Spa Attitudes Vary by Generation
Why Baby Boomers Avoid Spas Until Gen-Xers Send an Invite.
Apr 13, 2008
Spas originated when the healing powers of hydrotherapy were first discovered. Because of this early discovery, many ancient cities, for instance the city of Bath in the UK (chartered in 1159) emerged around the natural Thermae Hot Springs. As settlers explored the United States, cities such as Manitou Springs in Colorado flourished near the region’s famous mineral springs, celebrated by the local Native Americans for their amazing healing powers.
Spas and Money
However, most immigrants new to the United States in the early 19th and 20th centuries didn’t consider spas a priority. The early immigrants focused on finding steady jobs, saving money, and helping their relatives pay for passage to the United States and Canada.
Thus, it was the wealthy European immigrants who longed for the spas of their homeland that founded and visited America’s early health spas. Consequently, early spas in the United States became exclusive clubs that catered to the wealthy. In The Road to Wellville, the American writer T.C. Boyle satires the Battle Creek Sanitarium, a renowned spa founded by Dr. John Kellogg whose fictionalized goal was to interest wealthy clients in desiring his cornflakes breakfast cereal. Unfortunately, this depiction of spas paralleled the sentiment of the times, a sentiment depicting spas as frivolous, a sentiment that has persisted…until Generation X came along.
The Changing Times
This trend of considering spas a luxury continued until the 1960s when a report from the Surgeon General stated that cigarettes were detrimental to health. A way of life centering around the cocktail hour abruptly ended. In addition, at Syracuse University Robert Ader described psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), commonly known as the mind-body connection and Dr. Norman Cousins healed his own autoimmune condition of ankylosing spondylitis with biofeedback and humor. The health movement in the United States escalated even further when Dr. Kenneth Cooper described aerobic exercise as necessary for cardiac health. Suddenly running became a desirable activity rather than a chore, and "the runner's high" became addictive.
Money and Health
With these changes, by 1980 more and more young Americans were spending their disposable income on health club and gym memberships, a legacy they passed on to their children. America's Baby Boomers had no problem paying for a service in which they did the work although they drew the line when it came to spas and someone performing a service on them.
Consequently, Gen X children consider stopping at the gym after work a way of life. This younger generation, spawned in the 1970s and 1980s, missed the message about services rendered. Wiser in many ways and more likely to have friends from diversified cultures, the Gen-Xers also discovered the benefits of spas. Young adults today schedule massages, facials and hydrotherapy sessions the way their parents scheduled aerobic classes or started the day with a brisk run. Young adults making a quarter of the income of older adults understand that preventive therapies work. They instinctively understand that a massage or body wrap offers health and spiritual benefits. And they’re willing to pay for these benefits.
The Generation Gap
However, the Baby Boomers, brought up with parents who survived the Great Depression, seem to have missed the lesson on spas and health. Aerobics made sense because who, after trying one of the early workout videos, would have seriously worked out at home? Working women liked the camaraderie of health clubs and made friendships at the gym. Stay-at-home moms liked having a place to go and everyone considered the money for a gym membership well spent. So, while aerobics and gyms were okay, massages and spas weren’t as readily accepted by Baby Boomers. Today, Baby Boomers report “finding” spas after their adult children presented them with certificates for their first massage or scheduled a “beauty day” for them at Elizabeth Arden.
Yes, spas are intended for both improving one’s appearance and for improving one’s health. In fact, these two seemingly divergent goals complement one another. Healthy people look better. And attractive people tend to feel better. Lifting one’s spirits benefits one’s health. Fortunately, Baby Boomers are savvy when it comes to saving a dollar. And as more and more spas participate in Spa Week specials or offer senior discounts, expect to see more of us Baby Boomers stepping into spas.
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