Human Touch Announces Partnership with World Champion Triathlete and U.S. Olympian, Andy Potts
Potts to enrich the Human Touch Wellness Council with expertise from an extensive Olympic and Ironman triathlete career
Long Beach, CA – May 10, 2017 – Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair Recliners, and other wellness solutions, is pleased to announce that it has formed a partnership with U.S. Olympian and world-champion triathlete, Andy Potts. Potts, who recently won the Ironman 70.3 competition in Peru, will join the Human Touch Wellness Council in order to provide insight into the importance of wellness and recovery in high-performance sports.
The Human Touch Wellness Council is a recognized and universally respected team of experts with insight into a variety of wellness practices, from professional athletes to medical practitioners and natural healers. The Wellness Council helps to shape and guide the development of Human Touch products, with a mission to create solutions that inform and benefit professionals, sports-enthusiasts, back pain sufferers, and consumers alike.
“I’m thrilled to join the Human Touch Wellness Council,” said Andy Potts. “As a professional triathlete, one of the pillars of my racing and training success comes from proper recovery. I train for over 35 hours a week, which takes a tremendous toll on the body. By adding the Human Touch Novo XT to my daily routine, I’m able to unwind and recover in a way I never thought possible. My goal as a member of the Wellness Council is to share my expertise on both athletic recovery and training, so that others can benefit from my knowledge in these areas.”
Andy Potts began his career as a swimmer at the University of Michigan, where he was a six-time NCAA All-American champion as well as a member of the university track team. He began competing as a professional athlete in 2003, and competed at the second Olympic triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. He then went on to win the 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida, with a time of 3:42:33. Since then he has completed over 200 races with more than 55 first-place finishes. In 2007 he won the Pan Am Games Champion title, and was selected as the 2007 USAT Triathlete of the Year; a title he has since earned 3 more times. His 2017 Ironman 70.3 Peru win brings his grand total of Ironman 70.3 first place titles up to 28, with 125+ podium appearances throughout his career. Andy Potts is a fierce competitor whose passion extends beyond the finish line. He is known for spending hours after his races, handing out medals and talking to fans. His mission for the sport that has given him so much, is to leave it better than he found it, starting with his racing team and camps. These week-long training sessions allow members to get professional-level instruction and experience with Andy and his team of coaches. The location for these camps vary, coming in summer 2017 to the Olympic Training Center in Olympic City, USA (Colorado Springs). Other options for hands-on training with Andy include a PottsHead Club Team, AP Private Coaching, and 1 on 1 coaching with Andy and his coach, Mike Doane.
“We’re very excited to have Andy join our Wellness Council,” said Peter Theran, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Human Touch. “Our customers use their wellness solutions for a variety of reasons, including to recover from and to prepare for high-performance sports. Andy brings a unique voice to our team as an expert in how to incorporate wellness and massage into a fitness and training routine, no matter what your sport, in order to bring your best game each and every day.”
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.
Media Contact:Megan HarveyDirect Ph: 562-733-7317Direct Fax: 562-424-7846Corp. Ph: 562-426-8700mharvey@humantouch.comwww.humantouch.com
Former NFL Player, Hiram Eugene, Shares His Experience with the Novo Massage Chair
Human Touch recently connected with Hiram Eugene, a former NFL free safety for the Oakland Raiders. He was signed in 2006, and played for six seasons before a dislocated hip forced him to retire early from his NFL career.
Though he was able to have surgery on his hip, his pain continued to resonate from that - as well as many other - injuries resulting from playing professional football. After an intensive regimen of both physical therapy and pain management medication, he finally found a more manageable form of relief in the Human Touch Ascent Series Novo massage chair. He has been kind enough to invite us along for his journey to recovery. Here, you can read Hiram’s first-hand account of how he’s using his Novo to feel his best:
My NFL career started in 2006 as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders, where I played Free Safety during my tenure. My career lasted until 2012 with a career - ending injury, due to a left hip dislocation.
