The Newest Headlines Surrounding Massage Chairs and Human Touch

Las Vegas (Las Vegas World Market) – Feb. 1, 2010 – Human Touch^®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® Recliners, and other wellness solutions, unveiled today its revolutionary application, HT-Connect™ for iPhone and iPod touch, designed to let users personalize the robotic massage chair to their individual wellness needs. While wirelessly responding to the personalized settings and preferences of the user, the HT-Connect™ interface also provides users with instant access to a wealth of valuable education and expertise from its Wellness Council members about how to live better through regular massage, relaxation, and a healthy lifestyle. The Human Touch Wellness Council comprises a group of renowned experts in their fields including PGA Tour Pro Tim Clark, former Olympian Jeff Galloway, and well-known doctors of naturopathy and chiropractic, who have committed their time and expertise to educating consumers about the important health and lifestyle benefits of regular massage, Human Touch massage chairs, and other wellness practices.

Slated for availability in May 2010 as a free download from www.HT-Connect.com or the Apple App Store, HT-Connect™ will interface with Human Touch’s newest, most state-of-the-art massage chair, the AcuTouch™ 9500.  By seamlessly interfacing with HT-Connect™, the new AcuTouch™ 9500 massage chair will be the first robotic massage chair to offer individuals a fully customized massage and wellness experience by providing instant access to a wealth of massage programs, expertise, and user-friendly applications, all at their fingertips via Bluetooth wireless connection on an iPhone or iPod touch.

 “HT-Connect was designed to meet the growing needs of today’s consumers who rely on their wireless, personal devices to stay connected and live better,” said David Wood, chief executive officer of Human Touch, LLC. “By making this innovative app available to consumers, we’re able to deliver a user experience that offers the same personalized and professional massage that one would receive at a spa or from a real, professional massage therapist. With HT-Connect and the AcuTouch 9500, users can now fully enjoy the health and wellness benefits of daily massage in the comfort of their own home or office simply by pressing a button on their iPhone or iPod touch. There is no other technology available in the industry like HT-Connect, and we are extremely proud to be the first company to bring this technology to the marketplace.”

Key features of the new HT-Connect™ app include: 

• Sixteen auto-programmed massages connected to your iPhone or iPod touch: Select the expertly designed program that fits your needs and desires – Morning Wake Up, Rejuvenate, Surrender, Clarify, Sports/Back Therapy, Focus, Posture, Sore Muscle Relief, Sleep and more.
• Instant connectivity to valuable wellness resources: Offers direct access to Human Touch’s Wellness Council experts, allowing users to feel better everywhere™. Choose from a growing number of auto-massage programs specifically created and prescribed by Wellness Council professionals and connect with these experts for education and wellness tips.
• Personalized, real-time massage and wellness experience at the touch of a button: Sit down, press start, that’s it. HT-Connect™ knows what users need and when they need it, expertly prescribed by time of day. This intuitive interface also remembers individuals’ own settings and preferences, such as their favorite massage and favorite massage chair position, so while on the go, they can still use the app to wirelessly connect to any AcuTouch™ 9500 massage chair to enjoy a personal massage therapy and targeted relief anywhere.
• Espresso Shots: When in a hurry, individuals can pick an Espresso Shot, short targeted massage programs, for quick and effective massage relief in just five minutes. Or if they have more time, they can combine three Espresso Shots to enjoy an automatic, personalized wellness solution.

About Human Touch®

In pushing the boundaries of its traditional massage chairs and wellness products through advanced proprietary technology and innovation, Human Touch® is focused on infusing health and wellness into everyday lives through high-quality, design-oriented and award-winning massage chairs, Zero-Gravity Perfect Chair® Recliners and other wellness products and solutions. Human Touch® has been making people feel better™ for more than 30 years by developing state-of-the-art massage and wellness products, as well as by providing valuable consumer education about the substantial health and wellness benefits of regular massage therapy, relaxation and proper posture. Stress relief, increased range of motion, pain relief, improved circulation and increased immunity are just some of the valuable health benefits associated with regular massage therapy. Human Touch products are available at back care specialty stores, fine furniture stores across the country, through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, as well as online at www.humantouch.com.

