The World Wellness Weekend (WWW) is the international event that has been promoting mental and physical wellness as a way of life since 2017.
An event that aims to generate a worldwide movement for wellness and simultaneously involve more than 120 countries on the third weekend of September, close to the Equinox, a period chosen as a symbol of balance and harmony. Hotel facilities and Wellness Centers around the World are joining the event, offering special packages and initiatives related to mental and physical well-being for the occasion.
This year’s edition of World Wellness Weekend will take place from September 17 to 19, 2021.
Among the headliners of the event will be an Italian location: Val di Fiemme – in Trentino – will be the first and only entity internationally to participate in the event as an entire territory. For three days, from sunrise to sunset, Val di Fiemme will showcase its nature as a land of wellness. On the program are activities and events capable of creating a profound agreement between man and the environment according to the 5 pillars of the World Wellness Weekend: rest and creativity, nutrition and immunity, movement and vitality, mindfulness and serenity, motivation and solidarity.
Val di Fiemme: a land of well-being
Nestled among the Dolomites of Trentino UNESCO World Heritage Site, the valley stretches between 1,200 and 2,200 meters above sea level between two nature parks, Paneveggio Pale di San Martino, with its deer reserve, and Monte Corno with a wide variety of bird species.
The valley is also called the Valley of Harmony because of the famous Violin Forests and the striking Sounding Forest that tower above the 9 municipalities in the area.
A gigantic green lung, where the forest heritage administered by the local Regole of the Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme now has 60 million trees (3,000 per capita) capable of capturing 2 million tons of CO2, as shown by the FSC certification obtained. Val di Fiemme is also a “renewables district,” with all municipalities committed to replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources and among the top ranking of virtuous municipalities on waste separation.
The sport has a valuable tradition confirmed by the awarding of the Olympic cross-country skiing competitions of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games Milan Cortina 2026.
Val di Fiemme: World Wellness Weekend 2021
For the three days of the international initiative, Sept. 17-19, this Trentino valley nestled among the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites will reveal its profound nature as an open-air spa, thanks to trails, activities, side events, and moments of study and insight organized by theAzienda per il Turismo Val di Fiemme.
Dance-show, hiking in the Dolomites, night walks with stargazing, indoor wellness trails and outdoor Kneipp trails will join the initiatives organized by the local hotels; as well as nature workshops with animals (horses, cows, goats and sheep), while restaurants in the valley will offer thehealthy menu specially developed in collaboration with the star chef Alessandro Gilmozzi
Three major events in the event will also take place simultaneously on the same weekend:
- The Fiemme Namasté Festival, two days of yoga, karate and tai chi;
- The Val di Fiemme Skiroll World Championship;
- Fiemme Without Cars, a day dedicated to environmental awareness and rediscovery of the area with State Road 48 of the Dolomites closed to traffic; an invitation to travel the 13 kilometers separating the two most important towns in the valley on foot, by bicycle or other non-motorized means.
The World Wellness Weekend in Val di Fiemme will be an opportunity to discover this land in which wellness is not a moment to be carved out from the daily grind, but a lifestyle that respects nature and draws inspiration from nature every day.
The importance of mental and physical well-being
Rest and creativity
62% of the world’s people sleep poorly(World Economic Forum 2019)
30% of the population is affected by insomnia(Sleep Foundation 2020)
1 billion people worldwide suffer from sleep apnea(The Lancet, 2019)
Lack of sleep affects heart disease and stroke, weak immune system, high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, and obesity. On the contrary, proper rest helps improve attention and concentration, reduce stress levels, develop resilience, and encourage creativity.
Nutrition and immunity
Overweight and obesity kill more than underweight; in 2016, 39% of adults were overweight, 13% obese(World Health Organization 2020). But obesity is preventable. Healthy eating leads to more energy, better immune system, better mental health, and brighter skin.
Movement and vitality
Sitting is more dangerous than smoking and kills more people than HIV(Mayo Clinic 2020).
Sedentary jobs have increased by 83% since 1950.
25% of adults and more than 80% of adolescents are insufficiently active(World Health Organization 2018).
Between 2013 and 2018, Europeans who did not engage in any sports activity increased from 42 percent to 46 percent(Eurobarometer 2019).
It is widely recognized that regular activity helps weight control, fights disease, improves mood and increases energy.
Mindfulness and serenity
One billion people suffer from anxiety, while one in four suffer from mental disorders.
51% of adults who suffer from chronic stress and have symptoms of fatigue. 74% felt so stressed that they were overwhelmed or unable to cope.
In Europe, 13.5 million work days are lost each year due to stress-related disorders(Global Wellness Institute, Mental Health Foundation).
Mindfulness practices reduce stress and anxiety, improve brain activity, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and increase attention, focus, clarity and awareness.
Motivation and solidarity
690 million people went hungry in 2019. The pandemic could bring more than 130 million more people into chronic hunger by the end of 2020(WHO, 2020).
Because of the health emergency, extreme poverty is likely to affect 9 percent of the world’s population in 2020, who will find themselves living on less than $1.90 a day(The World Bank). It is essential to support each other to make progress in being well.
