An estimated 3 million people in the U.S. and 65 million people worldwide have chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS. It’s a condition that causes sufferers to feel severe fatigue regardless of how many hours they’ve slept.

Symptoms of CFS can often worsen after mental or physical activity. The condition can come on suddenly and last for years. Many people with CFS struggle to carry out daily activities and enjoy the things they once loved doing.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for CFS. However, massage can help bring some relief and ease symptoms.

Benefits of Using Massage Chairs for Chronic Fatigue

Having a massage chair in your home is like having your own personal massage therapist that’s always on call. There are many benefits of massage chairs, from muscle pain relief to less stress. The effects of massage can benefit those with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Some of the top benefits of massage chairs for CFS include:

Improved Energy Levels

People with CFS often feel tired no matter how much rest they receive. One of the biggest benefits of massage chairs for CFS is that they can help improve energy levels.

Massage doesn’t directly boost energy levels, but rather, it addresses underlying issues that contribute to feelings of fatigue.

For example, regular massages can help support:

• Restful sleep
• Digestion
• Happy moods

When these three things are in balance, you naturally feel more energized.

Additionally, massage chairs apply pressure and movement that helps promote circulation. Improved circulation means that your organs receive more nutrients and oxygen. Waste can also be flushed out more easily, helping you to feel reinvigorated and ready to take on the day.

Relaxation

One of the most well-known benefits of massage is relaxation. Massage chairs come equipped with advanced massage systems that help alleviate muscle tension and help you feel more relaxed.

Massage can also trigger the release of endorphins – your body’s feel-good chemicals. Endorphins can promote a sense of wellbeing and melt away stress.

Many people with CFS suffer from muscle tension and stress. Lack of adequate rest can make it difficult for your body to relax and unwind. Regular massages can help combat these issues, providing some much-needed relief.

Help With Stress, Depression and Anxiety

Massage chairs can help you relax, and that relaxation can, in turn, help combat anxiety, depression and stress.

Those endorphins we just talked about can also help lift your mood and reduce anxiety.

Massage helps reduce cortisol levels, too. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. It boosts your energy levels in high-stress situations, increases blood sugar, reduces inflammation, affects how your body uses carbohydrates and even affects your sleep/wake cycle.

Cortisol certainly has its benefits – when it’s needed. However, chronically high levels of this hormone can have negative effects on your health.

Regular massages can reduce cortisol levels back down to normal, giving the body a chance to recover.

Massage can also help increase serotonin and dopamine levels while reducing norepinephrine, another stress hormone.

Less Pain and Tension

Pain and tension can contribute to CFS, or they can be a side effect of the condition. Massage chairs help with these issues by:

• Closing the pain gate by affecting nerve signals to the brain
• Relaxing muscle tension
• Reducing anxiety and stress

The release of endorphins, dopamine and serotonin can also help with pain relief and allow the body to slip into a more relaxed state.

Massage is one of the top mental health activities you can engage in if you’re stressed, suffering from muscle tension or need to take a break to recharge.

How to Choose the Right Massage Chair for Your Needs

Wellbeing massage chairs can deliver a stress relief massage that can be just as effective as one delivered by a masseuse.

But finding the best massage chairs recliners isn’t always an easy process. There are several factors that need to be considered.

Here's what to consider when choosing a massage chair:

Types of Chairs

There are a few different types of massage chairs on the market today. Understanding the differences between them can help you find the right chair for your needs.

The most popular types of massage chairs include:

• 2D: These chairs have massage rollers that move up and down and side to side.
• 3D: With these chairs, massage rollers move up and down, side to side and in and out. They deliver a more intense massage and can help with deep muscle tension.
• 4D: With a 4D massage chair, the rollers have all of the same movements as 2D and 3D chairs. But they also add variable speed into the mix to better mimic the natural movement of a massage therapist’s hands.
• S- and L-track: Chairs with S- and L-tracks target the entire back down to the backs of the thighs for a more thorough massage.

With a better understanding of the types of massage chairs, you can find one that will meet your needs.

