Chair Massage Brings Wellness into the Workplace
Workplace fatigue is a serious matter in an office setting, and many studies have shown that an employee’s performance is directly based on their level of physical comfort. The more physically and mentally relaxed and stress-free they are, the more productive they are. The American Institute of Stress reported that job stress and related problems costs employers more than $200 billion per year.
One of the hottest workplace wellness trends is chair massage, sometimes called on-site chair massage or corporate chair massage, and this service is already being performed in some of the top Fortune 500 companies. It’s a short massage, anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, done through the clothing without any oils or creams, making it very convenient for anyone to fit into their schedule. chair massage typically focuses on key tension areas in the back, neck, and shoulders. A licensed massage practitioner performs this specific type of massage in a specially designed ergonomic massage chair, which is portable and easily brought into the workplace, trade shows and events.
More and more companies see on-site chair massage therapy not as a perk, but as a way to increase their employee’s productivity and morale while decreasing absenteeism, and are making it an important part of their wellness program.
According the Touch Research Institute (TRI), chair massage therapy reduces stress, anxiety and enhances EEG (brainwave) patterns of alertness and math computation. In a study, adults were given a chair massage for 15 minutes, two times a week, for five weeks. As a result, frontal lobe delta wave power increased, suggesting relaxation. The group showed decreased alpha and beta power and increased speed and accuracy on math computations. At the end of the five-week period, stress, anxiety and depression scores were significantly lower.
Burt Abrams, of B.J. Abrams & Associates, an executive recruiting firm in suburban Chicago, has offered his employees chair massage over the past several years. “It is a benefit for stress relief, and it feels good,” he says. “It is a benefit that doesn’t cost a whole lot of money and it gets a lot of good will from your employees.”
According to David Palmer, founder of the TouchPro Institute in San Francisco, most office-related physical symptoms can be attributed to loss of circulation. Tight muscles, caused by stress and sitting behind a desk all day, especially at a work station that is not ergonomically designed, can impede blood and lymph flow through the body. The result is mental fogginess, decreased energy and susceptibility to repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Chair massage counters the circulatory problems inherent with office work and provide an appreciated break for employees. Sitting in a massage chair opens up the back muscles, relieves strain on the neck and provides a gentle respite for eyes, usually those glued to a computer monitor. Even 15 minutes of massage to the neck, back, arms and hands can increase circulation, returning energy levels and helping keep the body injury-free.
On-site corporate chair massage at the workplace is safe, convenient, cost-effective and provides valuable health and wellness benefits for employees, while increasing morale and productivity.
For more information, call Got Chair Massage? at 201-256-7113 or visit GotChairMassage.com.
