After an extensive rebranding earlier this year, Al Areen Spa & Wellness has a range of packages that take in every small detail of holistic wellbeing. I tried the full-day re-energising programme and left feeling distinctly perky.
We started with a dietary consultation with specialist Lorna. It was no surprise to hear that I don’t drink enough water but I was shocked when a pin-prick test revealed low blood sugar. Brownie points for the check-up and, even better, it led to a plate of juicy fruit and carrot juice before I was allowed into the workout studio. Bonus!
A yoga session, tough but not too strenuous, got me warmed up ready for the vibration plate. If you’ve ever tried shaking your booty while standing on a float in the swimming pool, you’ll know how this feels. You wobble around and the challenge is to stay upright as you exercise. It’s great fun but at the same time really gets your core muscles working (a fact to which I could still attest two days later).
By now more than a little sweaty, I was happy to stretch out for pressotherapy, a treatment that administers lymphatic drainage and detoxifies to help treat circulatory problems and fight cellulite. It’s hard to describe but feels a bit like being wrapped in a blow-up bed and having air pulsed in and out. The sensation is similar to that of having your blood pressure taken, but across the whole body.
It’s painless but I must admit I had visions of the machine malfunctioning and going into James Bond-style crushing mode. Of course, that didn’t happen and my therapist Joana was by my side the whole time checking that I was OK, and my skin did feel markedly better afterwards.
After a delicious healthy lunch, we headed to the hydrothermal garden, the biggest facility of its kind in the Middle East, where I dipped in and out of various showers, from cool spray to jungle monsoon, before heading into the steam room. Feeling hot, hot, hot, Joana then pointed me towards the ice igloo and encouraged me to rub crushed ice onto my burning skin. The idea sounds bonkers, but was surprisingly refreshing rather than the stinging cold sensation I had expected.
An energising body mask followed, which involved me being slathered from head to toe in clay and then wrapped in foil, allowing it to heat up and do its work of detoxifying and invigorating my skin. Then came my favourite part of the day, a treatment with the spa’s new VelaShape machine. Aimed at combatting areas of stubborn fat and cellulite, vacuum technology manipulates your skin while infrared light and bi-polar radio frequency energies gently heat fat cells and surrounding tissue.
The heat sensation is quite pleasant and levels of pressure in application can vary but, paying attention to a fairly recent surgical scar, Joana went easy on my tummy. I’m checking my chubby rolls daily as results are expected within a month even from one session – though the recommendation is for three.
Staying with VelaShape, Joana used the machine to administer a facial aimed at tackling years of sun damage and wrinkles. I have to admit, it was mildly uncomfortable but worth it for the end result which actually showed a difference worth going back for.
Then it was time for home, clutching my specially prepared healthy supper.
All in all, the full-day programme is quite long but it was a real treat to try out so many different options and get the benefit of the therapist’s extensive experience. I’d thoroughly recommend it.
