Starting a new fitness and wellbeing journey can be a daunting experience, especially if you’re unsure how to live a healthy lifestyle. However, rest assured that an awakening revival of your mind, body and soul is awaiting you at Mallory Court Hotel. 

Awarded 5 bubbles by the Good Spa Guide, our sublime Elan Spa is perfectly tucked amongst the trees, offering a wonderfully peaceful retreat. With state-of-the-art facilities and some of the best therapists in the industry, prioritising your wellbeing has never been easier.

Discover a new you this year as our Spa Manager, Tara James, and Personal Trainer, Kate Cheer share their top tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle, their recommendations for beginners, and most importantly, the unrivalled experiences included in our exclusive Elan Spa packages and memberships for our lovely guests. Here’s what they had to say:

1. What are your top tips for staying healthy in 2022?

Kate - My answer in short is to create balance. It can be very easy at the start of the New Year to slip from an ‘all’ to ‘nothing’ mindset. Creating strict eating or dieting goals, coupled with intense and long workouts after a long period of indulgence can start off feeling positive and end up feeling like a punishment. Think about the long term and create habits that are actually sustainable and more importantly, enjoyable. 

Taking all the foods you enjoy out of your life and signing up to 7 workouts a week will simply result in resentment and a feeling of deprivation. When you’re having a stressful day and you’re lacking in will power, you’ll be swapping your workout for an hour (or three) in front of the TV, and your salad for a takeaway. If you want to know how to live a healthy lifestyle, then my advice is to go through your day thinking of each decision as a choice. For example, if you think you’ll order a takeaway instead of cooking a healthy meal that takes 45 minutes to prepare, why not stop at the supermarket and pick up a meal option that’s ready in 15 minutes? Life is full of decisions and when you start to see them as choices that will take you one step closer to your end goal.

2. What can guests expect from the Elan Spa and Gym facilities?

Tara - We have a beautiful indoor Hydro Pool and an outdoor Vitality Pool which has to be my favourite as it's hot and situated in the stunning grounds providing that extra relaxation. We have indoor thermal rooms, an outdoor sauna, and our treatment floor with a lovely relaxing waiting area and 7 treatment rooms, all with heated beds and showers. Not to forget our wonderful Spa Café where guests can retreat to enjoy a coffee or a light lunch. 

Kate - The Fitness Suite at Elan Spa has a full range of state of the art TechnoGym equipment carefully selected to make working out both enjoyable and effective. From treadmills and cross trainers to spin bikes and a free weights section, The Fitness Suite is designed to be a functional, relaxed and welcoming space for all, whether you’re a gym beginner or you already feel at home in a gym environment.

3. What Elan Spa experiences or regimes would you recommend to your guests?

Tara - A favourite treatment of mine for pure relaxation is the Kundalini, this is great for rebalancing the mind, body and spirit. For guests looking at how to live a healthy lifestyle, they would benefit from our wellness experience, as a healthy lifestyle is more than just exercise. From the moment you arrive, we encourage you to relax with our qualified team making it a seamless experience. A full itinerary and tour of Elan Spa takes place at the beginning of your day and you can get straight into your fluffy robe and slippers ready to unwind with our spa facilities and range of available treatments. 

Kate - My top tip for those wanting to create a more active and healthier lifestyle is to keep it simple. Work on key movements and exercises that build strength, increase cardio fitness, and improve balance and flexibility, as these are key for beginners. The fundamental exercises I work on with all my clients at varying levels of intensity include compound exercises that involve movement of more than one muscle group at a time, such as squats. 

To help improve cardio fitness, brisk walking, swimming and cycling are all heart pumping and low impact aerobic exercises that are suitable for most people to begin with. Stepping this up to the next level I’d recommend jogging or running and more explosive exercise moves such as jump squats that work the heart, lungs and multiple muscle groups in one go.