 Media Contacts:

Rachel Neppes
BERKMAN
619.231.9977 x306 (office)
619.405.3917 (cell)
racheln@berkmanpr.com

Kelli Herwehe
BERKMAN
619.231.9977 x312 (office)
619.993.1286 (cell)
kelli@berkmanpr.com

By Olympian Jeff Galloway

Whether you let your fitness slide a bit over the holidays or you are stuck in a lazy rut with your running, a race date on a calendar can help to rev up the motivation. If you haven’t run a neighborhood or charity based 5K, understand that these are not large events like the Peachtree Road Race or Boston Marathon. Most of these events are laid-back and fun.

1. Write the date on your appointment calendar and enter the race. These two actions have been the most common “inertia breakers”: the beginning of a fulfilling year of running.
2. Come into a good running store for a shoe check. Trained experts can often find a more comfortable shoe that responds better to the way your foot moves.
3. Use the program below to train. Make sure you are running so slow that you are not huffing and puffing–even at the end.
4. Use the run-walk-run strategies listed below on long runs to avoid aches, pains and injuries.
5. Recruit a friend to join you. Having a running partner improves motivation. Copy this article and send it to a friend.
6. It is also motivating to join a group. We have several options of Galloway groups in various locations that have pace groups at your current fitness level.
7. Get a massage every day to loosen sore and tight muscles, improve circulation, and reduce stress. Doing this will help in your training immensely. The best way to do this is what I do—get a Human Touch massage chair.
8. You’ll find more information on training from my books, particularly GETTING STARTED & 5K/10K. These books have all of the information you need and make great gifts (order, autographed from http://www.JeffGalloway.com).

The longer run is the key to fitness, and to finishing a 5K with strength. By going a bit further than 5K distance, you know that you are ready. Each long run should be so slow that you are never huffing and puffing—even at the end.

To maintain the endurance from the long run, you only need to do two other runs of 20 minutes each week. It’s best to spread out the running days—Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday—for example.

Walk breaks will allow the body to recover, even as you are increasing distance. If you walk early and often, you can erase fatigue from the beginning. Start by trying a 1-1 (run a minute/walk a minute). Some need more walking at first (run 15 to 20 seconds/walk 40-45 seconds). For those who have been running comfortably at the following paces, the run-walk-run strategies are listed below:

9 min/mi—run 4 min/walk 1 min (4-1)
10 min/mi—3-1
11 min/mi—2:30-1
12 min/mi—2-1
13 min/mi—1-1
14 min/mi—30 sec/30 sec
15 min/mi—30 sec run/45 sec walk
16 min/mi—20 sec run/40 sec walk
17 min/mi—15 sec run/45 sec walk
18 min/mi—10 sec run/50 sec walk

Note: We have a vibrating timer in the store ($20) which signals when to run and when to walk.

Long Run Schedule (done on one day each week)
Week 1–1 mile
Week 2–1.5 miles
Week 3–2 miles
Week 4–2.5 miles
Week 5–3 miles
Week 6–3.5 miles
Week 7–Race

Note: Over a million exercisers have attended Jeff Galloway clinics, running schools, wonderful retreats, training programs or read his books. To subscribe to his free newsletter and/or blog, visit http://www.JeffGalloway.com

Leading provider of massage and wellness solutions showcases its innovative massage chairs and lifestyle products during week-long tournament

San Diego – January 26, 2010: Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® Recliners and other wellness solutions, is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the Farmers Insurance Open, January 25-31 at the Torrey Pines Golf Course. As a proud sponsor of the Farmers Insurance Open, Human Touch® is showcasing its state-of-the-art massage chairs and wellness solutions throughout the week, while educating golf enthusiasts of all skill levels about how to incorporate massage therapy into their daily lives. Throughout the weeklong tournament, Human Touch® massage chairs will be on display in the Fanfare Village exhibitor tent area, located just south of the #15 green on Torrey Pines South Course.

“Human Touch therapeutic massage chairs have been very helpful in my recovery from a neck injury and in my return to the PGA Tour,” said PGA Golfer Tim Clark, an esteemed member of Human Touch’s Wellness Council. “I am interested in seeing if the product could be useful for other athletes (particularly golfers) with injuries.” The Wellness Council is a group comprising experts of various disciplines dedicated to educating people about how to achieve a healthier and happier life from their own experiences and practice of integrating massage, relaxation, sound posture, and balance into their daily routine.

