The Newest Headlines Surrounding Massage Chairs and Human Touch

This week I am at the Barclays Championship in New Jersey for the first round of the Fed-ex Cup playoffs.  We will compete for the next three weeks, have a week off and then head to Atlanta for the Tour Championship.  This is an exciting time for the year; I always enjoy competing during this stretch.

Overall, my game feels good at the moment.  Mentally I have been sharp all year and my body is continuing to improve physically due to continual workout sessions, and regular massage therapy. With the help of my Human Touch massage chair, I am able to stay loose and relaxed on the course. Currently, I am the #8 seed entering the playoffs, so there is a lot to play for over the next month.

As always, I appreciate your support.  I hope to have some good results to report in the coming weeks.

Cheers-

Tim Clark

Long Beach, CA – August 31, 2010 – Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® recliners, and other wellness solutions, has received top awards for its HT-5040 WholeBody™ massage chair and iJoy®-2310 robotic massage chair from the Design Journal’s 2010 Award For Design Excellence (ADEX). The ADEX Awards is the largest and most prestigious awards competition recognizing superior product design of furnishings marketed through the international design trade. Products are judged by a distinguished jury of professionals representing a cross section of the Architecture & Design community.

“The Award for Design Excellence is given annually to companies that exhibit an unwavering commitment to design and innovation,” said John Platter, Director of Awards for Design Excellence. “Human Touch® continues to set the bar high with its new massage chairs. Not only are they state-of-the-art in terms of features, but they also have a sleek design that is reminiscent of Le Corbusier furniture.”

The HT-5040 WholeBody™ massage chair received the highest honor of Platinum for its artful blend of advanced massage features and design, while the iJoy®-2310 robotic massage chair received a Gold award for its appealing and compact design, state-of-the-art massage programs, and affordability.

Offering the perfect blend of high-performance Human Touch Technology™ and modern design, the HT-5040 WholeBody™ massage chair beautifully complements any home or office environment. Key features include five professional massage techniques, three invigorating massage programs, full body stretching, a built-in foot and calf massager, comfortable accents, and more. Price: $2,299

The iJoy®-2310 Robotic Massage Chair offers a beautiful and ergonomic design that is compact enough to fit into any living space, and it doesn’t require deep pockets to enjoy a rejuvenating massage anytime of the day or night with the iJoy®-2310. Pull the recline handle and enjoy any of three intelligently designed invigorating auto-massage programs which incorporate four expert massage techniques to melt away stress, muscle soreness and tension. Choose from designer colors and options with classic lines and contrasting upholstery materials designed to fit any décor. Price: $499

“The ADEX Awards for Design Excellence is one of the most prominent awards granted by the home and furnishings architecture and design community, and we are extremely honored to have received this recognition for our innovative design oriented massage chairs for the past two consecutive years,” said Andrew Corkill, Director of Marketing for Human Touch, LLC. “Human Touch® is dedicated to bringing high quality, state-of-the-art massage chairs and wellness products to market, which not only look great in any living space, but also provide valuable health and wellness benefits to consumers everywhere.”

Last year, Human Touch® was the recipient of two ADEX awards – a Platinum award for its AcuTouch™ HT-1650 massage chair and Silver for the AcuTouch™ HT-7450 Zero-Gravity massage chair.

By Olympian Jeff Galloway

Now is a better time than ever to help someone get into a fitness habit.  Both you, the mentor, and recipient, will benefit.  Not only will you help him or her manage attitude, improve vitality, release stress and think more clearly, but studies show that helping others bestows a boost to the immune system. Even if the exerciser doesn’t lose an ounce, there is an enhancement to the spirit that improves the quality of life for both of you.

When tense, stressed or un-motivated family members or co-workers exercise, they tend to be more positive and more humane afterward. Do you want your kids to do their best in school? Studies show that kids who exercise regularly do better in school and in life. Here are a few tips to help improve motivation and success.

