Spabreaks.com Launches "Real Men Relax" Campaign

Today, Spabreaks.com, experts in wellness and the UK’s leading spa booking and experience agency, have launched their annual “Real Men Relax” campaign. The campaign, which launches in line with Men’s Health Week, looks to highlight the wide array of reasons men should go to the spa to support their mental and physical health as well as manage everyday life challenges.

Supporting the campaign and uniting to de-robe and open up on their own personal challenges is The Apprentice contestant and CEO Reece Donnelly, viral influencers The Four Lads in Jeans, Newport Town football striker Will Evans, Britain’s most capped blind footballer Darren Harris and suicide prevention charity runner David Slater. All ambassadors aim to shine a light on their individual reasons for using the spa and have spoken about their own reasons for using spas and benefits they have experienced from taking dedicated time to use their facilities.

When it comes to health and wellbeing, all of us have different needs. Some are more susceptible to stress than others, some get sports injuries, some purely enjoy the relaxation. However, when it comes to men’s health, many of us have heard alarming statistics. Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 50 in the UK, with an estimated 40% of men unwilling to talk to anyone about their mental health.

Men of all backgrounds have turned to the spa to support their individual life circumstances with Reece commenting “Since leaving The Apprentice, I was juggling lots of different roles and responsibilities and so I started using spas to manage the workload of being a CEO and business leader. Steam rooms, saunas and Jacuzzis have all helped me to manage external pressures.” 

The Four Lads in Jeans, who experienced intense trolling when they were first thrust into the spotlight commented “When our picture first went viral, we received huge amounts of trolling online - everything from hate speech to death threats. It had a big impact on us and spas were a place to escape the noise, scrutiny and just take a moment to breathe.” 

Newport County striker, who turned pro having been a farmer before scoring against Manchester United in The FA Cup this season, uses the spa to aid his performance “I regularly use spas to support my performance on the pitch. From the gym and massages to ice baths and saunas, it all helps me to prepare for matches. It’s the fine margins that you invest in off the pitch that make the difference when it comes to the big games”, commented Will.

Whilst the spa is an escape for some, it is also a place of inclusion for others, Darren Harris, Team GB’s most capped and decorated blind footballer of all time finds inclusion and freedom in the spa “There are no barriers at a spa and no judgement, everyone is there to relax and enjoy some much-needed peace and relaxation."

Completing the line-up is ‘1 Dad Running’ David Slater who joins the Real Men Relax campaign having completed his 519th consecutive day of running to raise awareness for suicide prevention and uses spas to recover and ensure he able to keep going in his quest to raise money. He highlights their benefits, saying “Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35. I run to raise awareness of this and aim to highlight the support networks available. Spending time using spa facilities has been integral to my ability to keep running – supporting me both physically and mentally – which I think is something we all need.”

The driving force behind the campaign is Spabreaks.com’s 16-year history of promoting spas as places that everybody should feel able to enjoy - spas are the right experience, destination and location for all. Founder Abi Selby has long advocated for spas to be more accessible for anyone who wants to go, from campaigning for increased therapist training to support cancer patients, to dispelling outdated ideas around spas and their target demographic

Abi Selby, founder of Spabreaks.com, commented “Whether you or someone you know is not feeling quite themselves, feeling low, stressed, bullied, tired, overwhelmed, or even if you’re feeling great and you want to stay feeling that way, we all need a break once in a while. A spa break gives you time to rest, restore and recuperate; feel great, feel quiet and most of all feel safe and supported in your fluffy robe and slippers. Wherever you go, whatever experience you want to have, whether you want to go on our own, share it with a friend, a group, your partner or your mum, there’s no bravado, no need to pretend and no need to support someone else for a while. For me, that’s what spas are all about and I’m incredibly proud of the work my team has done to show any man that that includes them as well.”

Spabreaks.com has a wide range of spa experiences available for everybody and every occasion, including dedicated special offers for men and Father’s Day discounts. For further information visit Spabreaks.