Some chairs have all of these features combined into one, like the Super Novo 2.0 massage chair from Human Touch. These chairs will give you the best of all worlds, allowing you to maximize the benefits of massage.

Built-in Programs

Another thing to consider is the chair’s built-in programs. Modern massage chairs typically come equipped with automatic programs that can address specific issues.

These programs can include:

• Stretch
• Full-body massage
• Recovery

Some chairs also have acupressure systems and body mapping systems that help make these programs even more effective.

Your Lifestyle and Home

Two other important considerations are your lifestyle and home. For example, if you’re limited in space and want a massage chair that can move into the zero gravity position, you’ll need to look for models that require zero or minimal clearance.

If you have CFS and also lead an active lifestyle, you may want a chair that has a recovery program to help you better recover from workouts.

In addition, you should consider your symptoms and what you want to address so that you can find a chair that has the features you need.

Final Thoughts

There’s no easy way to get rid of chronic fatigue, but a massage chair can help bring you some relief. Over time and with regular massage sessions, you may find that your symptoms improve, and you can start enjoying more of the things you love in life.

Are you a swimmer looking for a way to enhance your training routine? Learn more about the benefits of massage chairs for swimmers.

On April 7th of every year, people around the globe celebrate World Health Day. The tradition started in 1948 and is meant to bring attention to global health issues for people worldwide.

However, this is seen as a day to realign your focus and celebrate healthy living habits – or create new ones.

If you’re trying to find ways to spend World Health Day, the tips and advice below can help.

Tips and Advice on How to Spend World Health Day

Health and well-being are at the core of this eventful day, and there are a lot of ways that you can spend the day:

• Educate yourself and others about health inequalities around the world. Vulnerable groups of people can be found in every country, and it’s important to reflect on this fact and discover ways that you can help others.
• Healthy food that is well-balanced and nutrient-rich should always be part of the celebration. You can take it a step further by sharing recipes for these delicious meals and helping others turn their kitchen into a source of personal health.
• Recommend in-office changes so that everyone can lead a happier, pain-free life. Sitting in the office for long hours is being called the “new smoking.” Long periods of sitting can lead to higher body fat, high cholesterol levels and blood sugar and an array of other health-related issues. Add in bad posture, and your time in the office may be impacting your health more than you realize. Recommend ergonomic chairs, sit-stand desks and even massage to promote circulation.
• Group fitness activities can be incorporated into the day, such as everyone going out for a hike together, taking a yoga session or going to the gym in a group.
• Dedicate 20 – 30 minutes to get moving, whether that means a quick gym session or following along with a trainer on YouTube. You can go for a walk, run, bike ride – do anything that makes your heart beat faster.

Why?

Let's find out.

Reasons Why Massage Chairs Are Ideal for World Health Day Celebrations

Massage is something that you do for you. A lot of people have aches and pains, stress and swelling that they wish they could get rid of but never schedule an appointment with a massage therapist.

If you have a massage chair, you can celebrate health every day.

In fact, there are many reasons to choose massage chairs for this big day:

• Everyone can benefit from a massage, from kids to seniors
• Massage is known for relieving stress, and stress is linked to high blood pressure and health problems
• Aches and pains subside after a massage, and a single massage may help jumpstart the healing process
• The “feel good” hormones that allow you to be happy and healthy increase during massage

Plus, you can put on soothing music or light incense to help improve the relaxing effect of massage therapy. If you want a single way to make yourself and anyone who is celebrating World Health Day with you feel better, massage is the one thing you should incorporate.

Adjust The Parameters of The Chair and Customize the Massage to Your Individual Needs

While we recommend massage on World Health Day, we do want to mention that massage’s benefits are amplified when you:

• Adjust the chair
• Customize the massage

First, you’ll want to consider all of the chair’s features. Do you have a tight back, or do you want to increase the effectiveness of the massage? Turn on the lumbar heat function if it exists. Heat will help to soothe sore muscles or loosen tight ones.

