In the summer of 1999, Lauren Pronger, co-founder of St. Louis-based agency Well Inspired Travels, persuaded her husband, Chris, to take a vacation.
At the time, Chris was playing for the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues. He had always been reluctant to travel in the offseason, Lauren recalled, because he would be away from his trainer, dietitian and the rest of his support team.
Lauren Pronger is a board-certified holistic practitioner and holds certifications in nutrition, contrast therapy, breath work, Pilates and sound healing. Photo Credit: Lauren Pronger
"I said, 'Just trust me. Give me one summer,'" Lauren said.
She designed a trip abroad that emphasized wellness. It incorporated modalities Chris hadn't necessarily considered previously but would help elevate his performance, like breath work, meditation and different eating styles and diets.
"He said, 'OK, I'll give you the summer,'" she said. "The next year, he was MVP of the league."
Clearly, the couple thought, there was something to it. They decided to keep traveling in the offseason.
Lauren Pronger is the founder of Superwell Living, her personal brand and an eight-pillar method aimed at increasing health, vitality and longevity. Credit: Lauren Pronger
At the time, their children -- Jack, George and Lilah -- were young, so Lauren kept her social media accounts private to protect them. Naturally, though, her followers were the wives and girlfriends of professional athletes.
Lauren often posted about the Prongers' travels. It struck a chord with her followers, who approached her about planning trips for them and their partners who had similar limitations as Chris in the offseason.
After a decade of curating wellness-focused trips for friends, she and Chris founded Well Inspired Travels in 2018.
"My focus and my expertise and joy and passion is the wellness-focused travel side of things, because the intention and the main mantra behind Well Inspired Travels is truly for individuals to go travel, explore the world," Pronger said. "Wherever they're curious, whatever they want to learn about. And come back and improve their everyday life. Return a better version of themselves."
Becoming a wellness expert
A member of the Wellness Travel Association and Wellness in Travel & Tourism Standards Advisory Committee, Pronger has channeled her passion for wellness into more than just travel.
During Chris Pronger's playing career, Lauren designed trips for the hockey off-season that emphasized wellness. Photo Credit: Lauren Pronger
She is the founder of Superwell Living, her personal brand and an eight-pillar method aimed at increasing health, vitality and longevity that balances things like nutrition, sleep and connection. She also wrote a book on the subject, "Superwell: Your Ultimate Blueprint to Wellness and Wellbeing," published last September.
Pronger also holds multiple wellness certifications. She is a board-certified holistic practitioner and holds certifications in nutrition, contrast therapy, breath work, Pilates and sound healing.
In her travel business, she recognizes that everyone is in a different place when it comes to wellness.
"I think that's why we have been so successful with Well Inspired Travels because I grow along with our clients," she said. "I really encourage them to push out of their comfort zone, try new things, explore new wellness properties that they're curious about. And then we continue to move to the next step and the next thing that they're curious about."
Clients' sweet spot
Designing a wellness-focused trip depends heavily on the client and their needs and desires, Pronger said. Some are just beginning their wellness journeys, while others, like Pronger herself, have been students for years.
Lauren Pronger in a red light therapy mask. Photo Credit: Lauren Pronger
For the former, Miraval Resorts and Canyon Ranch are good options; for the latter she usually recommends more intensive, metric-driven programs, like those at SHA Wellness properties or Chenot Palace Weggis in Switzerland.
"I find that a sweet spot for our clients is right in the middle," she said.
That means a program not heavily based in diagnostics and metrics, one that allows guests to enjoy things like cocktails. She particularly likes the well-being focus at Aman Resorts, Six Senses, Auberge Collection, Proper Hotels, Montage International/Pendry Hotels and Resorts and Rosewood Hotels.
Coping with stress
Chris and Lauren Pronger in cold plunges. Photo Credit: Lauren Pronger
Pronger's wellness journey deepened after periods of burnout in her life. One of the toughest was in 2011, when Chris suffered a career-ending concussion while the family was living in Philadelphia and Chris was playing for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Around the same time, her parents in Florida faced health issues, and she found herself "burning the candle at both ends as a mother and a wife and a daughter."
She began learning about holistic healing modalities and earning certifications. That base of knowledge has helped in her travel work.
"When I talk to my partners and when I talk to the client, these are highly educated individuals, and I better know the language," she said.