It’s late July and I have nowhere to go. No exotic destinations or vacation plans of any kind.

It’s certainly not for lack of trying. I went into uber-planning mode last fall, rounding up family and friends to convince them to commit to a summer getaway. Unfortunately, my powers of persuasion failed, which is why I’m sitting at my computer in late July watching others pack up their cars while mine is permanently parked at the curb.

Trying to overcome my stuck-at-home depression, I came across the notion of a “staycation.” Am I the only one who’d never heard of this before?

Essentially, a staycation refers to a “vacation” where you “stay” at home. At first, that didn’t sound like much of a vacation to me. Then I looked into it some more. The price of gas is out of control, and I drive an SUV (only because I think it’s more economical to run my 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee to the ground than to drop a few grand on a new car). The cost of groceries is on the rise as well, but my home pantry is already pretty well stocked. Taking a trip could end up costing more than I’d bargained for.

Still, I want to feel like I went somewhere this summer besides my front porch. And here’s where the spa industry comes in, having once again found a way to turn a run-of-the-mill time into a terrific opportunity to meet consumer needs. Apparently, I’m not the only one longing to get away, if only for a day or even just a few hours.

According to the annual survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), 22 percent of people surveyed say that they use massage to relax. Plus, massage therapy can also reduce stress and improve overall health. Eighty-seven percent of people surveyed agree that massage can be effective in reducing pain, and 85 percent agree that massage can be beneficial to health and wellness.

So spa professionals are ingeniously marketing their services toward worn-out people like me who need a break but can’t go very far. After all, a professional massage at a day spa provides the perfect getaway. Heck, I can even request an ocean waves soundtrack to accompany my massage experience.

In the end, the staycation is an excellent way for spa pros to keep busy and for bleary-eyed workers to chill. Maybe I’ll get away this summer after all.

-Robyn Tellefsen

Tags: massage therapy, spa, staycation

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am and is filed under Spa/Wellness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.