Massage intensity can be adjusted in most high-end chairs, allowing for a more intense massage. We recommend that you start with medium intensity and adjust up or down as necessary.

A more intense setting will help you target deeper muscle pain or pinpoint areas that a light intensity cannot.

Finally, what type of massage would you like? There are a multitude of massage techniques that a chair can mimic, such as:

• Swedish
• Hot stone
• Shiatsu
• Deep tissue
• Etc.

If the chair does offer AcuPressure therapy, you’ll also want to try out this feature for yourself. AcuPressure therapy can target areas of the body that a regular massage cannot.

Are you curious about which Human Touch massage chairs will work best for you?  The following chairs are among the best in our lineup:

WholeBody ROVE Massage Chair

ROVE requires just a 3” rear clearance and will provide a deep, intense massage with the help of S- and L-track massage technology. Manually extend the footrest to massage your lower extremities or choose from eight wellness programs.

You can enjoy a stretch, full-body or recovery program at any time.

With dual-lumbar heat, zero gravity seating and more, this is one of the best massage chairs for anyone celebrating World Health Day.

Click here for more information.

Super Novo Massage Chair

Super Novo is a beautiful massage chair that provides a three-dimensional massage to work from the top of the spine all the way down to your thighs. This state-of-the-art chair also has a four-dimensional massage to provide as realistic of a human massage as possible.

Additionally, the chair has:

• S- and L-track massage tracks
• Calf, knee and foot massage
• Acupressure technology
• Dual-lumbar heat
• Zero-gravity function
• Full-body stretch
• So much more

Click here for more information.

Certus Massage Chair

Certus has a rear clearance of just 0.2”, allowing it to fit comfortably in smaller spaces. This feature-rich chair has 11 auto wellness programs, AcuPoint detection, 3D massage technology, zero-gravity seating and so much more.

Add in dual-lumbar heat and this chair helps you melt stress away.

Click here for more information.

Final Thought

Human Touch massage chairs and World Health Day go together perfectly. Whether you’re taking a stand to improve your own health or holding a celebration on April 7th, massage is one of the things you can offer yourself and others.

With your own personal massage chair, you can enjoy the benefits of massage any time you wish.

Winter activities like snowboarding, skiing and skating are fun ways to stay active in the cold winter months, but they can be hard on the body. Muscle aches and soreness can leave you feeling miserable after a weekend on the slopes.

A good massage can help you feel better or even prevent soreness in the first place. The great news is that you don’t have to go far to enjoy a therapeutic massage. An at-home massage chair can help melt away stress and tension in minutes.

How Massage Chairs Help You Relax After Active Winter Sports

A full body massage chair is a great investment if you enjoy winter activities or lead an active life in general. Here’s how they can help you relax after engaging in active winter sports.

Massage Chairs Can Help Improve Blood Circulation

One major benefit of massages is that they help improve blood circulation. For example, one 2020 study found that a five-minute leg massage helped improve blood flow to the affected leg and the surrounding area. An older study saw similar results.

Improving blood flow benefits the body in many ways:

• Reduces stiffness
• Promotes flexibility
• Helps you feel more relaxed
• Helps soothe aches Improves breathing

When you have a massage chair at home, you can enjoy these benefits anytime you want.

If you’ve spent the afternoon or weekend snowboarding, skiing or doing some other winter activity, a massage session can do wonders to alleviate aches and pains. That's why so many active people use massage chairs as sports recovery equipment.

The increased blood flow also helps your body heal and recover faster after rigorous activity. In addition, better circulation helps deliver more nutrients to your damaged muscles.

How Massage Chairs Reduce Muscle Tension After Winter Sports

Intense activity can cause muscle tension and discomfort. A massage chair can help alleviate this tension, making muscle recovery less painful.

A chair with a sport massage feature can help massage away tension and gently stretch the muscles to prevent tightness and further tension.

Enjoying a chair massage before and after winter active sports can also help prevent tightness and tension.

Some people also argue that massage chairs strengthen the immune system. If you’re engaging in active winter sports, having a stronger immune system may help you stay healthy and even avoid getting sick.

