For a one-day wellness trip, a visit to a beauty parlour or a massage studio is highly recommended. At a more grass roots level, how about a refreshing dip at your local swimming pool, followed by a quick trip in the sauna?

Anyone desiring a longer break has the choice of several wellness hotels in many larger cities, catering for everyone’s taste and budget - from beauty centres with overnight facilities through first-class relaxation oases to sports-medicine based fitness hotels.

Pampering your body and soul makes you feel good, both during and after your wellness programme. When selecting a spa cleanliness comes first and foremost – who can feel good if the floor is dirty and there are old towels lying around? A spa should be pristine - and spacious. Then, if you wish, you could retire into a comfortable corner, rest, or bury yourself in a book. Other criteria: plenty of drinking water and fruit as a snack between meals. And particularly important: don't be forced into a full schedule of treatments. It is difficult to relax if you’re pushed for time. Remember that ‘less is more’.