‘I spent a wellness weekend by the sea and it massively reduced my cortisol levels’
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, recharging your batteries during the summer holidays in England can actually be a relaxing affair.
In fact, I’d argue that a two-night getaway – focusing on a little R&R – can work wonders on cortisol levels and your overall well-being.
As a Women’s Health reader, I’m sure you (like me) have tried all the usual advice for when life gets overwhelming – exercise, eat your greens, take a bubble bath, write a gratitude list... Sometimes, it helps. But most of the time, the ‘self-care thing’ gets pushed to the back of the ever-growing to-do list.
Juggling too much ‘stuff’ without any real downtime can have serious wear and tear effects on the body and mind, especially when it doesn’t ease up after a while. So when a free weekend popped up in my diary, I reminded myself the importance of putting your own oxygen mask on before helping others – and headed to the South Coast (husband in tow) for a weekend ‘off’. Here’s how we got on...
36 hours at Rockwater Branksome, Bournemouth
Friday evening
Two and a half hours after leaving London, we arrived in Bournemouth at The Nici Hotel – which provides a valet parking service on arrival. The vibe here is ‘Miami-meets-Dorset’. Think: bold leafy prints and brightly coloured Jacksons’ jute beach bags hanging on the wall. There’s a spa with an 18-metre indoor pool, steam room, sauna and relaxation room; a gym and small yoga studio and a restaurant terrace overlooking a 30-metre outdoor pool (yes, it’s heated).
Fancy a night at the Nici Hotel? BOOK NOW
With relaxation being the theme of the weekend, we eased ourselves in and headed down to the beach where we’d booked a sauna session at The Saltwater Sauna – one of many seaside sauna huts popping up along UK coastlines – to sweat away the weekly stress.
Guided by former Army Officer-turned-sauna-master Jane Witt, we sweated for 10 minutes in the hot sauna before ambling down the beach and cooling off in the sea (we dunked for approx two minutes). We repeated the process for 35 minutes or so, with Jane walking us through various sauna methods – including Aufguss (steam infusions and towel waving) and Lithuanian leaf whisking.
Our ritual included a salt scrub infused with orange peel – which we rubbed into our skin upon exiting the sauna (and before dipping in the sea) – to help cleanse and detoxify our skin. It felt so smooth afterwards.
We followed up our hot and cold therapy session with dinner at Rockwater Branksome’s bar and kitchen – situated on Branksome Chine Beach. It’s been making waves in Bournemouth’s restaurant scene after opening last September, and it’s easy to see why. There’s an informal and immediately welcoming vibe. Think: soft earthy tones, wooden parquet flooring and sun-bleached driftwood.
Windblown or well-heeled, pretty much anything goes here when it comes to the dress code. Some don dry robes and head to the terrace straight from the sea. Others make more of an effort, with beachy espadrille sandals and button-down shirts.
The bar and kitchen menu includes classics like burgers and pizzas – perfect if you’re stopping mid-dog-walk along the promenade and want something quick and casual. But if you’ve got time, pick a mix of small plates and sharing mains. Standout dishes include; the Isle of Wight tomatoes with black garlic hummus, the catch of the day (a whole Brill, fresh from Weymouth) and a Pimm’s-inspired vanilla panna cotta.
Saturday morning
Saturday morning started early with a morning 45-minute yoga class at Rockwater for me, and a sweaty workout on the beach with Who Dares Gyms, founded by UK Special Forces, for my husband (to really get the blood moving). We then took part in a Wim Hof breathing and ice bath session with certified Wim Hof Method Instructor, health coach and healthy habit creator, Heather Ashley.
Heather runs cold water immersion sessions (read: sea dips) every Monday and Friday from Rockwater Branksome, all year round. We organised a one-to-one ice bath experience, where Heather guided us through half an hour or so of Wim Hof breathing techniques while lying on our backs on the yoga mat (a little trippy), followed by two minutes submerged in an ice bath on the beach. It was invigorating.
