By: Wellness Council Member, David Marcarian, MA
There is nothing like a great massage from the hands of a great massage therapist. A few years ago, my New Year’s Resolution was to get hands-on massage on a regular basis. To ensure the success of my resolution required a commitment much like joining a gym. I immediately found a massage clinic with locations throughout the U.S. and signed up! The experience was actually quite nice. The offices are quite esthetically pleasing, and the massage therapists were very skilled. I liked that I could schedule online, as I am so busy and it would be so difficult to call ahead to schedule my massage.
There was only one problem. Human Nature. Just as with a gym membership, if there is difficulty getting to the gym, difficulty parking, difficulty finding time – well like electricity, humans find the quickest path to ground. When it comes to the gym membership, that means not leaving the ground my feet were on in front of the couch. The problem? Even with online scheduling, if I did not schedule my massage at least a few days in advance, I would never get in, or get the therapist I wanted.
So here we are three years later, with monthly fees for several years and only three real massages! It’s not their fault. They have a fantastic service and system. Convenience is the key: If the service is not directly in front of you, or requires that you drive and park at times which are difficult, we simply won’t follow through. Just like with the gym membership, I purchased an elliptical instead. I wake up in the morning and with it sitting right there in front of me, I have no excuses at all. For 8 years now I’ve used it, and my blood pressure has dropped to 123 / 73 and has stayed the same due to the convenience of the elliptical.
How many massages have I had with my Human Touch® Zero Gravity Massage Chair? I cannot even count. Sometimes it has been twice a day. I’ve woken up at 2:00 AM not able to sleep. I schedule my massage by sitting down and pressing the button: The only scheduling issue is if there is anyone else in the house. And one shift in Human Touch Engineering which has had quite an influence on access to the chair? Unfortunately for me, Human Touch engineers have finely tuned their latest massage chairs to magically adjust to the user. The newer designs are much gentler than the old “rough” rollers, meaning women now love the Human Touch approach to massage technology as much as men.
The other real advantage of having the Human Touch chair at home is that you have no way of knowing what random stressors in life, both physical and emotional, will hit at any given moment. It is really nice to know that you have a massage chair at home you can rely upon at 3:00 AM when you wake up with an aching back: A role very few legitimate massage therapists are able to fill.
For the right person who is organized enough to plan ahead, the massage franchises offer a wonderful service. For the rest of us? It may actually be less expensive when you take into considering parking, gas, work time lost etc. to own the most expensive Human Touch massage chair made! Another really good point is that massage is supposed to reduce stress, not increase it. If it takes too much effort to schedule a massage, the massage is a bit ruined for me. In addition, I really don’t like getting massage oil all over my new car’s seats!
If you have time to schedule a real-life massage, more power to you. For the rest of us insanely busy people in a world filled with traffic, stress and beeping reminders always going off, I will just stay home, curl up with a book, Netflix, and my Human Touch Massage chair whenever I choose: Just one less thing in life requiring a schedule.
The current nature of Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) doesn’t give way to much familiarity. Most try to liken it to cryotherapy or sensory deprivation float tanks. Though they bare similarities, HBOT is completely different. HBOT is a non-invasive medical treatment of delivering a large amount of oxygen under pressure. That influx of oxygen supports rapid healing in the body during the session and in days after. But it’s not common place and our treatment chambers can look a bit intimidating, so we have made every effort to practice HBOT in an environment that is peaceful and relaxing. Our Human Touch® Perfect Chairs® really make the experience. Immediately, our patients are transported out of the grind of their lives and on a mini va-ca, into a spa where every need was thought of and met before the patient had to ask. The Perfect Chair is their first introduction to our place. We recline them, take vital signs, and walk them through the treatment. Our regulars stake claim to their favorite chair, colonizing them with their personal items, customizing the settings and regaling the newbies about their first time. This chatter helps; new patients tend to sink into their chair more at ease and all you see after a while are two pairs of feet in the air from a deep recline, like two white flags surrendering to the process, ready for treatment.