When Is It Better to Use Massage Chairs:
Before or After Winter Active Sports?

You know that massage chairs can help improve blood flow and alleviate muscle tension. But the question is: when should you use your chair?

Is it better to use a massage chair before or after a winter workout?

Pre- and post-workout massages both have benefits.

• A massage before active winter sports can help loosen muscle tension and knots to improve flexibility. Having less stiffness and tension may help prevent injury, but it’s important to keep your massage light and brief. Save that deep tissue massage for later. And if you have any anxiety or stress about the activity, a quick massage can help you relax.
• A massage after active winter sports can help aid in recovery and reduce soreness. It’s best to get your massage within 2 hours of the activity to maximize the benefits. Research has shown that post-workout massages can help with muscle fatigue, reduce stiffness and more. One study found that massage was the most effective post-workout activity compared to stretching, active recovery, hyperbaric treatment and more.

As you can see, there are benefits to both pre- and post-activity massages. But most experts agree that you should save your massage for after the activity. You’ll maximize the recovery benefits and help your body relax after intense exercise.

The great news is that if you have a massage chair at home, you can experiment with pre- and post-workout massages in your own relaxation zone to see which one you like best.

Top Models of Massage Chairs That Will Be Useful for
Fans of Winter Sports

Now that you understand the benefits of massage chairs for fans of winter sports, you may be wondering which chairs are best.

Choosing the right massage chair doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. We’re going to share our top picks for the best massage chair for winter sports fanatics.

Super Novo

The Super Novo is an advanced massage chair with features that can help with pain management, tension and workout recovery.

Features

• 3D and 4D massage technology
• 38 built-in wellness programs
• Magnetic dock to keep your devices within reach
• Cloud touch acupressure
• Dual lumber heat
• Unibody track that covers 60% more of the back than competitors
• Zero gravity position
• Built-in Altec Lansing sound system
• Extended knee, calf and foot massager
• Full-body stretch

The 3D and 4D massage functions vary the speed of each stroke to mimic the feel of a real massage.

With so many built-in massage programs, including recovery, you’re sure to find the perfect massage for your needs. Plus, the full-body stretch can help prevent soreness and stiffness after engaging in winter sports.

Click here to learn more about the Super Novo massage chair

Certus

The Certus delivers a 3D massage that extends the entire length of your spine and thighs to cover all areas that may be stiff or sore after winter sports.

Features

• 11 auto wellness programs
• S- and L-track massage
• Foot and calf massage options
• Zero gravity seating
• Built-in sound system
• Lumbar and foot heating

With 11 built-in programs, heated features and full-body massage options, this is a chair that can help speed up recovery after engaging in active sports.

Click here to learn more about the Certus massage chair

WholeBody® 8.0 Massage Chair

The WholeBody 8.0 massage chair delivers a moderate massage and comes loaded with features that will help melt away tension and stiffness.

Features

• FlexGlide massage
• 7 auto wellness programs
• Warm air technology
• Swiveling base
• Headrest pad
• Foot and calf massager

The WholeBody 8.0 chair is a great option if you want a simple model with fewer massage chair features. You still enjoy a full body massage and the benefits of built-in wellness programs but without all of the bells and whistles of more expensive chairs. The back and foot massage functions will help with muscle recovery and soreness after winter sports.

Click here to learn more about the WholeBody 8.0 massage chair

Final Thoughts

If you’re a fan of winter sports, a massage chair can help you recover faster and relax after an intense day of activity. The right chair can help melt away stress and tension while helping improve blood flow. It’s the perfect way to indulge in some much-needed self-care after rigorous exercise.

The first goal when we all wake up is to have the best day possible. Sometimes this gets messed up before we even get started. We sleep through alarm clocks and are late so we are rushing the whole day. We just don’t feel right and our body is off or we sleep in the wrong position and now we aches and pains that we have to workout to try to feel better. Possibly you just didn’t have a good night sleep or enough sleep because you went to bed later than you expected.

