On the 9th June, the 6th annual Global Wellness Day took place in over 100 different countries at over 5000 different locations. As the University of Derby Buxton is a forerunner in the provision of spa and wellness education, it was only fitting that we celebrate such a day, and so a fantastic event was organised by two 3rd year students from the International Spa Management degree course. The event took place in the university’s’ historical Devonshire Dome campus – adorned in the iconic magenta colour of the Global Wellness Day brand, the Dome was the perfect setting to host such an event. The aim of the day was to the statement “One day can change your whole life” by bringing awareness to a wellness lifestyle. The Global Wellness Day manifest for 2018 was comprised of 7 elements: walk for an hour each day, drink more water, don’t use plastic bottles, eat healthy food, do a good deed, have a family dinner and sleep at 10pm each night. 

With this in mind, the event was organised to reflect these ideals and create awareness in an engaging manner. The day was filled with an ample amount of activities, some of which ran throughout the whole day, and some that were delivered in allocated time slots. This helped to create a fun atmosphere that was also structured enough so that no one got confused by the itinerary – this was a day centred on wellness after all! The team came up with a great idea to design passport-style itineraries so that guests could keep a visual record of which activities they had participated in throughout the day. With this, guests could collect stickers as an incentive to increase participation; each sticker was worth one entry to a prize draw. The event attracted guests of all ages – both adults and children – all of which appeared to enjoy the day in equal amounts. The event also fell on the same date as a university open day, so there were many additional guests that chose to join in the fun. 

The scheduled activities included the following:

• Wellness Walk. Equipped with Global Wellness Day display paddles, a party of around 20 people took part in this activity. We were led on a route past the historic St Anne’s Well – where famous Buxton mineral water is pumped from the ground – and to the scenic Pavilion Gardens. Buxton is a bustling town during the summer months and the weather was perfect, so this was certainly a highlight of the day. The walk demonstrated that the aim of walking for one hour each day is an achievable step to a healthier lifestyle. 
• Tai Chi workshop. There were two Tai Chi workshops on the day. The first one took place inside the Dome and introduced participants to a few simple movements, followed by a 5 minute demonstration from the instructor. After people had processed these simple moves, it was time to move onto something slightly more advanced, so later on in the day we gathered again, this time on the lawn outside of the building. It can’t be said that everyone mastered the moves, but it was definitely great fun!
• Healthy Food workshop and Healthy Lunch. Delivered by a professional doctor, guests were shown a presentation which introduced the concepts of healthy eating and mental techniques that can be used to switch cravings from junk food to vibrant, nutritious and healthy food. This was the ideal precursor to the healthy lunch, which was presented in a social, ‘family style’ setting with two long tables rather than many separate ones. We were treated to a wonderful array of rainbow foods which left us feeling full and satisfied, and the general consensus was that the food actually beat quick fixes such as pizza or pasta (not to say treating yourself isn’t a part of wellness too!).
• Mindfulness workshop. This pressure-free, informal workshop included an introduction into what mindfulness means, followed by a 10-minute guided mindfulness session. During this, we were taught to acknowledge our breathing and centre our thoughts to the present moment. The benefits of mindfulness for the mind, body and spirit were explained, leaving people eager to learn more. Feedback from the participants was very positive and there was a relaxed vibe in the room.

Additionally, there was a Children’s Reading Room, Plastic Awareness information stand and spa treatment demonstration stand that guests could visit throughout the day. There was also an Affirmation Board – people had the opportunity to write something that they were grateful for or happy about, and display it on a board for all to see. By the end of the day, the board was covered with over 40 affirmations, which conveyed a powerful, positive message that fittingly reflected the principles of wellness.  

The impacts the day had for me personally were profound in terms of insight – I went away from the day feeling super reflective. As for the “One day can change your life” claim? After being armed with knowledge surrounding the dangers of plastic, I have converted to bamboo cups, I haven’t bought a plastic bag in weeks, I am eating healthier and my water intake is certainly up (however, the recommendation to sleep at 10pm may take some time to implement!). But that’s the great thing about the wellness movement – it doesn’t demand a drastic overnight change, it encourages small, achievable lifestyle alterations that can have a subtle positive impact on overall wellness. With annual events set to follow, this is just the beginning!

Originally posted By NWI, Monday, November 7, 2016 By Chris Andrews
Managing Director, Personal Touch Fitness United Kingdom

Let’s talk about electronic devices and social media. Have you encountered someone nearly bumping into you walking down the street because their head was looking at their mobile device and not concentrating on where they were going? Instead, their concentration is on a perceived important message that they ‘need’ to reply right then and there. It seems extraordinary if you think about it without even mentioning the strain on the muscles in the neck, eyes, and fingers. Give your body a break. Prevent an accident or incident by enjoying the surroundings and appreciate your environment.

Your health and wellbeing is more important and we should all consider where, when, and why you need to be on an electronic device for a majority of waking hours. Do you really want to be available 24/7? I wouldn’t recommend it. There is a time and place for their use. Are you overusing it? Before the mobile phone, people were able to connect. Yes, it took longer but was that a bad thing? The stress contributes to mental wellbeing problems due to over-use. Now, it is ruling our lives and eventually, it will take a toll on our health. The young generation is on electronic devices at an early age. Whilst we need to know how to use devices to keep up with the ever-changing world, we need to consider the impact on our health and wellbeing. It will affect us all. Eventually. One way or another. Issues can be emotional, physical or even financial by keeping up with the latest version.

We need to talk to one another face-to-face and engage in a conversation. Take note how many family gatherings everyone is glued to their electronic devices. You may have children over to play or for a sleep-over and they are all on their phones taking selfies, playing games, or searching the internet. If boundaries are given or devices taken away–you are a “mean” parent.

Have you taken time to understand how many hours you or your children spend on electronic devices and do you have a cut-off time each day when you turn-off? Do you lead by example? Is it time to take stock and digitally detox for your health and wellbeing?

1. Time Apart: Put your devices out of sight instead of leaving it on the counter where you can see messages and notifications. Put them in a cupboard or drawer.
2. Holidays: These are what they say. A holiday is to relax and recharge ourselves. Put the phone away.
3. Buy an alarm clock: Don’t rely on a phone to wake you up otherwise it becomes the first thing you check morning and night.
4. Have a cut-off time in the evening when you switch-off devices stick to it.

Challenge yourself on your behaviors and why you may spend a lot of time on devices and how does it make you feel? Things can be easily misconstrued and come across completely different on texts, email, and social media. If someone really is interested in you, they should speak to you.

If you start changing behaviors slowly you might be surprised the amount of time you originally spent on electronic devices. You may find that the time you save can amount to a few hours a day. This will enable valuable family and friends time actually talking to one another, playing ‘real’ games or going on a cycle ride. You may find you are able to fit in more exercise or mediate, read your favourite book or plan and prepare healthy meals. Takeaways and unhealthy diets are usually blamed on a lack of time. Think about the changes that you could make in your lifestyle for your health & wellbeing as you grow older and prevent that accident on the pavement or stresses and strains on the body! The answer isn’t always, "There is an app for that"!

Chris has been the MD of Personal Touch Fitness (PTF) for 16 years in the UK,