#360fit: Get the Star Treatment at Sensasia Urban Spa

Kara Martin 12:32 26/05/2016
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  • Sensasia has something for everyone.

    If you’re flying out to a (tolerably) sunny spot fairly soon and sweating at the thought of having to shed a few extra layers poolside, then you’re in the same boat with all of us. If you’re also a procrastinator, about fitness or just about anything else, then welcome to the club.

    Bootcamps in the lead-up are well and good, but there’s always a teensy bit more you can do to put the final touches on your ultimate summer body once the deadline hits. This week, we threw ourselves at the mercy of the award-winning SensAsia Urban Spa, which has a specially-dedicated body contouring menu just for summer prep slackers like us.

    With treatment names like ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Get Waisted’, SensAsia’s summer-conscious menu is fun and intriguing – we want to try all; anything but another round of burpees, please.

    The star of the menu is without a doubt the popular ‘Skinni Mini’, built to banish any last-minute bloating while smoothing, tightening and toning all the necessaries. It’s for women, but the 12-year-old spa chain knows men feel just as anxious about revealing their ‘summer bods’ as the ladies do so the team are introducing a version for men from June – The Skinni Miki.

    While the female treatment targets key fat stores and problem areas typical to girls – legs, bums and tums; men can find the dreaded orange peel primarily appearing around their middle, and the  Miki, a five-in-one corrective treatment aims to firm and tone those muscles, reduce cellulite, as well as detoxify and re-mineralise the body.

    Both 90-minute treatments tackle all of this for you with a series of body brushing and massage techniques that increase blood circulation to help eliminate toxins with the aid of a mix of wonder creams and gels, an algae mask and through the use of strategically placed electrodes that work to painlessly break down and transport fluid, toxins and distorted fat cells. The damage: Dh595.

    Another incredibly popular pre-summer treatment choice is ‘The Full Monty’, which we were able to sample. It’s 90 minutes of hard work, on the part of the therapist, and will leave you feeling tingly and trim all over.

    Each troubled body area – in our case, legs, bums and tums – goes through about four rounds of treatments using the highest quality Mio slim-specific products; from the glycolic acid Triple Buff exfoliating cream that kind of feels like tiny ants are pinching at you (it’s the acid removing dead skin); to the Skin Tight and Shrink to Fit formulas that firm muscles and smooth out cellulite, with the help of thermal technology and rolling pin and karate-chopping hand techniques from the therapist.

    'Skinni Mini' is one of the most popular options.

    ‘Skinni Mini’ is one of the most popular options.

    A mineralised algae mask goes on next and is allowed to set for a good 15-20 minutes while you take in a foot/arm/shoulder/head massage and reap of all the mask’s winning ingredients – fat-melting Laminara Digitata, energizing Guarana Caffeine and circulation boosting Horsetail Extract.

    Remove the mask, get scrubbed off and it’s off to the relaxation area for a complimentary detox drink where you will literally feel your skin taking in huge gulps of air for about 30 minutes afterwards – this treatment does that well to unclog toxins, with fresh blood pumping hard and fast. The Full Monty costs Dh750.

    Indeed, a single treatment produces instant results that last for around 72 hours – of course, the difference is slight so don’t go expecting to come off the treatment bed like Misty Copeland or Magic Mike (we woke early the next day to measure the teeny one or two inches lost; small gains welcome). And you may need to use the toilet…(also a gain).

    Needless to say, it’s worth booking in a few over the next couple weeks in between workouts to boost your chances of racing to bikini fit. And you can mix and match treatments on future visits to SensAsia’s four branches across Dubai  the SensConscious summer menu has more to offer.

    Can’t stomach the idea of a colon cleanse? There are subtler options… like their Elemis Body Sculpting Cellulite and Colon Therapy. It’s a no-mess, anxietyfree alternative to colonic irrigation. The high-impact 75-minute massage is perfect to inject movement into a sluggish digestive system, relieve fluid retention, and target cellulite, and it is priced at Dh540.

    We are more liking the sound of  the Shrink to Fit treatment, starring the one and only Mio product of the same name. Highly effective deep tissue and lymphatic massage is combined with exfoliation and powerful actives to smooth, firm and re-elasticise ‘spongy’ and ‘lumpy’ skin on the hips, thighs and bottom. Set aside Dh595 for this advanced 60-minute treatment.

    Finally, there is Get Waisted  sixty minutes of work choreographed to target and visibly tighten the stomach and hips. You’ll zone in on cellulite and those dreaded ‘love handles’ with powerful  active products, and thorough rounds of exfoliation and lymphatic massage. And you’ll pay Dh370.

    With all of these treatments, it’s still important to be at least a little health-conscious – steer clear of junk food, drink tons (and tons) of water to better help the work just done in clearing out your system, and throw in a bit of light exercise too (sorry, you still have to). Therapists recommend a series of six sessions to see something dramatic.

    We also like that they sell the Mio slimming products that they use in-house take them on vacation with you if necessary. Therapists are also more than willing to share more at-home remedies for de-bloating and fighting fat.

    TOP TIP: The detox drink you receive after every treatment here is a highly effective detoxifier made of simple in-the-kitchen ingredients of cayenne chili powder, maple syrup and lemon in hot water. Drink every morning to help get things moving. Hot fresh ginger tea, which they gave us pre treatment, is also really good for this. The truth is these are the sort of spa sessions the stars take in before their close-ups and red carpet events to top up on all their hard work, and we think it’s worth it if taking Instagram-worthy shots on your vacation this summer means a lot to you.

    What: SensConscious Summer Body Contouring Menu
    Where: SensAsia Urban Spa, with branches in The Village Jumeirah, Emirates Golf Club, Palm Jumeirah, and Souk Al Manzil in Downtown Dubai
    Contact & Info: www.sensasiaspas.com

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