Revealed: the UK’s most relaxing spa treatment
A neck and shoulder massage has been voted the most stress-reducing spa treatment by UK mums.
An interactive study by BuyaGift examined the stress levels of top bloggers to reveal the most relaxing spa treatments for busy mums.
A traditional neck and shoulder massage came out top as the best for calming, followed by a wash, cut and blow dry in second place, and a deep-tissue massage in third.
The 10 most relaxing treatments voted by UK mums are:
- Neck and shoulder massage
- Wash, cut and blow dry
- Deep-tissue massage
- Steam and sauna
- Swedish full-body massage
- Pedicure
- Facial
- Hot stone massage
- Indian head massage
- Manicure.
The study analysed mums’ stress levels by measuring heart rate variability (HRV), which is an accurate, non-invasive measurement of the variation between consecutive heart beat intervals.
It reveals the signs of physiological stress as HRV is typically higher during relaxing activities and decreases during stressful activities.
A reading was taken during the most stressful moment of each mummy blogger's day and after their spa treatment, comparing the readings to see which treatment most improved stress rates.
Dr Daniel Plews, physiologist and Buyagift’s stress experiment consultant, said: “The survey reveals that mums need to take more time to relax as too little sleep and too much stress can have serious long-term physical and mental health implications.”