Mind, Body, and Travel: Best Airports for Health & Wellness

By: Terri Ogan

We all know it can be difficult to veer away from the pizza and bar food while traveling, or even relax before takeoff. No need to fret. FlipKey.com is making your next travel experience less grueling on both your mind and your body by revealing the top travel hubs for health and wellness.

Whether you’re flying domestic or international, this accolade of travel hubs for health and wellness will make for a much better jet-setting experience.

1. Be Relax Spa massages in Terminal C at Boston Logan International Airport (Boston, Massachusetts)

Located in Terminal C in Boston Logan International Airport, Be Relax Spa offers a variety of services that will ease those flying jitters and make you feel fresh for your flight. Some of these services include table stone massages, foot massages, waxing and several different manicure and pedicure deals. For travelers that are in a time crunch, the spa boutique sells a wide range of massage and travel accessories to take onboard for a comfortable trip.

Be Relax Spa

2. Evolution Yoga at Burlington International Airport (Burlington, Vermont):

Namaste, traveling yogis. Evolution Yoga, located on the second floor of Burlington International Airport in Vermont, offers a tranquil area where jetsetters can relax, unwind, and stretch before a long flight. Although there aren’t classes offered at this location, the studio contains do-it-yourself booklets to help guide your yoga flow. Evolution Yoga also offers a family bathroom with a shower across from the Observation Tower on the second floor on the east side of the airport.

3. Vegetable-packed, cholesterol free food options at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas, Nevada):

When you think of Las Vegas, you might not think of watching what you eat. But you might do so after a trip down the Vegas strip. The Las Vegas McCarran International International Airport was ranked as one of the top airports in the US offering hearty-healthy meals, according to a 2011 report from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Healthy eats include the smoked tofu burrito at 360 Gourmet, or a vegan wrap with hummus found at several restaurants in the airport, including Bar One, Home Turf Sports Bar and Wipeout Willy’s.

4. Absolute Spa and Hair Salon at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport (Vancouver, Canada)

Dubbed as one of Canada’s largest and most luxurious spa chains, Absolute Spa and Hair Salon offers a variety of services for travelers located in three areas of the Fairmont Vancouver Airport: Before security on level one, and after security by Gates C44 and C26. Stuck with a long layover? Indulge in esthetic, massage, hair styling or hair removal services. Regardless of your itinerary, travelers can make an appointment or drop in for relaxation or rejuvenation on the go.

Absolute Spa Vancouver

5. Walking Path at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Stay fit while traveling with the Walking Path at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Teaming up with the American Heart Association in its nationally recognized “Start! Walking” program, the Minnesota Airport now offers a 1.4-mile walking path for customers to stay energized and keep their heart rate up. The loop starts at the intersection of the C and D concourses, and winds down the C concourse. If you’re looking for more, continue through the Airport Mall. Located on an overhead sign, green dots will help track your distance.

6. Fresh and Healthy dining at Newark Liberty International Airport (Newark, New Jersey)

Ditch the donuts and indulge in some healthy eats at Newark Liberty International Airport. These health-conscious meal options in Newark will make you feel energized and healthy on your next trip. Grab a falafel sandwich from Mediterranean Bistro, or a hummus wrap from Market Fresh. Other heart-friendly food options include the seaweed salad and various sushi rolls at Hamachi Sushi.

7. Top gyms, bike rentals and more at Zurich Airport (Zurich, Switzerland)

Get your fitness on in preparation for a long flight out of Zurich Airport in Switzerland. The world-renowned airport offers an abundance of activities that you won’t find anywhere else. Rent inline skates, bikes, and nordic walking poles from the service and information desk in the multi-story car park 2. Get out of your seat and amp up your layover for a moderate price: Bike rentals are $22 (20 Swiss francs) for a half day; skate rentals start at $16 (15 Swiss francs); and walking sticks are $11 (10 Swiss francs).

Zurich Gym

8. Healthy eating at Charlotte Airport (Charlotte, North Carolina)

While the southern airport has won awards for its tasty barbecue at Brookwood BBQ, there are healthy options as well. Go meatless with a veggie burger at the Stock Car Café in Terminal B. Grab some chopsticks for a scrumptious and heart-healthy sushi meal at Hissho Sushi in the main atrium, or go for the portobello mushroom and red pepper sandwich (minus the cheese) at the Carolina Beer Company in Terminal D.

9. Meditation room at Raleigh Airport (Raleigh, North Carolina)

The Raleigh-Durham International Airport features a meditation room open 24 hours per day, seven days per week, located before security on the ticketing level of Terminal 2. Passengers can escape to this tranquil room during the hustle and bustle of their trips. The room entails chairs, a prayer mat, and a podium, and embraces all the qualities that make an ideal space for reflection, meditation and prayer.

10. Yoga at San Francisco International Airport (San Francisco, California)

Practice some vinyasa flow before your flight at the San Francisco International Airport, which was the world’s first airport to offer such a feature. The yoga space, located after security in Terminal 2, is devoted to relaxation, self-reflection, and stretching, of course. The yoga room is free-of-charge, and situated in boarding area D.

San Francisco Airport Yoga

11. Massages and an oxygen bar at the Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

The Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam offers several services both basic and unique to help passengers pass the time during a layover or prep for a flight. At the airport’s Back to Life service center, travelers can enjoy a chair massage, foot massage and aqua massage to recharge before a trip. In addition, Back to Life offers an oxygen bar where jetsetters can reboot their batteries and take off feeling fresh. Back To Life is located after Passport Control on Holland Boulevard, which is the hallway leading from Departure Hall 2 to Departure Hall 3 between Piers E and F.

12. Health clubs and healthy bites at Munich Airport (Munich, Germany)

Get a taste of the world at Munich Airport in Germany with a variety of eats. Bite into Asian cuisine cooked up with fresh ingredients at Bamee in Terminal 1. Enjoy light snacks, fresh fruit, healthy salads, healthy cakes, coffee, and other specialties at the Bistro Organic, which serves up 100 percent organic foods in Terminal 2. In addition, the Munich Airport has several wellness offerings, like the Kempinski Health Club. Whether you’re looking to relax or break a sweat, the Kempinski Health Club features an indoor pool and whirlpool, sauna, steam bath, pool bar, various massage and beauty treatments, fitness center, and solarium. One might travel to Munich just to experience the airport.

Happy & Healthy Travels!

  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • StumbleUpon

Leave a Reply

Name and email are required. Your email address will not be published.