Once settled inside, the pure oxygen lulls most everyone to sleep. For good reason, your body wants to utilize the surge of oxygen. When the body is put under pressure, oxygen is able to be dissolved in to your blood at a much higher rate (Henry's Law). Oxygen is needed to make ATP which is cellular energy or cellular cash and just like every good capitalist society, cash is king, and your body goes right to work spending it. While the patient sleeps, cellular contractors are putting in bids and molecular architects are submitting plans. Every project is approved in this oxygen rich environment and the work begins without delay! Teams begin repairing soft tissue, building new blood vessels, stimulating the growth of stem cells, reducing inflammation/swelling, enhancing immune functioning, improving neurocognitive functions, fortifying bone tissue and more. All the patient has to do is breathe.
After 90 minutes, the patient is brought out of the chamber and welcomed back into our tranquil place. With all the changes their body undergoes, they experience disorientation and the feeling of being high. We guide them to take refuge back in a Perfect Chair. There is no better way to transition them back to real life. We preheat the chair with the jade infrared heat and have a tray with warm moist towels ready for them. The infrared heat improves lymphatic flow and increases circulation of blood deep in the tissues, helping to clear out any leftover waste from all the projects. Once they are nestled in, we recline them and let them re-acclimate slowly. This pause is paramount. The body needs to rest and readjust back to the oxygen poor environment. Once the patient feels like they are back down to earth, they are given vitamins and sent on their way. Routinely, patients will call us just to tell us about how great they feel even days later.
Our goal is to transport people away from the hustle of real life to a tranquil escape. We are reintroducing what healthcare is supposed to look like. It is our belief when people are placed in an environment rooted in patient first care, they actually heal. And that reintroduction starts and ends with the Perfect Chair. From the moment they sit down, they know we have invested in their comfort. The Perfect chair is not just a design choice, it is the treatment. The perfect bookends to a restorative hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment.
Ryan Bader, MMA Bellator Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion, shares his experience with the Novo XT2 Massage Chair from Human Touch. Learn how he uses his Novo XT2 as part of his training and recovery routine, and why he says it will help "take his career to the next level."
© Craig Berry/flickr.com
PonyApp Pro-Tips brought to you by Human Touch® Super Novo.
We’ve come a long way from the days when riding was considered an exclusive, country pursuit, usually accompanied by corseted ladies in sidesaddle, plenty of tweed, and a healthy dose of sherry and whiskey. More and more today, equestrian competition is being recognized as the sport that it is by the general public, but we, as riders, often fail to recognize the other half of that equation. Riders are athletes, and we need to think about our sport, and how we train for it, like any other athlete would.
“Riders are athletes, and we need to think about our sport, and how we train for it, like any other athlete would.”
At the top of that list: taking a more holistic approach to the way we care for ourselves in and out of the ring, from our diet and exercise program, to the way we incorporate wellness techniques for the mind and body—be that through mediation and yoga, acupuncture and massage, or something else entirely.
So just why is thinking big-picture about health and wellness critical to a rider’s overall performance? For that, we caught up with Dr. Drew DeMann, a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Manhattan Medicine in New York. Here, Dr. DeMann shares four reasons why taking a holistic approach to your training can help you hack your health, in and out of the saddle.
1. It can help you prevent injuries.
“If you don’t look at things holistically, and you just look at [pain] like ‘it’s a knee’, or ‘it’s a shoulder’, or ‘it’s a back’, often you miss the big-picture on how people get hurt,” explains Dr. DeMann. “You could be presenting [in my office] with knee pain because your hips are too tight, or because your back is too tight.” The goal: treating these associated areas with something like massage or physical therapy before there’s a sports performance issue.
2. It can help you eat the absolute right way.
You know what they say: you are what you eat. Ask any top rider and they’re likely to tell you that looking at your diet holistically, as an extension of your training program, can have a positive impact on your performance. From Dr. DeMann’s perspective, it’s just good common sense. “From a nutrition standpoint, it’s super important, because if you don’t [eat in a healthy way], you’re going to wind up with nutritional deficiencies over time.”
