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Back-to-School is a busy, exciting time for most families. It means new friends, new teachers, and new schedules for all. It also means that kids are exposed to a lot of new ideas, activities, and… germs. And while we can’t monitor their every move during school hours (they have to grow up sometime, right?), we can do a few things to ensure that they don’t suffer too much through Cold Season.

Keep Them Well While They’re Away.

One of the most important things you can do is to teach your children how to properly wash their hands. According to Web MD, only 33% of female middle and high school students use soap when they wash their hands. That number drops to a frightening 8% of boys in the same age group. Yikes! Most illnesses are contracted when kids get germs on their hands and then touch their eyes or nose, so teach them that they are best off just avoiding contact with these parts of their face unless they’ve cleaned their hands first. Instill healthy habits by teaching them to wash their hands for approximately 20 seconds, and make sure that they always, always, always wash their hands before they eat food. Using hand sanitizer is another way to help your children avoid school-time illnesses. Kids older than 6 years old can be allowed to use sanitizer to keep hands free of germs, though visible dirt should still be cleaned off with soap. Some schools provide sanitizer for their students, while others may even allow kids to bring a travel-sized sanitizer. Find what is permitted or provided at your child’s school. Your child should also know the proper way to cough or sneeze- into his or her elbow crease. Doing this keeps germs off their hands, which helps to stop germs in their tracks.

Get Involved.

Another way to help keep your child well is to help his or her school to maintain a germ-free environment. Some schools struggle to afford wellness products for their classrooms, so get involved by offering to donate tissues, hand sanitizer, soap, or anti-bacterial wipes. This also helps you to engage with the administration on what is being done to keep kids healthy, and opens the conversation to allow further discussion on how parents can help make their kids’ schools clean and safe.

Do Your Part.

Of course, keeping your child healthy at home is the primary way to keep them well. Make sure that they get enough vitamins, sleep, and exercise to maintain a healthy immune system. Keeping your home free of dust and mold are also critical to keep everyone healthy. And it goes without saying that keeping YOURSELF well is important. Running yourself ragged and having too much stress on your own body will not only increase the likelihood of you becoming sick yourself, but also impair you from giving 100% of your chicken soup-making, VapoRub™-soothing, bedtime-cuddling self.    

Long Beach, CA –Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® Recliners, and other wellness solutions, has announced plans to place its ZeroG® 5.0 Massage Chairs in select Massage Envy franchised locations across the country.

Also, as a commitment to helping massage therapists recover after providing a Wellness Massage service, they will be encouraged to use the chairs, as well as Human Touch Reflex6 Foot and Calf Massagers installed in break rooms, to rest and rejuvenate between appointments.

Members and guests also can use the chairs free of charge, complementing the hands-on care therapists provide. The chairs will offer therapeutic seating in select Massage Envy franchised locations’ tranquility room, so clients can begin to relax before their appointment or extend the benefits of massage after their service.

“Regular massage helps us take care of our bodies with proven, lasting effects,” said Beth Stiller, Chief Commercial Officer of Massage Envy. “This new program with Human Touch is especially important for therapists, who are compassionate caregivers, and who also need to take care of themselves. We believe the chairs will enhance the Massage Envy experience, and give therapists, members and guests another way to include massage in well-rounded health and wellness routine.”

Massage Envy franchise owners can also sell discounted Human Touch massage products directly to their members for in-home use. These home sessions have been shown to enhance the benefits of regular, professional massage therapy sessions.

“Our new partnership with Massage Envy serves as a way to enhance their members’ massage therapy sessions and the value of their membership,” said David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. “Studies show that a large number of clients already enjoy the benefits of combining chair massage with professional massage. We’re confident that Massage Envy members will discover these same results, allowing them to maximize their potential and feel their best.”

Rejuvenate with the ZeroG 5.0 Massage Chair

The ZeroG 5.0 massage chair provides a remarkable full-body massage using Human Touch Technology® specifically designed to enhance the way you feel. The Smart 3D FlexGlide® massage engine simulates the expert techniques of massage professionals to help restore your body and leave you relaxed and ready to live life to its fullest. Take a seat, recline to zero-gravity, and simply point to where you need relief on the revolutionary BodyMap PRO® remote. Other features include four auto-massage programs, a foot and calf massager, and soothing lumbar heat technology. Enjoy these impressive features bundled into the most modern massage chair designed for any luxury living space.

Soothe your Soles with the Reflex6 Foot and Calf Massager

The Reflex6 Foot and Calf Massager delivers a remarkably life-like massage that emulates the expert hands and techniques of highly trained massage therapists. It massages the calves in an upward, rolling or wave-like fashion, using a patented CirQlation® technology developed by Human Touch that incorporates proprietary mechanics to drive its robotic actuators. The Reflex6 also offers an on-board console, patented Warm Air Technology®, and adjustable tilt for relief from multiple angles.

About Human Touch

Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for more than 35 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com.

About Massage Envy

Massage Envy, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a national franchisor, and through its franchise locations, is the leading provider of therapeutic massage and skincare services. With its membership model, Massage Envy believes total body care is an integral part of everyone’s well-being journey. The Massage Envy franchise system is, collectively, the largest employer of massage therapists and estheticians, with more than 25,000 dedicated professionals that provide best-in-class service to over 1.65 million members. Founded in 2002, Massage Envy has more than 1,100 franchise locations in 49 states that have together delivered more than 100 million massages and facials. The company was recently ranked by Forbes as the No. 1 Best Franchise with an initial investment of $500,001 and up. For more information, visit www.MassageEnvy.com, or follow us on Twitter @MassageEnvy and Facebook www.facebook.com/MassageEnvy.