There is a long list of reasons why many of our days don’t start off ideal which more often than not slips into us not being able to have the most productive day. I guess in a perfect world we would all wake up like the prince in the movies Coming to America. Beautiful spacious bed, perfect temperature setting in the room, just the right amount of sunlight. Laying in the perfect position with the best pillow and gently waking up to a symphony. Well this isn’t the reality for 99.9% of us in the world and definitely not the people reading this blog.

But how do you make everyday the best day possible? You do some research, play around with a few ideas and construct a regimen that works for you. As an athlete we always talk about warming up and being a our peak so we can perform. That is the same for everyone else living life as well. If you start your day in ways that put you in the best possible light you will have less stress, a clearer mind and a more joyful heart. With those three components your will be a better employee, parent, partner and person all around.

The first thing I do when I wake up every day is go and sit in my Human Touch Super Novo masage chair for twenty minutes. If you look they tell you that everyday first thing you should meditate. No better place to do than your chair! I don’t your the same setting every morning but I do a 20 min session and I always use the heat option.

During this time I mentally go over the thoughts and key points of what i would like to do that day. I try to visualize and anticipate things that may happen that day and ways to proactively deal with adversity. I also envision the success that i would like to see on that day. Many times while I’m in the chair i do drills and allow my mind to take over my body and talk to my muscles and tell them what needs to trigger without actually doing the motions fully. This gets my body ready to move, my muscles get the gentle wake up that then need so I can be at my best.

I totally understand that everyday it’s going to be perfect but if you take the to find a regimen that works for you and stick to it you will have more good days than bad. Thank you for checking into the recovery corner and I hope this was helpful to you in your wellness journey.

Maurice Allen

World Long Drive Champion 

WLD Tour Champion 

Long Drivers European Tour Champ

American Cancer Society Ambassador 

Boys & Girls Club of America Ambassador 

Former Guinness World Record Holder 

mauriceallen360.com

Balance is a term commonly used in today’s world and it’s consistently connected to energy. These terms have become catch phrases without a consensus understanding of the words true meaning.

In reference to the human body, human output, and recovery, the term balance is truly nonexistent. In the medical views we work in “range” instead of balance, this is due heavily to the fact that life is a progression. Balance is a term that only exists in a stagnant form, a stage or state of no movement and no outside influences. Everyday your environment is forever changing just as you are forever changing. By the time you finish reading this article you will have gotten older, your environmental influences can be different and your internal influences may have changed as well. 

In trying to learn how to recover it is extremely important that you understand that it is a cycle. The things that you do will be extremely effective until your body builds a tolerance to that particular thing, which is when it’s important to introduce something new. Ironically, after introducing 3 to 4 new things you will be able to go back to your original recovery regimen and repeat that same cycle as long as there are no new injuries. We must remember that our body is our experience, and what works for us an individuals doesn’t have to fit into a current philosophy practiced. The most important part is that it works for you and allows you to be at your best at a most consistent base.

No one will ever not have bad days that a part of the journey and “balance” give the thought that when those bad days happen it’s because you of out of sorts. Days when you aren’t feeling 100 percent can come from a long line of things but most of them aren’t bad especially when you are training towards a goal of getting better. Growth in any arena is extremely difficult and stressful but it’s because you are pushing your mind and body to new levels. This is simply the act of you changing your threshold or range, while doing this it’s important to consume enough of the proper food, the correct amount of water as well as get the proper a mouth of rest (not sleep but rest, including recovery using products such as the Super Novo massage chair). 

Over the next 90 days I will document my journey and I prepare for the opportunity to win 4 Long Drive World Championships in three different divisions. During the next 90 days I will push myself at the highest levels of all ranges to see if I can achieve this goal. It will be extremely tough but necessary to get every ounce of production out of my body. I hope you enjoy following me on this journey. 

Hello, my name is Maurice Allen and I am a professional long drive competitor as well as a professional golfer. I have teamed up with Human Touch over the next 12 months to document my recovery methods in hopes that it will give you some ideas that you can use to help you gain a greater quality of life. 