• Serve as a role model to motivate good exercise habits: As the coach, by doing so, you’ll also inspire yourself to learn more about fitness. Adults who serve as an exercise mentor find that they study and learn the principles of training better as they explain them to others.
• Get them a good textbook: My books WALKING, GETTING STARTED, & GALLOWAY’S BOOK ON RUNNING offer training schedules with support information. You can read more about these at www.JeffGalloway.com
• Start with a little exercise, and gradually increase: Children will often do a lot more than they should at first, then get sore and discouraged. Help them keep an even pace and they can be successful in every workout!
• Make each session enjoyable – especially during the first month: If your trainee is huffing and puffing, slow the pace, walk more slowly, and make other adjustments from the beginning of every exercise session. If there is any sign of struggle then stop for that day. Never push through pain.
• Make a massage in a Human Touch massage chair a reward for doing the exercise: Try warming up with a 5-10 minute “motivator massage” and cool down with an after-workout massage.
• Avoid low blood sugar: Before a workout, if you suspect that your trainee is experiencing low blood sugar, have pieces of an energy bar with water, diet drink, or coffee about 30-45 minutes before starting. Provide a reward after each session – especially a snack to reload the energy stores. The best nutritional formula for a booster snack is 80% carbohydrate and 20% protein.
• Find interesting areas where you can exercise – scenic areas, interesting exercise club, etc.: Convenient walking/running routes near office or home, or a nearby gym can lead to more exercise sessions a year. But once a week or so, take an excursion to an interesting area or fun health club. This can be very rewarding. It’s great to have variety, and you should give your trainee some choice.
• On each exercise session, tell a joke, a story or discuss a controversial issue: This will break the ice, inject some humor, and result in a positive bonding experience. With beginners (adults or kids) who are struggling with motivation, the humorous moments provide a series of positive reinforcement.
• Structure each session so that there is success: Don’t let the new exerciser overdo his or her workouts - especially during the first few sessions. If walking or running, take liberal rest breaks before you hear the huffing and puffing. If in a gym, move to another exercise before there is fatigue, or heavy breathing.
• Don’t push too hard, but encourage, and reinforce a good attitude: One of the most difficult decisions in coaching is whether to push or back off – whether to use a pat on the back or a kick in the butt. In general, it is important that the person stays consistent with the exercise routine. When motivation is down, reduce the intensity to reduce discomfort, and you’ll bolster success. The ultimate victory is realized when the new exerciser wants to do it.
• Reward good work: After a certain number of weeks, or after reaching a certain level of fitness, surprise the exerciser with a reward. It doesn’t have to be something expensive or exotic. The reward allows the new exerciser to focus on his or her progress, and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from steady exercise.  A Human Touch massage is a wonderful reward in every way–enhancing the experience and the recovery.
• Share your own challenges or mistakes: Most people learn more from a personal story that has a lesson, than a lecture on the same topic.
• Don’t over-sell exercise: The benefits of regular exercise are so powerful that almost everyone who stays with it for six months will continue. Walking or running with the new athlete on the tough days, and congratulating him or her for the dedication–are powerful reinforcers. But if your trainee is falling asleep during your one hour speech on the benefits, you know that you’ve stepped over the line.
• Your greatest reward will be an independent fit person: Take it as a real compliment that your trainee will need less and less of your guidance. This means that you were an excellent coach, and that he or she can find another person to coach. Another life can then be enriched.

Note: Olympian Jeff Galloway has coached over a million runners and walkers through his beach retreats, running schools, training programs (several in Atlanta) books and e-coaching.

Long Beach, CA – August 25, 2010 - Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® Recliners, and other wellness solutions, has added five new esteemed experts to its Wellness Council. The Human Touch® Wellness Council is a group of esteemed experts from across various disciplines dedicated to educating people about how to achieve a healthier and happier life through regular massage, relaxation, sound posture, and other wellness practices. Human Touch® Wellness Council members include professional chiropractors, doctors, massage therapists, athletes, and fitness experts.

“We are excited to welcome our newest Wellness Council members, each who provides his own unique points of view and areas of expertise in order to help consumers live better and recognize the benefits that regular massage therapy, relaxation and proper posture can bring to their daily lives,” said Andrew Corkill, Director of Marketing, Human Touch, LLC.