4. What can guests expect from the spa packages and memberships?

Kate - The Spa Membership is a great program for those who want to learn how to live a healthy and active lifestyle. It includes a fitness assessment and induction that is personal to the individual member and tailored to their specific goals. The assessment includes a review of the member’s current health and fitness to determine any health factors that may affect their training. At which point, their stats are recorded so that progress on any physical goals can be monitored and reviewed periodically.

The members are then taken through a series of core moves and exercises to determine their current level of ability before agreeing on fitness goals and a personalised training plan. This features recommendations for the duration and frequency of their training sessions per week. All members are encouraged to provide feedback on their progress and are able to book subsequent follow-up training sessions with me for further coaching and support.

Tara - With an Elan Spa Package, guests can enjoy the full facilities, indulge in a delicious lunch or afternoon tea and be in an oasis of tranquility with our luxury treatments. For guests who wish to extend the relaxation, they can enjoy an overnight spa day or for a special little treat, I’d recommend the half day spa, offering a bespoke spa experience. 

All our aromatherapy oils used in these treatments are simply beautiful and the therapists can tailor the oil to the individual's needs. You can even purchase these oils for the body or bath when you visit.

5. What is included in a personal training session?

Kate - Working one to one with a personal trainer has many benefits; not only can this help to keep you motivated both during and between your training sessions, but it also helps you achieve your fitness goals faster. Through personalised training plans, improved technique, and form, there is less risk of injury and expert advice and coaching are designed to meet your personal abilities and goals as quickly as possible. Working with a PT ensures more variety to your training and encourages you to exercise outside your comfort zone to achieve things you may have initially considered impossible.

6. How important are spa treatments and experiences for mental health?

Tara - Very important. It's so crucial to stop, put your phone down and take a break from the busyness of everyday life and really switch off in a deep relaxation. The new year is all about wellbeing, so it's looking after ourselves from mind, body and soul. Mallory Court Hotel has such a beautiful setting for the Elan Spa with some of the best therapists in the industry to help our guests rejuvenate and re-energise.

7. Finally, what advice would you give to a beginner who wants to start their fitness journey in 2022? 

Kate - Staying motivated is often the biggest challenge people face when it comes to starting, and more importantly, sticking to a regular fitness routine. Therefore, how to live a healthy lifestyle starts with exercising at a level and frequency that’s realistic even when motivation might be low.  

Scheduling two 30 minute workouts per week for example is going to be more manageable in terms of fitting  into a busy diary, which in turn boosts our feeling of success. Once that habit is set and your fitness has started to increase, then look to increase your goal to three workouts per week, or increase the duration of each workout to 45 minutes. I often ask clients to create a vision board that contains motivational images and words that are personal to them, reminding them of why they are on their fitness journey and inspiring them to keep moving towards their goals.   

Put your wellbeing first this year 

To experience the ultimate indulgent escape at our quintessential British country house, retreat to our Elan Spa to enjoy something truly blissful. Make the most of our glorious grounds and surroundings and discover the peaceful sublimity you need to prioritise your wellbeing this year. 

For the complete spa experience in a countryside chic setting, build your own spa day with Mallory Court. With numerous luxurious options to choose from including a 55-minute spa treatment and one hour pool access, create your very own bespoke spa session or continue the relaxation and stay for the night in one of our plush, modern bedrooms. 

Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey, you want to know how to live a healthy lifestyle, or you’re looking to improve your skills and abilities, immerse yourself in one of the best spas in Warwickshire with our exclusive membership. Indulge in the benefits including discounts on treatments and food, a spa pass with unlimited access to the facilities, a personal training session, and a little complimentary spa gift. 

To find out more about our Elan Spa, the available treatments and products, or the range of facilities, visit our website or view our spa brochure. 

We all deserve a little pampering, so start your new year with a visit to Elan Spa at Mallory Court Hotel. Discover an oasis of tranquility and revive your mind and body when you book a luxury spa experience.