3. It can help you get your head right.
“Sports doctors can tell, when patients come in the office, who’s more likely to get better and who’s not, almost [based entirely] on their attitude,” says Dr. DeMann, who notes that taking steps to ensure your mental wellness is as fine-tuned as your physical health is essential. “If you tell your brain that you’re healthy, your brain will produce chemicals that will make you healthy. If you tell your brain that you’re sick, or that you’re not functioning properly, your brain will fulfill that outcome.”
4. It can help you train better.
Let’s face it, it’s a lot harder to maximize that hour in the gym or be the best you can be for the horse you’re riding in the moment when you wake up every day feeling stiff and uncomfortable from the training you’ve done the day before. For that, Dr. DeMann says, incorporating a massage program can be especially beneficial. “When you exercise anaerobically—as in, you’re training—you produce something called lactic acid. Lactic acid can get cleared out of the muscles, and [that’s when] you get post-exercise soreness,” he explains. “Massage increases blood flow to the muscle, and releases a lot of that lactic acid back into your lymphatic system, and that helps you to function a little more normally.”
Function more normally and ride a whole lot better. Who can argue with that?
The new Human Touch® Super Novo is a specially designed chair that delivers three dimensional massage along the entire length of your spine and all the way down to the thighs. What’s more, the Super Novo offers Mediation and Yoga Studio programs to help you achieve a relaxed state of being pre- or post-ride— it’s even (Amazon) Alexa compatible! For more information, visit: humantouch.com/supernovo.
WRITTEN BY
The PonyApp
The fastest-growing horse network, PonyApp is a platform built to better
connect the global equestrian community to horses and to each other!
Download PonyApp or visit theponyapp.com.
Human Touch to Showcase its Latest Massage Chair Innovations at The Hampton Classic
LONG BEACH, CA August 25, 2019 – Human Touch, the U.S. market leader in high performance massage chairs, Perfect Chair® recliners, and other wellness solutions, proudly announces its affiliation and sponsorship of the 44th Annual Hampton Classic in Bridgehampton, New York, August 25 through September 1, 2019. Honored for the opportunity to introduce their wellness solutions into the equestrian lifestyle, Human Touch will be showcasing its new Super Novo massage chair, as well as its Novo XT2, which provide advanced recovery, relaxation, and relief to equestrians, other athletes, and individuals desiring superior pain relief and stress management.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to support such a long-standing tradition,” says David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. “Our massage chair innovations and wellness solutions were specifically designed with the needs and desires of athletes, including equestrians, in mind. We hope attendees will take the time to visit our booth in the Boutique Garden and website to learn more about our exciting massage and wellness innovations.”
Newly added to the Human Touch Wellness Council this year is Elisa Wallace, an award-winning equestrian representing the U.S.A. in international competition. She is a 5-star three-day event rider and popular YouTuber. Elisa is also a well-known advocate for American Mustang adoption, off the track thoroughbreds, rider safety, and women in sports. Human Touch formed the Wellness Council with the intention of sourcing valuable insights from leading doctors, professional athletes, wellness practitioners, and natural healers to further advance the design, function, and needs of the Human Touch product line. With the addition of Elisa to the council, her remarkable expertise and athletic diversity complements the development and scope of treatment Human Touch wellness solutions offer.
This year, Human Touch unveiled its most advanced massage chair yet: the Super Novo. Providing real therapeutic relief and recovery, the Super Novo introduces the world’s first massage chair to implement user-customized Virtual Therapist™ through Amazon Alexa’s voice recognition and Human Touch’s multidimensional massage technology into one fully immersive, zero gravity massage experience. The chair features full body stretch capabilities, Cloud Touch Acupressure, and 38 Auto-Wellness programs, such as full body immersion, deep tissue, and a diverse collection of therapeutic relaxation, meditation, and recovery programs, in addition to three 4D massage programs that soothe, stretch, and rejuvenate the entire body.
For more information, please visit www.humantouch.com.
About Human Touch®
Entering its 40th year, Human Touch® proudly serves as the country’s leading provider and innovator of high-performance massage chairs, zero gravity recliners and other wellness solutions. Committed to creating the most immersive and personalized independent wellness experiences, Human Touch introduces patented massage systems that replicate the touch and techniques used by leading massage professionals. Each product is strategically engineered and designed to address the pains and stresses caused by today's hectic lifestyle using the latest technologies and intelligent ergonomics. 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.