As most players in the NFL I have had numerous injuries. I suffered from hamstring pulls, both ankle sprains, a torn Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) on the left knee, left calf muscle pull, a torn Pectoral muscle on right arm, a hyperextended left elbow, jammed right hip, stingers (which resulted in me having the thoracic outlet syndrome), an L5 and S1 disassociation in my lower back, and lastly what ended my career which is a dislocated left hip.
Enduring these numerous injuries, I am mostly affected by tightness/stiffness/soreness in my lower back, joint tightness/soreness in left hip, and stiffness/tingling/inflammation/numbness in my neck.
My attraction to the Novo massage chair was that it really does have the touch of human hands giving you a firm massage, and it also has a recliner mode that helps you relax while you receive that massage.
I have been able to use my Novo massage chair 3-5 times a week, depending on my daily schedule. I usually try to get into the chair in the early afternoon, and if possible at night before bed. One particularly helpful way I’ve begun to use the chair is after a hot tub bath, since it helps me to find a more peaceful sleep. I mostly sit down, and put the auto-massage program to the cloud touch/manual knead with percussion and heat, and I love the foot and calf massage.
I have been seeing a doctor for pain medicine, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatory medicines. I was also attending physical therapy two times the week and seeing a massage therapist and acupuncturist once a week. However, using my Novo regularly has decreased my pain levels and given me a little better mobility. With better mobility I don't have to take my medications as often, and the combined heat with low back massage generates blood flow which allows me to get a little more done throughout the day.
Hopefully this progress continues, so that I can cut even further back on my pain medication and decrease my need for physical therapy. I will continue to use my Novo massage chair regularly, and update you on my progress!
Human Touch® Gives Back at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Event
Human Touch was recently able to show support for the American Cancer Society at the 2016 Relay for Life event. There, we donated two HT-Reflex 2 Foot and Calf Massagers to the team Beautiful Feet, which was captained by 16 year-old Carissa Dahlia. These Reflex2’s were featured in the Beautiful Feet booth at their May 1st event, offering some much-needed relief to its participants.
Relay for Life is an event that raises money for the American Cancer Society to put toward cancer research, as well as patient resources and programs. Beautiful Feet is a chapter of Chapman University’s event, in which the goal of each team was to have someone on the track walking to raise money for cancer for a full 24 hours. Carissa Dahlia also made it her goal to walk roughly 16 miles barefoot, despite the hot cement of the sidewalk route, in tribute to the hardships that cancer patients go through every day. In 2016, she increased that goal to 26 miles.
Carissa’s story is truly inspirational, as this young woman formed her team in memory of her maternal grandfather, Terry Borchard, who lost his battle with Multiple Myeloma cancer in 2014. Borchard had been a missionary and Bible translator in Papua New Guinea for over 40 years, and led a generous lifestyle that inspired Carissa and her family to also lead similar purpose-filled lives. Carissa’s team raised approximately $900 for Relay for Life in 2015, and another $1209 (so far) in 2016.
Here are a few quotes directly from Carissa throughout her experience:
"Once again I have created a Relay for Life team called Beautiful Feet. Last year I walked 16 miles barefoot at Relay for Life. Everyone thought I was crazy. It was hot. We were walking on cement. And yet I had ditched my shoes in our tent. At the time I didn’t have a real answer for why I was walking barefoot, I just knew deep down that I needed to do it. I now have the answer to why. The pain I experienced from walking barefoot on that hot cement for 16 miles was fleeting. Of course it hurt at the time and for a week or so afterwards, but it was nothing compared to the pain experienced by those fighting cancer or any other diseases. The pain I experienced was momentary and my choice. Theirs is not.”
“Walking barefooted reminds me of the real reason that we relay. We relay for the people. The people we’ve lost, the people still fighting, and the future people who might have to hear those fateful words. Relay is not just about the cancer and funding research. It’s about the people who will benefit from that research. The people it will save.”
