I’ve been covered up to my neck in a giant tub of fermenting wood chip-like things in a Japanese-style Osmosis in California’s Sonoma Valley — where else? I’ve been scrubbed by a gritty grape seed concoction at CordeValle, slathered in hot mud in Budapest, soaked in the Roman baths at the Vital Royal Dorint Spa in Austria. And at the Forte Village Thermae in Sardinia, a thalassotherapy center with six specialized saline treatment pools, I bobbed around like a cork in the brown, oily Mare d’Aloe pool. All in search of a better me — and you.

A Zagat Survey reveals that Americans spend more money on professional pampering than at the movies or amusement parks. And we’re not just talking about massages and facials. Services like hydrotherapy, Vichy showers, Thai massage and Watsu pools typically found in traditional European and Asian spas focussing on health and well being are being introduced to American spas in a big way as resorts continue to place more emphasis on wellness and fitness.

Indeed, the International Spa Association reports that 71 percent of consumers will more likely visit spas if they learn treatments deliver measurable health benefits. In the past five years, spas with new wellness services have reported a positive impact on revenue growth — which means they are giving us exactly what we want. Insurance companies are even getting into the game and starting to pay for health-related spa visits.

So what can the forward-thinking traveler expect from forward-thinking resorts and spas these days? We asked a few of our favorites for the inside story on taking your relaxation to a new, even more rewarding level.

SENSE at CORDEVALLE | Nicole Hollinger, spa operations manager
San Martin, Calif | www.rosewoodhotels.com
“We are getting a lot more requests for personal trainers as well as guides for outdoor hiking. Since CordeValle is big on service, we work hard to come up with a customized program for each guest. If they want a private guided hike with an instructor up to one of our yoga platforms in the hills, we can arrange it.”

Vacations are about indulgence. How do you help guests walk that fine line between letting loose and promoting good health?
For those who want to workout late in the night or early morning, we make our gym available 24/7.

What kind of programs do you have that are unique from the traditional weight room and exercise bikes?
Guests can arrange to have workout equipment like yoga mats, blocks and bands delivered to their rooms to use for the duration of their stay. At the Fitness Center, all our instruction is personalized and our fitness areas are both indoors and outdoors, not just in one location. Also, our cardio machines have private TVs and iPod docks.

Do you offer any special nutritional programs for health-conscious guests?
We offer consultations with our nutritionist to help guests learn how to live a healthier lifestyle, such as incorporating fresh local fruits and vegetables into their diets. Our executive chef gets as much as he can locally. And since we have tons of farms all around, there is a lot to choose from. We can create any kind of specialized menu, from a Mediterranean meal to a picnic.

What are some treatments unique to your area in Northern California?
The winery on our grounds (Clos LaChance) inspired our two-hour CordeValle Raindrop Ritual. It starts with a private steam followed by a grape-seed body gel exfoliation, then an antioxidant mud body wrap, a hair and scalp massage, a rinse under the Vichy shower and a full-body massage with grape-seed oil. It’s delicious. We also grow citrus on the grounds, which is reflected in our citrus body scrubs and citrus lotion massages.

CRANWELL RESORT & SPA | Christine Mariconti, spa director
Lenox, Mass | www.cranwell.com
“The term ‘letting loose’ speaks to reducing stress. You can do a quick fix like taking a run, but we structure our wellness programs to promote a full release — and that can take time. When people come here, it’s time to breathe deeply and to exhale. We have a beautiful “quiet room” that is perfect for de-stressing. My preference is to have you take a few minutes of down time before you start your treatment, then afterwards relax in our darkened quiet lounge, which allows the services you enjoyed to take hold.”

With health and wellness becoming more and more important, do you find guests want more options to help them stay fit?
Absolutely. They are definitely looking for more fitness programs like Zumba, which is a fun way to burn away the calories and is extremely popular. We are expanding our cardio equipment and personal training opportunities and adding more programs like aquacise using water.

What kind of new, perhaps non-traditional, programs are you offering?
This year, we are diving deeply into our pool fitness programs and recently took on a new fitness director who has a great background in aquatics. The water is a safe, wonderful place to work out, especially for older people who are dealing with issues like arthritis and stiff joints.

We also offer a number of classes, including Body Sculpt to tone longer, leaner muscles, while our Boot Camp Challenge gives you a total body workout. Our Spa’s Exercise Studio where yoga, aerobic and stretch classes are held is enhanced by a spring-loaded hardwood floor specifically designed for aerobics.

