The word "wellness" is often understood as relaxation and "kicking back"; soaking up energy at a spa, whiling away stress in a whirlpool.

Nearly forgotten is the fact that the wellness wave, which rose more than 30 years ago in the United States, was at first mainly a health movement propagating stress avoidance, a balanced diet, and exercise.

The wave is now returning to its original, more active form in Germany, where fitness centres, sport clubs and tanning studios are putting more emphasis on wellness, indeed wellness has become  a German word in itself.

"Exercise is a pillar of a wellness lifestyle," the Dusseldorf- based German Wellness Association declares - a sign of how the concepts of wellness and fitness are gradually merging.

Take for example, the city of Essen's FIBO, launched more than 20 years ago as a "fitness and bodybuilding trade show." FIBO now bills itself "the leading international trade show for fitness and wellness."

Relaxation

Be it a classic Finnish sauna or gentler "bio sauna," hydro- massage shower or massage couch, "you've simply got to have a cool- down area nowadays," Kamberovic remarked. One of the reasons for this, he said, was that the average age of visitors had risen: "Twenty-five years ago it was just over 20, but now it's around 38. The older clientele is more health-conscious."

"There's a greater demand for medical fitness, and instead of power aerobics, older visitors prefer to take it a little easier," Kamberovic noted. As health checks and supervised workouts now play a larger role, fitness centre personnel have to be more qualified.

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