“26+ miles completed barefoot and I am done walking. Or rather my legs are done walking. So I am reflecting on the reason that I have done this to my legs. Because of my Grandpa, both my grandmas, and countless others, I relay for them. I relay for the hope of a cure, the hope that one day all cancers will be treatable. I relay for love, the love I have for all those I've lost. And finally, I relay to help kick cancer into the past so that no one else has to hear those three words, "You have cancer."
"It has been one week since Relay for Life and my reasoning for walking barefoot has changed so much. As I walked so many more reasons came flooding to me, especially at night with the luminaries surrounding the track. I realized that as you watch a loved one suffer through their treatment you constantly say that you wish you could take some of their pain from them, walking barefoot allowed me to feel as though I had taken some of that pain from them. It also allowed me to physically feel the progression as my legs went from strong to weak to unable to walk. Walking barefoot for me was similar to my grandfather's cancer journey, like Multiple Myeloma, the pain would go away or subside, but it would always come back. I felt really connected to my grandpa during this experience, and while it hurt a lot, I will definitely do it again next year."
Meditation That Works For You
Meditation can sometimes be misunderstood by people who feel that it seems inactive or boring. Other people are so used to the daily buzz that they don’t think it’s possible for them to sit silently for a period of time. Others still feel like they’re just TOO busy to meditate, even for a few minutes. However, there are a multitude of ways to meditate, with options that can fit just about any lifestyle. Here are a few forms of meditation for practitioners of any concentration level, schedule, and interest in meditative spirituality.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
This is the simple practice of directing well-wishes toward other people. To practice, sit comfortably with your eyes closed, and imagine what you want for your life. Start by directing phrases at yourself, such as “I wish to feel more peace.” After this, you extend well-wishes toward other people, and determine what positive hopes you have for them. These visualizations go beyond just friends or even people you feel neutral about, and reach out to people whom you don’t generally care for, in order to spread happiness to your surrounding world. This type of meditation has been shown to increase positivity, empathy, and kindness. Best for: Those struggling with low self-esteem; those looking to become more empathetic to people around them.
Moving Meditation
There are several forms of moving meditation that can help people who like to multitask, or those who struggle sit still. Exercises such as Yoga or Tai Chi encourage people to move their bodies at a deliberate pace, all while focusing their attention inward in order to really connect their minds and bodies as one. Even walking can be a means of meditation if you simply focus your attention on your mind and body. During any form of moving meditation, it’s important to keep the body in continual motion, in order to maintain the mind-body connection. Best for: Busy people; athletes.
Chakra Meditations
This style of meditation is centered on the idea that we are made of seven different “energy centers,” each of which is located in a different part of the body. These energy centers, or chakras, are associated with a different color, sound and purpose. Mediation involving one’s chakras often uses sound, touch, and visualization to hone in on a specific area of the body, and heal any issues or heavy emotions that dwell there. Many people who practice yoga believe in chakra meditation, and use it as a supplement to their yoga practice. Best for: Spiritual individuals; yoga practitioners.
Vipassana Meditation
Also called “Insight Meditation,” Vipassana Insight Meditation is the practice of paying close attention to sensation. It emphasizes awareness of breath, and teaches you to focus your attention on the thoughts that arise while you breathe in and out through the nose. No matter your thoughts, it asks you to allow them to flow through you without taking them too seriously, and then gently return your awareness back to your breath. This is the most common type of meditation that is offered at silent meditation retreats. Best for: Beginners; those looking to attend a silent retreat.
Open Monitoring Meditation
Experienced practitioners see this as an actual purpose to meditation, and not a form of meditation itself. Open Monitoring Meditation encourages turning their focus on their awareness itself, rather than focus on one’s breath or their thoughts. One way to accomplish this might be to sit or lay down, and simply listen to the goings-on in the world around you. You might notice the weight of your body as it distributes onto your chair or the ground, or you can listen to the sounds outside of your window that were only background noise until now. Your state of awareness is heightened as you really start to pay attention to each passing car, gust of wind, or cool breeze. This type of meditation really enhances your connection to the world around you, and helps to calm your mind as you own racing thoughts become more still. Best for: Busy thinkers; those who struggle to sit still.