Cold-plunge devotees say ice bath dipping offers all kinds of health benefits, including mental clarity, pain management and even weight loss. And as someone who’s constantly on the lookout for new, and healthy, wellness trends to help calm the mind from the stress that is living in 2024 – I’m usually always up for a challenge.
I stepped into the bath – which was situated right on the beach for everyone to see (you’re literally dunking in ice while families are ordering smashed avo and French toast across the beach at Rockwater) – and sat down relatively quickly. I breathed heavily as the ice water stung my skin. My toes and fingers throbbed. When I got out, my white skin was red raw, and Heather showed me a squat-like stance to hold and move my arms back and forth to warm myself. I felt alive and energised and tired and relaxed all at the same time.
After our morning workout of choice, we dined on acai yoghurt bowls topped with fruit and granola, and fresh pastries at Rockwater, before heading back to the Nici for some downtime.
Saturday afternoon
Sunny afternoons here are best spent on the beach. Or you can choose to soak up those rays from the garden-wrapped pool at the Nici Hotel.
If you prefer more of an activity, it’s worth checking out Rockwater’s events calendar. Rockwater has a members-only offering called ‘Open Water’ (subscription is £1,000 per year) which, despite the name, has nothing to do with open-water swimming.
Instead, it offers exclusive subscriber events every month alongside complimentary spaces on all fitness classes. Well worth it if you’re an AFC Bournemouth fan – since it also offers access to hospitality and tickets to home games.
We joined an Open Water event on the Saturday afternoon – a two-hour tour and guided gin-tasting experience at Conker Distillery in Bournemouth.
Saturday evening
Dinner at Rockwater’s roof terrace is an elevated affair. The menu prices are a touch higher upstairs than they are downstairs in the bar and kitchen – but still affordable without seeming pretentious. Better yet, the entire roof retracts, so on a sunny day, it’s quite the sun trap. Ask for a table at the far end for the best views over the sea and overlooking Old Harry Rocks.
Food-wise, we opted for a selection of starters to share. The bread comes with an interesting whipped apricot butter and a jalapeno butter, too – although the latter had far too much of a kick for me. The chicken liver pate with apricot jam and toasted brioche was perhaps the favourite starter, although the cod croquettes with leeks also went down with ease.
For the main course, we had the roast cote de boeuf – which comes with caramelised shallots, roasted vine tomatoes, green salad and triple-cooked chips. Reader, it’s huge. We had to go for a little walk along the beach before calling it a night, in order to help digest it all.
Sunday morning
If you’re anything like me, you’ll always pack your running trainers on a trip away, just in case there’s an opportunity to get out for a little run. I headed down to the beach and ran along the promenade and was met with dozens of other weekend joggers, some clad with technical vest packs, others running alongside their dogs. It might have only been 8.30am, but the beach was alive with stand-up paddle boarders, open water swimmers and dippers.
After a quick shower, we checked out and headed back to Rockwater for brunch – because every 10k run should end with french toast with smoked streaky bacon, creamed spinach, poached eggs and maple butter. Delish.
WH Verdict
I don’t know what it is about being by the sea, but there’s something about the sound of the waves gently lapping the shore that calms my mind almost immediately. Research supports this. A 2013 study found that the sound of waves relaxed female volunteers more than soothing music, while a 2017 study showed that seaside sounds activate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure and relaxing the body.
This – plus the fact that being by (and in) the sea increases your happy hormones and even helps you sleep better – goes to show how powerful blue spaces are for helping to reduce stress levels. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed from ‘life’, then this is your sign to head to the nearest beach (preferably Bournemouth), and just switch off.
Go on then, how do I get there?
Rockwater Branksome is just on the other side of the South Coast town of Bournemouth, right on the beach. If you do want to explore the South Coast and the New Forest, a car will come in handy.
And when's best to go?
Of course, we’re biased – summer is when the sandy beaches come alive. But it does also have its pitfalls, namely; the crowds and fierce fight for a car parking space near the beach. So be warned if you choose to visit in the school holidays.
Book now
To find out more and to book a table at Rockwater, visit rockwater.uk/village
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