Following the tournament, Human Touch® is also pleased to announce that it will donate its top-of-the-line AcuTouch™ HT-1650 massage chair to a charity chosen by the Century Club San Diego, the non-profit corporation organized for the main purpose of administering and promoting the annual San Diego Open event. The AcuTouch™ HT-1650 is a state-of-the-art, beautifully designed massage chair that delivers a full head-to-toe massage and wellness experience complete with lumbar heaters, vibrating arm rests and eight unique massage programs.

“We’re extremely proud to be a sponsor of this important PGA tournament and to introduce golfers and golf enthusiasts, alike, to the many wonderful benefits that regular massage therapy, proper posture and relaxation provide,” said Andrew Corkill, Director of Product Management of Human Touch®. “Our state-of-the-art massage chairs and wellness solutions not only alleviate pain and improve relaxation, but can also help golfers relax muscles and improve their circulation for increased range of motion on the golf course. We invite all golfers and golf enthusiasts to take a break from the game at the Human Touch exhibit area in the Fanfare Village exhibitor tent (located south of the #15 green on Torrey Pines South Course) to sit back in one of our chairs to enjoy a rejuvenating massage and wellness experience that replicates the human touch of a professional massage therapist.”

About Human Touch®

In pushing the boundaries of its traditional massage chairs and wellness products through advanced proprietary technology and innovation, Human Touch® is focused on infusing health and wellness into everyday lives through high-quality, design-oriented and award-winning massage chairs, Zero-Gravity Perfect Chair® Recliners and other wellness products and solutions. Human Touch® has been making people feel better™ for more than 30 years by developing state-of-the-art massage and wellness products, as well as by providing valuable consumer education about the substantial health and wellness benefits of regular massage therapy, relaxation and proper posture. Stress relief, increased range of motion, pain relief, improved circulation and increased immunity are just some of the valuable health benefits associated with regular massage therapy. Human Touch® products are available at back care specialty stores, fine furniture stores across the country, through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, as well as online at www.humantouch.com.

About PGA TOUR

The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

In 2010, the three Tours collectively have tournaments in 34 states and in 12 countries outside of the U.S. PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 600 million households in 231 countries and 30 languages.

Virtually all tournaments are organized as nonprofit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2009, tournaments on the three Tours generated nearly $109 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR’s all-time total of charitable contributions to nearly $1.5 billion.

The PGA TOUR’s web site is www.PGATOUR.COM.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

The Best Injury Prevention Method

by Alvin Tam

What is the best injury prevention method? This is such a great question. Not only have many people asked me about it but I’ve had to ask myself about it also.

There are thousands of vitamins, supplements, ointments, and other treatments that you can take to brace your body against potential injuries. Obviously I don’t know all of them so I can’t recommend a particular brand, a gel, a pill, a patch, or a cream that will make it all go away, or at least stay away in the first place.

As an acrobat for the last 15 years, I’ve had the time to see when injuries occur, how they occur, and most important WHAT THEY MEAN. There is no definition for injuries but each person has his own way of interpreting an injury. What am I saying?

I am saying that injuries are – you guessed it – a result of a mindset. This is not to say that you cause ALL your own injuries, or that you should feel guilty if you did get injured. What this is saying is that injuries serve a purpose, and it is essential to dive into the meaning of that injury – what it means TO YOU.

Some injuries are your body’s way of saying slow down. That is an obvious “meaning”. You might approach this whole concept on injuries by seeing them not as nuisances, or troublesome events, but as nature’s way of sending you a message to become more aware of something in your life.

But aren’t injuries some random occurance? In my years of training, I’ve noticed how un-random they are. There are many times I’ve taken a hard fall, jumped too high, or tripped, and I should have been injured. But I wasn’t. And then there were times when I was stepping off a mat, running on a trail, or falling off a 3 foot high table, and I ended up injuring myself the most.

The most important thing about preventing an injury is to ask your body EVERY DAY what it needs. When you ignore its needs (not enough sleep, not enough food), you force it to communicate to you in harsher and harsher ways, until you finally experience an injury.

There is so much more to be written and said about this topic so we’ll continue in the next blog. For this week however, keep your awareness open to your body and ask: what does it need?

The best injury prevention is your mindset. I’ll relate a quick story testifying to this personal truth.

When I was training in the circus school I was very lucky to be surrounded by coaches, medical staff, and access to hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. The irony of the situation was that I often found myself needing a band-aid over some part of my body. If my ankle wasn’t recovering from a sprain, then my back was in spasm. If my neck wasn’t sore and stuck, then I was plagued with the latest seasonal flu. It was a circular type of affliction, a merry-go-round of injuries and illnesses.