What is your pet rant?
We all need to take care of our bodies. Even if you can’t get to the gym, just get out there and move. We need it. Park farther from the store and walk, do vigorous housework, walk the dog, get a personal trainer. It all counts. There is so much we can do in a day that we can incorporate into our fitness regime. And we need to be positive, positive, positive about everything we do.

CLOISTER SPA & FITNESS CENTER | Donna Mastrianni, spa director
Sea Island, Ga | www.seaisland.com
“People are really interested in getting and staying healthy. We offer more than 30 fitness classes a week, and we’ve added some incredible packages like Fresh for people who want to jump-start their fitness program. It includes a morning walk, a personal training session, a facial or massage, a consultation on food and application of makeup. One person stayed here for a month, and we set up a total plan for her. ”

How can guests offset the indulgence that comes with a luxury vacation?
You come to a resort like this with fabulous food — ice cream, lobster, deep-fried seafood, rich, rich desserts. It’s tough not to pile on the pounds. However, our chef can cook any of his dishes without the fat. And with 65,000 square feet of spa and fitness facilities and a wonderful beach to walk, it’s not that hard to chalk up some good activity points indoors and out.

To recoup from a decadent night of rich food and wine, we suggest a program that incorporates our baths to help get things moving and replace essential minerals, followed by body treatments like a wrap, scrub and calming massage. We urge they drink a lot of water along with our white tea and ginger to flush their systems. For a quick fix, we sell Sprayology homeopathic products containing Vitamin B complex, vitamin C and other herbs. You squirt it into your mouth on the “day-after” for recovery relief.

What kind of programs do you have that are unique from the traditional weight room?
Our outdoor training programs on the beach encompass weight training, exercises like pushups and stretching, and navigating obstacles on the beach. We have incredible trainers who work with individuals as well as families and groups.

For golfers, we have Randy Meyers, a golf fitness pro who works with professional golfers as well as our guests, and we have a golf psychologist on staff. We also bring in celebrity fitness experts such as Az Ferguson, the million-dollar champion in Body for Life competition. He motivates people to eat better and establish healthier living habits.

Do you offer any special nutritional programs for health-conscious guests?
We often combine fitness programs with input from the chef and Joyce Mattox, a nutritionist and lifestyle coach. Coaching for the Cook, for example, covers meal planning, a shopping tour, guidance in how to create healthy meals in a hurry and even lessons on how to use knives.

What are some of your unique treatments?
We’ve done Tai Chi on the beach and mindful walks starting with our outdoor labyrinth, a peaceful place in the garden with a koi pond. Here you can meditate, pray, breathe and clear your mind. Learning how to quiet the mind is not easy, but so important in relieving stress. I suggest a 90-minute body treatment — during the first hour, your mind is still juggling. Those extra 30 minutes quiet the mind. Then you can go back to your room, soak in a hot bath and order room service.

THE GREENBRIER | Veronique Paquet, spa director
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va | www.greenbrier.com
“I firmly believe in balance and moderation. Because The Greenbrier has such a variety of choices, our guests are able to find their own perfect place. For example, the Detox Kur is an all-in-one service to eliminate impurities and toxins from the body. You begin with a detoxifying mud bath and an invigorating Swiss Shower and Scotch Spray to stimulate circulation, then a mud body mask draws out impurities, balances the skin and improves elasticity, while a petite massage finishes the treatment.”

What programs do you offer for health-and wellness-conscious visitors?
Part of the appeal of The Greenbrier is the vast range of activities we offer, from golf and tennis to white-water rafting, croquet, swimming, skeet shooting and horseback riding. We like to customize activities for our guests, to make every experience unique and memorable, including culinary and fitness aspects. So they can indulge in our Main Dining Room buffet for breakfast then go out to walk Old White (golf course) or play tennis and eat dinner guilt-free.

What about special fitness programs beyond the traditional standbys?
We offer private and group hikes with a fitness pro, golf stretch workouts and a variety of fun classes such as Abs Blast, Body Sculpt, Water Aerobics and Kickboxing. A Meditation Trail takes you on a peaceful walk along Howard’s Creek. The Greenbrier Clinic, a low-rise extension to the main hotel, offers diagnostic services geared to executives.

Do you offer any special nutritional programs for health-conscious guests?
Our Light Menu options have become more popular, especially when people realize how good the food tastes, and our Fitness Evaluation includes recommendations for a healthy diet when our guests go back home, as part of an overall plan designed to improve wellness, including flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and body composition.