Your Illinois Wellness Guide Just in Time for the New Year

The start of a new year is the ultimate reset button – it’s the perfect time to zero in on your wellbeing. Overall wellness is more than just one thing—it's a rich spectrum that includes your physical strength, mental clarity, emotional balance, and social connections. Ultimately, it’s all about taking intentional actions towards a healthy, wholesome lifestyle. Here are just a few ways that you can prioritize your wellness in Illinois to start out the new year.

Movement is king, especially during the winter months when we’re not as deliberate about getting out and about. Joining a local gym or group fitness studio is great and all for getting into your fitness journey, but there are also other simpler ways to inspire movement into your routine and get some fresh Illinois air.
Explore Illinois parks solo or with friends and family by way of running, walking or even cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Visit Starved Rock State Park for scenic hiking trails, which are beautiful at all times of year but can become a winter wonderland in the snowy months. Hike or run through the largest state park in Illinois, Pere Marquette State Park. Indulge yourself in a walk full of art and nature in Allerton Park, where you’ll come across formal gardens, sculptures and natural woodlands. Take a jog through Lincoln Park or Grant Park for unmatched city park scenes.

Treat yourself to a yoga class, healing salt cave session, massage or wellness retreat to inspire serenity in your busy life.
Visit SaltTreeYoga for some of the latest natural healing methods to help bring the body back to a more functional, healthy state or Peoria Himalayan Salt Cave for salt cave sessions, yoga or massage. Visit Oxygen Spa Studio for a massage or facial. Relieve stress through a customized massage at Stress Knot Massage. Take a tranquil wellness weekend escape at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa to connect with nature, experience new activities, enjoy the spa or cozy up next to a wood burning fireplace with a new book. Take a peaceful day in the big city at The Peninsula Spa where you’ll find a luxurious and intimate fitness club and spa.

Fill yourself with wholesome eats for wellness from the inside out. Explore a grocery store that has healthy offerings or support local by visiting an Illinois farmers market.
Visit health food stores like Walsh Natural Health, The Neighborhood Co-op or Common Ground Food Co-op. Wander through year-round farmers markets such as Galena Farmers Market, Twin City Farmers Market or Green City Market.

Whether you’re finding your stride on a snow-dusted trail, recharging at a spa, or nourishing your body with hearty foods, Illinois offers endless inspiration for implementing wellness into your routine. Let this year be the one where you prioritize your peace and vitality. Here’s to a healthy, balanced, and vibrant year!