The eye-opening experience came when I left on tour finally as a professional performer. On tour you don’t have the luxury of being pampered with emergency services, on-staff therapists, and most importantly, time off. You perform out of sheer necessity, and especially in smaller casts, there are no backups and no understudies. Just you.

I never once missed a touring show ever for an injury or a cold. I remember thinking at the end of a year long tour that I was only sick once and that was because of some bad water in Mexico. But I never hurt myself. I was fascinated and puzzled by that fact since what I was doing involved extreme acrobatics, heights, and plenty of exhausting touring.

The only answer I figured out was that injury prevention was entirely a product of necessity and will. I couldn’t get injured because 1) no one could replace me and 2) I wouldn’t get paid. (Forget workers compensation!) And so, out of sheer will, I stayed healthy.

But aren’t some injuries fluke accidents? I can’t answer that. I think yes… and I also think the majority of injuries serve a purpose. It may be there to slow you down or help you realize a very important aspect of your life. The meanings are as varied as the injuries, but uncovering its message requires artful observation and most importantly, honesty with oneself. It’s easy to deny an ugly truth, and sometimes only an injury can jar you and create awareness.

There are many physical remedies to raise your chances of preventing injuries, like sleeping enough, eating well, taking your vitamins. Beyond the obvious physical preparations, think of all the reasons why you would benefit from an injury. That’s right. I said “benefit.” It’s a twist on perceiving injuries, a change in the way we think of getting hurt. If you realize what you can “get” from being injured, then you are already 50% there to preventing it. Is it time off? More attention? A reason to change sports, a job, or a relationship? This is the art of injury prevention.

Stay Healthy,

Alvin.

Alvin Tam is a Human Touch Health & Wellness council member and enjoys relaxing in his HT-7450 Zero-Gravity massage chair.

“I notice that using the massage chair has helped to radically reduce tension in my neck from all the computer work I have to do. I also have an overall sense of well-being by not having any back tension at all during the day.” – Alvin Tam

Commit to a Relaxing and Anxiety-Free New Year

A lost job. A new baby. A sick family member.

All of these life-changing events can trigger anxiety—a feeling of fear we experience when facing threatening or difficult situations. We’ve all felt the physical effects of anxiety before: sweaty palms, an increased heartbeat, a sudden increase in breathing rate. Anxiety is a natural response to stress, and that can be a good thing. It motivates us, forces us to be on high alert and helps us avoid dangerous situations.

But anxiety can become a problem when we begin to avoid certain situations or we find we’re being controlled by our feelings of irrational fear. Luckily there are a number of things you can do to help yourself manage the anxiety in your life. It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle with a proper diet and sufficient exercise. Reducing self-induced stress by managing deadlines, not overworking and learning to say no can also help alleviate some of the anxiety you may feel.

Most importantly, however, you need to learn to relax. Our world seems to move a million miles an hour, and most of us forget to take time out for ourselves, but it is essential that you incorporate relaxation techniques and down time into your schedule. Just as you would squeeze in a doctor’s appointment or another meeting at work, you need to make a conscious effort to set aside time that belongs only to you.

When you plan your down time, you need to make sure you’re free from distractions. Ask your spouse or neighbor to watch the kids, turn off your cell phone and don’t answer the door. Avoid checking your email “just one more time” and simply relax.

We each have a different method of relaxation that works to help reduce the tension and stress that bring on anxiety. For some of us, this means practicing yoga or tai chi. Perhaps a hot bath with scented oils will help you unwind; studies have shown lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, bergamot and mandarin are the best scents to use for relaxation purposes. Meditation also helps in stress reduction.

And for many people, physically working away the stress with a long-overdue massage—such as with the Human Touch Massage Chair—helps in reducing anxiety in their everyday lives. Sometimes nothing feels better than letting all of our worries fall by the wayside.

With the advent of the new year, now is the time to make a commitment to reducing the stress in your life. Make this the year of you and your health by committing to be anxiety-free.

I have utilized Human Touch Zero Gravity Chairs as a vital part of our post-adjustment recovery process in each of the clinics I oversee. I am excited to share with you my perspectives on health and wellness through my monthly postings here on the Human Touch Wellness Council blog.

- Dr. Shawn Dill