaxation.

Vibroacoustic and neuroacoustic therapy

Vibroacoustic therapy uses low-frequency sound vibrations for relaxation and healing, while neuroacoustic therapy uses specific sound frequencies, like binaural beats, to support mental wellbeing and reduce stress. Many spas are using the science to create new, tech-based meditation and mindfulness experiences, blending binaural music with other experiences like floatation tanks, or offering it as an option in its own right.

Red light therapy

Red light therapy is a form of low level laser therapy, used to improve the appearance of the skin, typically for things like reducing wrinkles, scars, and acne. It's a fairly specialised experience offered by a number of spas - Fairmont Windsor Park offers it as a treatment option within some of its packages, for example.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is literally ‘cold therapy’, a technique where the body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for a set time to deliver a series of health benefits. It's a tradition as old as time and with a variety of uses ranging from stimulating circulation and boosting mood to pain relief. While there are traditional, low tech ways of doing this, in contemporary spas tech makes it more accessible and controllable. For example, at Fairmont Windsor Park they have an electric cryotherapy chamber, instead of the traditional gas, which allows for an even distribution of the air across the body from toes to nose, for optimum results (gas is a heavy substance and doesn’t lay equally).

Laser and light therapies

Lots of us are now familiar with a catalogue of laser and light therapies which allow for non-invasive approaches to improving the appearance of our skin. They can work in a variety of ways. For example, at Whittlebury Hall, there's a Light Salon, a partnership between ESPA’s natural skincare and The Light Salon's LED light treatment to further advance their results-driven facials.

Virtual reality (VR) experiences

Virtual reality experiences are being incorporated into some spa treatments and wellbeing experiences to add a meditative element and enhance the benefits. For example, at The RE:TREAT spa at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester, they have a VR headset which can transport you to real-world locations from the beaches of Seychelles, to the Great Ocean Road in south east Australia. It also releases essential-oil blends uniquely crafted for each of its virtual landscapes to give the mind that additional sensory association with relaxation. You can use the VR experience on its own, or having a manicure, for example, combining that meditative experience at the end of a workout or a spa day to embody the different elements of wellbeing.

Touchless treatments

Lots of people want to enjoy spa experiences but are anxious about touch treatments. Tech introduces options that allow for more self administered or touchless treatment experiences that open up the spa world to even more individuals and offer a greater variety of options. For example, there are touchless treatment beds that offer binaural acoustic and vibrational frequencies to deeply relax both the brain and body. Somadome guided meditation pods are also becoming popular, using light and colour therapy, with hues that balance your energy and amplify your meditation. The dome creates a sense of infinite space while blocking harmful Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMFs) with magnets that work synergistically. Creating a cocoon that replicates the frequency of a healthy human body and stimulates the free flow of chi through energy medicine.

High performance fitness

Fitness is probably one of the most reported areas in which wellness is becoming high tech. A great example of this in action is at SENSORY Wellbeing at Pan Pacific London in London, where they're passionate about using data, reports and biofeedback to optimise experiences and wellbeing. A great example is their Body Assessment and unique TecnoBody® D-Wall. The Body Assessment is available from their treatment menu, supported by Pnoé - the world’s leading automatic VO2 and metabolic analysing system. The test provides an in-depth analysis of heart, lung, muscular and neuromuscular function in real time. Guests can book the experience and then continue with the D-Wall - within three minutes it delivers a posture analysis. If you're having the full assessment then you complete the 360-degree assessment with a food intolerance and allergy testing with our in-house nutritionist.