How to Use Massage Chairs for Recovery in the Right Way

In this first month I started with baseline, it’s important to know where you are to start and also to help you see improvements of any kind which will give you the motivation to continue the process. The assessment and documentation is a lot of work to be honest with you but I feel that it is a necessity and one of the first steps to truly get better. In my baseline assessment I would take 5-7 minutes every morning when I first wake up and again right before I got to bed to see how my body is responding to movement.

The key parts I check are the following:

• Feet
• Knees
• Hips
• Lower back
• Shoulders
• Neck

These are the major places that are the site of discomfort for most individuals.

The assessment is a simple series of movements that help me look at range of motion and strength. You are looking to see what feels tight, is there any sharp pain, is muscle atrophy present, inability to move, and is the movement smooth and fluid. The purpose in doing it twice a day is to see how well my body recovers as I sleep. 

From my assessment I’ve learned that I need to work on:

• Ankle mobility
• Knee stability with strengthening the supporting muscles
• Loosen up my hips
• Shoulder range of motion
• Strengthening the muscles in my neck

Do I Need a Massage for Muscle Recovery?

I know that many of you reading this will say “I’m not a professional athlete so how does this relate to me?”

Recovery and wellness is something important for everyone because you can’t perform at top level without it. If you are consistently in pain or discomfort you can’t be the best parent you want to be, the best spouse you want to be or be the best worker you want be. This is a long ongoing process but it hopefully gives you all some great information that you will be able to use as well.

Each month I will tackle one issue at a time in detail using a series of methods, I will also use my Super Novo massage chair as one of my daily maintenance tools to help me recover better and enjoy life more. We'll also explore how massage helps with muscle recovery and overall recovery in general.

Thank you for following my journey, and starting your own as well!

Exercise plays an important role in overall health and wellness, and your recovery can be just as important as the workout itself. Not only can recovery prevent muscle soreness, but it can also help support healthy muscle growth.

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."

 

Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash

By: Dr. Jon Stucky, Doctor of Chiropractic and Human Touch Wellness Council Member

There is a growing presence of Doctors of Chiropractic in all types and levels of sports: Olympics, NFL, NHL, college athletics, professional rodeo, professional strongman competitions and action sports to name a few. Many would conclude it is because the organization or the athlete can afford it and it is a luxury. That assumption may be true, but the athlete and organization would tell you that having a Doctor of Chiropractic on the health care team is a necessity for performance and enhancing recovery. The best approach is utilizing chiropractic care as a pre-performance and training enhancement.  The effort that athletes make to strengthen and enhance repetition in a sport - to provide muscle and nervous system memory of skills needed to function at a championship level - may take a toll on their muscle, tendons, ligaments and ultimately their nervous system in enabling and directing recovery.

Chiropractors evaluate the spinal segments for position and movement, and the impact to the nervous system. The nervous system can alter and inhibit subtle to obvious brain-body communication that will affect the body’s ultimate capacity and function. Chiropractors in the sports world will often assess the extremities (shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, etc.) for proper alignment and movement within the parameters of each joint’s particular movement. The ability and skill set of Doctors of Chiropractic is unique and they attribute to the functional improvement of an athlete’s performance.  

Athletes immediately gravitate towards chiropractors to receive care during training and competitions. High level athletes are separated by tenths, hundreds or thousands of a second or by minute movements that save energy and time, that with altered brain-body mechanics, can be the subtle difference in winning.  This competitive edge is why most athletes seek chiropractic care. The nervous system interference is evaluated, body efficiency is elevated, energy is enhanced and muscle strength and coordination is improved. The athlete is able to feel that he/she can perform their skill with precise movement.

I have worked with a range from youth to professional athletes in many sports, and know that the nervous system is the regulating organ system that houses the communication of coordination and control of all that we do. The nervous system is well organized, ready to train, learn and perform at a high level, it just needs no interference due to injury, which is why chiropractic care in high-impact sports is an ideal way to regulate and optimize performance.