Wellbeing in 2023

2023’s fitness focus is on exercising for longevity. That is, improving our long-term fitness and flexibility for the future with sustainable regimes, functional training (that strengthens the body to enhance the way we naturally move) and a little less emphasis on high-impact exercises, which can lead to increased levels of the stress-hormone cortisol when overdone. Created by expert minds in fitness, medicine and behavioural change, the Regenerate with Movementum Retreat at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park focuses on movement health. It starts with a one-to-one Movementum class, where a series of specialised movements assist mobility, stability, performance and recovery. This is followed by a functional movement treatment that focuses on mobility and flexibility, with a therapist helping to manipulate your body to enhance your form and function. Afterwards, enjoy a Movementum spa treatment and a healthy lunch at the hotel’s restaurant, The Rosebery, while you take stock of all the hard work you’ve done.

£485 per person, available Monday to Friday

There’s nothing new about acupuncture – an ancient component of traditional Chinese medicine – but its therapeutic effects are elevating the average facial into a mood-boosting panacea. Fine needles are applied to a map of energy points on the face in order to refine the skin and reduce muscular tension while also benefiting overall wellbeing. During her Cosmetic Acupuncture Wisdom Facial at Harvey Nichols, Athena Giralea not only rejuvenates the face with massage and LED light (to target issues such as pigmentation), but her intuitive needling helps to regulate stress and improve sleep. She also focuses on body and ear acupuncture to help relax and balance the body – cue a brighter mood and visibly brighter skin.

From £295 for initial appointment and follow ups

Blame wellbeing influencer Wim Hof – aka The Iceman – for preaching about the benefits of an icy plunge, but our treatments are only getting colder. Cryotherapy – also known as “cold therapy” – goes well beyond a cold shower though, subjecting the body to very cold temperatures in order to improve circulation and blood flow and even relieve pain. The Bulgari Hotel Spa’s dedicated cryo suite is where you want to chill. The 90-minute Signature Cryotherapy Sports Massage impresses the most, offering deep tissue massage as well as cutting-edge cryotherapy to relieve the tension in targeted areas of the body, helping to reduce niggles and minor muscular injuries. Perfect for those post work-out “rest-days”.

£270 for 90 minutes.

A new generation of aesthetic clinics are thinking beyond skin to address their clients’ spiritual health. Think Botox with a side of soulful crystal healing. Clinics are less “clinical”, with interiors that have all the comfort of the latest members’ club, and treatment menus that are designed to support skin but also enhance mental clarity. Natali Kelly’s chic clinic in Walton Street does just that. You’ll find practitioners specialising in injectables working alongside those offering spiritual balance in the form of reiki, sound healing and intuitive readings. A life coach is also on hand to help point you in the right direction this year.

No longer the preserve of the Hollywood starlet prepping for (or recovering from) an award ceremony, vitamin drips (or, intravenous vitamin infusions) are fast becoming mainstream. They deliver a cocktail of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes directly into the bloodstream via a cannula (it’s not for the needle-shy), and are able to bypass the normal absorption process via the body’s digestive system. Effects Doctors is offering IV infusions, as well as blood testing and analysis, in collaboration with Daylesford’s newly renovated Bamford Wellness Spa Brompton Cross, which is just a stone’s throw from Knightsbridge. Importantly, each drip is prescribed by a doctor and administered by a nurse in order to create a bespoke infusion tailored to your body’s unique needs.

Available from 20 January 2023

Evie Leatham is a beauty editor and journalist who writes for the Evening Standard and The Telegraph