Media Contact:
Emily Wong
Direct Ph: 562-733-7358
World Champion Athletes and Health Advocates Join Current Members to Build Awareness for the Latest Therapeutic Innovations from Human Touch
LONG BEACH, CA July 10, 2019—Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader in high-performance massage chairs, Perfect Chair® recliners, and other wellness innovations, announces its new Wellness Council, consisting of equestrian, Elisa Wallace, professional golfer, Stephanie Kono, triathlete and hyperbarics expert, Alexandra Williams, and returning member, Olympian and Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Andy Potts.
The Human Touch Wellness Council was formed with the intention of sourcing valuable insights from leading doctors, professional athletes, wellness practitioners, and natural healers to further advance the design, function, and needs of the Human Touch product line.
Elisa Wallace is an award-winning equestrian representing the U.S.A. in international competition. She is a 5-star three-day event rider, popular YouTuber, and well-known advocate for American Mustang adoption, off the track thoroughbreds, rider safety, and women in sports.
Stephanie Kono is an LPGA professional golfer earning her first full tour status in 2012 and re-earning her full tour status with her performance at the 2018 LPGA Q-Series. The highlight of Stephanie's 2018 season was winning the second annual Donald Ross classic on the LPGA Symetra Tour.
Alex Williams is a triathlete, hyperbarics expert, and the Founder of Holistic Hyperbarics in Berkeley, California. An EMT, birth doula, and post-surgery masseuse, she has a deep passion for promoting healing and chronic pain relief to patients.
Andy Potts is an Ironman World-Champion, U.S. Olympian, and a three-time winning USAT Triathlete of the Year. He has completed over 200 races with more than 57 first place finishes. As one of the most versatile triathletes in the world, Andy makes it a priority to give back to the sport and its community.
“We are thrilled to welcome this outstanding team of professionals to the Human Touch family,” says David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. “Their diverse experiences, along with their personal and professional dedication to total body wellness will serve to guide us as we continue to develop the most innovative, intuitive, and purpose-serving products possible for individuals with chronic pain, athletes, health professionals, and consumers alike.”
To learn more about the Human Touch Wellness Council, please visit www.humantouch.com/wellness-council
About Human Touch
Entering its 40th year, Human Touch® proudly serves as the country’s leading provider and innovator of high-performance massage chairs, Perfect Chair recliners and other wellness solutions. Committed to creating the most immersive and personalized independent wellness experiences, Human Touch introduces patented massage systems that replicate the touch and techniques used by leading massage professionals. Each product is strategically engineered and designed to address the pains and stresses caused by today's hectic lifestyle using the latest technologies and intelligent ergonomics. 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.
Media Contact:Emily WongDirect Ph: 562-733-7358ewong@humantouch.comMeet Alexandra Williams, Founder of Holistic Hyperbarics and Human Touch Wellness Council member.
Well race season is wrapping up and it’s time to review the inner workings of each race and the mechanics of the racecar. But just as important are reviewing films and contracts, team recovery and racecar rebuilding. Not only is the racecar rebuilt but the entire crew needs to take time to rest, refresh and reenergize. It’s during off season that I spend my mornings in the shop, and then head to the office.
In my office I have the iJOY® Massage Chair 2.1 by Human Touch®, and that is where I spend most of my time. This chair is stylish, comfortable and perfect for any space of any size. It is not unusual to see car parts around my office, limiting the amount of room space, plus we also use my office for crew meetings. There is not much room and for that reason the iJOY chair is the perfect size. The iJOY is a smaller portable size massage chair, so it is ideal for my office. The funniest thing about my massage chair is it is NEVER EMPTY! It is not unusual to see my crew fighting over who gets to sit in it.
After getting some heavy work done in the shop, it is nice to have a chair where I can enjoy the benefits of massage. This chair uses long strokes, kneading, compression, vibration and tapping to help relax and energize me while I review race films, post to social media and answer emails. The positive effects of the iJOY massage chair are that it reduces my stress level, back pain and muscle tension.
