A booze-free drink with buzz, a World-ly spa and the case for mobility training

Whether you’ve resolved to get stronger, run farther or kick higher, you’ll want to consider adding mobility training – one of the year’s fitness trends – into your routine. Different than stretching (although stretching itself is another of the year’s buzzy workout topics, according to Shape magazine), mobility training improves the body’s range of motion in joints – think shoulders, knees and ankles. “Mobility training is important as it helps to increase strength and stability in the muscles. It can help to prevent injuries as well as reduce pain and discomfort associated with physical activities,” says Marco Capizzano, co-owner of B Stretched (bstretched.com), a Toronto stretching clinic that offers a variety of physical therapies. Capizzano adds that mobility training isn’t just for athletes. “We have seen a dramatic increase in individuals who are stuck at their desks several hours a day with poor ergonomic set ups, and children behind their screens for hours,” he says. “When the body is flexible, recovery is much easier and quicker.”

Spa

World Spa, in Brooklyn, New York.Brian Berkowitz/Supplied

Cross cultures

World Spa, which opened last month in Brooklyn, N.Y., is a 50,000-square-foot bathhouse that combines spa and wellness traditions from around the world. Over three floors, there are rooms dedicated to Russian banyas, Finnish saunas, Moroccan and Turkish hammams and Japanese onsens as well as a Himalayan salt room and a hydrotherapy pool. Each treatment is a treat for the eyes as well, with rooms embracing design inspiration from the specific therapy’s roots. The space that houses the Moroccan hammam, for instance, is adorned with colourful tiles imported from the North African country. The Clay & Hay sauna, inspired by Mayan traditions, features walls made of adobe mud, as you’d find in a traditional temazcal.

World Spa admission from US$85 (worldspa.com).

Obsession

Opus Peach Bellini, $16.50/four-pack through drinkopus.com.Brooke Mos/Supplied

Fizz factor

I’ve never been a huge drinker, and during the first couple years of the pandemic my desire to have a cocktail or glass of wine declined even more. Today, I’d call myself a non-drinker. Like many others who abstain from alcohol, there’s still a desire to enjoy something that’s not pop or juice, so I’m always trying new non-alcoholic options. I picked up a can of Opus’s Peach Bellini recently from the grocery store (a perk of not drinking is that it’s easier to get your drinks where you get your bread), popped it open and hoped for the best. And it was better than I could have hoped – all the bright cheery flavour without the mind-altering buzz. For those looking for something less sweet, the Vancouver-based company also makes a non-alcoholic gin and tonic, which was awarded at the San Diego Spirits Festival, and aperitivo spritz.

Opus Peach Bellini, $16.50/four-pack through drinkopus.com.

Investment buy

The effect of the Master Tox, one of the massages offered at The Tox, is typically demonstrated with a before and after shot of someone’s belly.MarinaVarnava/iStockPhoto / Getty Images

Feeling drained

Los Angeles-based The Tox recently opened a Toronto location offering both body and facial treatments focused on getting the body’s lymphatic fluid moving. The treatment will have you feeling lighter, and your digestive system moving better. The effect of the Master Tox, one of the massages offered, is typically demonstrated with a before and after shot of someone’s belly, the after being more slender. What’s happened is a flushing of excess fluid and inflammation. You’ll likely notice even your arms and legs seem slimmer – sitting in front of a computer can cause stagnant fluid around ankles and wrists. Part of the immune system, the lymph transports some hormones, nutrients and waste around the body. If it becomes stagnant, it can be problematic. “This can cause a feeling of heaviness, looking puffy or bloated, weight gain, joint stiffness and pain in the affected areas,” says Dr. Liza Egbogah, a Toronto-based osteopath and chiropractor who incorporates lymphatic draining in her facial treatments. “It can also cause changes to the skin that include rashes, darkened patches, dryness and thickness, and may lead to digestive issues, feelings of fatigue and depression.”

The Tox treatments, from $249 (thetoxtechnique.com). The Face Fix treatment, $275 (drlizaegbogah.com).

Business

TikTok trends have contributed to shortages of medications, according to a 2023 report in technology trends newsletter The New Consumer.Supplied

Diagnostic check

The new “don’t Google your symptoms” is “don’t believe what you see on TikTok.” According to a 2023 report in technology trends newsletter The New Consumer, 30 per cent of TikTok users saw mental health- and health-related content in their feeds in 2022. While there are some benefits – doctors can leverage the platform to correct misinformation – the effect the app is having on requests for medications is problematic, reports Claire Wallace in health industry trade publication Becker’s ASC Review. “Trends on the app contributed to shortages of medications including Wegovy and Ozempic, used for weight-loss and diabetes treatment,” she writes.