Human Touch’s newest Wellness Council members include:

• Bill Walton, NCAA, NBA & Sportscasting Legend: Walton, an NBA Hall of Famer and legendary sports broadcaster, has been a long-time sufferer of chronic back and foot pain. He says that his Human Touch® massage chair is a regular and invaluable part of his constant efforts to relieve his pain, increase relaxation, and achieve a healthier and more productive life. As a member of the Human Touch® Wellness Council, Walton helps educate others, pain sufferers in particular, about ways to achieve a healthier and more productive lifestyle from his own experiences.
• Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, D.C., Doctor of Chiropractic/Neuroacoustic Researcher: Dr. Thompson is a professional chiropractor who also specializes in researching and developing healing therapies that utilize sound frequencies and vibrations. In addition, Dr. Thompson is recognized as a worldwide expert in the field of acoustic pacing frequencies incorporated into musical sound tracks. A consummate musician and composer in his own rite, he has established a method for using modulated sound-pulses for changing states of consciousness for optimal “Mind-Body” healing.
• Dr. Hoon C. Kim, L.Ac, Dipl. Ac., Ph D., Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine: Dr. Kim specializes in acupuncture and oriental medicine, treating patients at his acupuncture and wellness center called Tao of Medicine in Santa Monica, Calif. His specialization areas include treatment of acute and chronic pain, skin disorders, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, infertility, stroke rehabilitation, weight control, and anti-aging. Dr. Kim’s practice philosophy is to help people achieve a better quality of life with the least use of medicine alone, including not only disease treatment, but also prevention in mind and body, through qigong, meditation, body work, acupuncture, herbs (nutrients) and lifestyle.
• Dr. Jon Stucky, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic: Dr. Stucky is a chiropractic doctor with a thriving practice in Hyrum, Utah, where he cares for infants, senior citizens, weekend warriors, professional athletes, and more. Born in Minnesota, Dr. Stucky is a second generation chiropractor and is the 13th of 17 chiropractors in his extended family with his father and two brothers practicing. He graduated Cum Laude from Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, Georgia in 1993.
• Dr. John K. Maltby, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic: A 1977 graduate of the Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa, and practicing in Blythe, California, Dr. Maltby is a renowned chiropractic doctor and advocate. Beyond his successful practice, he is an experienced and popular instructor and a consultant to individual chiropractic practitioners and companies for documentation and credentials protocols, case-management practices, and chiropractic techniques. He served as past president and chairman of the board of the International Chiropractors Association of California (ICAC), and as the Chair of the Programs Committee for the ICA Council on Applied Chiropractic Sciences. Dr. Maltby is the immediate past president of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), and currently serves as Chairman of the Board. In 2009, Dr. Maltby was selected Chiropractor of the Year by the ICA. Additionally, he is a highly requested speaker who regularly lectures worldwide on the many advantages of chiropractic.

Each week, a Human Touch® Wellness Council member offers his or her own health and wellness recommendations on Human Touch’s blog. For regular tips and recommendations on how to live better from Wellness Council experts, please visit http://blog.humantouch.com/category/wellness-council/.

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.

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Rod and his cat CeCe relax after a long day.

We recently received some very kind words from a customer in Sarasota, Florida. Rod Vaughan works in retail sales and says his job keeps him on his feet all day long. And he does mean long. An owner of the Ottoman 3.0® and an iJoy® massage chair, he said that making massage part of  his daily routine has not only made him feel better, but it’s made his wife happier, too. Rod said:

I used to come home and not want to do anything. I work 10-12 hours a day and I would come home and be too tired to do anything. I can take a 15 minute break and go out dancing with my wife for the rest of the evening. I love the product. It’s helped me in all aspects of life.

That’s what it’s all about, Rod, helping you feel better™ in every way.

A nice note also came in from Kim S. in Taylorsville, Utah. Kim’s a hoot. When we called her up to ask if we could share her comments here on the blog, she was surprised, saying “You mean these quotes are real? I always figured companies just made them up!”

We can’t speak for all companies, Kim, but Human Touch® is all about helping real people, and their stories are what inspire us to do better every day. Kim’s story is especially poignant. She said her iJoy® hasn’t just made her life better, but makes her life possible:

I was diagnosed in 2006 with moderate/severe Fibromyalgia and I had a hard time just walking. I was on Lortab for four months straight. The chair relieved my pain and relaxed me enough so I could sleep. It was such an amazing thing for me. It helped me get to the point I can live a normal life again.

It’s nice to know we could help, Kim.