Outside of the massage effects, the iJOY chair is a comfortable chair. It provides a great place to just sit and relax. I can be found watching TV in it after my workday has ended. The chair has convenient side zippered pockets where I keep the chair remote, tissues and my TV remote. It truly is the perfect chair to unwind.
Photo by Clint McKoy on Unsplash
Who's up for their best summer ever? Awesome-me too! I love to use the early summer days as an opportunity to embrace a "summer re-set". We are roughly a half a year into 2018 and this is a perfect time to do a mindful assessment of our goals and intentions surrounding our self-care. How are you doing so far this year? Do you see any areas of growth and re-commitment? Please do not see this as a “fault finding mission”, but instead a chance to reclaim your passion for expanding and expressing the most vital, happy and peaceful version of you! To help us make this recommitment more exciting than ever we can employ the science and inspired power of epigenetics-an emerging field of science, medicine and longevity that validates the power of lifestyle in relationship to awesome well-being.
Epigenetics means “above your genes”, and shows that everything from your friends, family, food, exercise, stress management and overall environment have a direct effect on our gene expression, our DNA, our quality and quantity of life. This is inspiring news for all of us who are committed to proactive self-care as it details a path of purpose that does not lead us to believe that our DNA is always our destiny. We have a lot to say about how we will live, and how vital and strong our path will be expressed. One area of opportunity is the pro-active practice of protecting our telomeres.
Telomeres are at the end of each chromosome that protect them from damage. They tend to shorten with age, stress, unhealthy lifestyle choices and un-wellness. The good news is that we can positively impact the length and strength of our telomeres through the following practices: healthy eating, meditation, exercise, sleep and stress reducing exercises such as yoga, prayer and massage. Massage has been shown to reduce stress, increase relaxation and support overall healthier balance of mind and body. You can give your telomeres, your DNA and your livelihood a boost of good by gifting each the blessing of massage and the experience of epigenetics as you embrace and create your own summer of love and longevity!
Check out this helpful video from Dr. James Rouse on how to reset your intentions for the rest of the year.
By: Dr. Hoon C. Kim, Tao of Medicine and Human Touch Wellness Council Member
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA? According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, RA is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects and results joints to become warm, swollen and painful. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are involved, but it also affects other parts of the body. This may result in a low red blood cell count, inflammation around the lungs, and inflammation around the heart. Fever and low energy may also be present. Often, symptoms come on gradually over weeks to months.
While the cause of RA is not clear, it is believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The underlying mechanism involves the body's immune system attacking the joints. This results in inflammation and thickening of the joint capsule. It also affects the underlying bone and cartilage.
RA is a common chronic disease that affects about 1% of the world population. The prevalence of RA in the US, based on rates of RA from a 1995 Minnesota study and 2005 Census data, is currently estimated at approximately 1.29 million people or 0.6% of the population. Onset is most frequent during middle age and women are affected 2.5 times as frequently as men.
A class of plant chemicals known as bioflavonoids has been found to dramatically reduce inflammation and improve symptoms associated with autoimmune disorders, including RA.
Here are 6 nutrients to support your immune system, which can also be found in everyday foods:
Carotenoids - A family of plant pigments that include beta-carotene. A lack of carotenoids in the diet is thought to promote inflammation. Good sources of carotenoids include apricots, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, kale, butternut squash, and collard greens.
Prebiotic (water soluble fiber) - A healthy and active colon can decrease food sensitivity, which, in turn, can lighten the burden on your immune system. For maximum autoimmune health, increase the fiber in your diet.
Flavonoids - Found in green and black teas both catechins and theaflavins are beneficial in autoimmune disease.
Ginger - Recent studies show that ginger reduces inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin and suppresses the immune system's production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reducing disease severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Omega-3 - These essential fatty acids found in cold water fish such as salmon or mackerel and flaxseed oil can counter the formation of chemicals that cause inflammation.
Quercetin - Found naturally in certain foods quercetin can reduce allergic reactions and decrease inflammation. Foods rich in quercetin include apples (skin on), berries, red grapes, red onions, capers, and black tea.