|
|
| Greetings!
Hope this newsletter finds you in good health! This is the first newsletter in a series of monthly newsletters to come to your email address. In these newsletters you'll find information about massage and other health related issues as well as some specials that will only promoted through the newsletter. Not only will you find valuable information that is healthful, but you will also receive notices about any upcoming events.
In this issue, you will learn ways to improve the ergonomics at your work desk, as well as effective and inexpensive ways to improve the health of your office space.
If you have any comments or suggestions for topics you'd like to see covered, please let me know at RajamRoose@yahoo.com. Enjoy!
Warmly,
Rajam Roose, HHP
|
|
Five Reasons Massage is Good For You
1 Massage has been shown to stimulate the body's ability to control pain by producing endorphins, chemicals that control pain. This is why massage is helpful for pain relief. In fact, a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that massage was the most effective treatment for back pain in terms of reduction in anxiety and pain, and increase in function.
2 Massage improves body awareness. Regular massage helps to connect your mental and physical self thereby making it easier for you to start that exercise program or make nutritional changes needed for a healthy lifestyle.
3 Massage lowers the amount of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is the hormone that is created when we are feeling anxious or stressed. Cortisol is also responsible for lowering immunity by killing off cells that are important for immunity. By lowering the amount of cortisol in the body, massage can be responsible to helping your immune system stay strong.
4 Massage lowers blood pressure.
5 Massage increases the amount of serotonin which is why
massage has been shown to decrease headaches. Many headache medications increase serotonin levels. However, unlike headache medication; massage will also help lower your anxiety, stress and improve your quality of sleep.
|
| |
|
Is your desk job wearing you out?
Sitting all day at a computer can be stressful and tiresome. By the end of the day, you feel worn out and you may have achy shoulders/neck or back. Here are a few simple steps you can take to ensure that your desk job doesn't make you feel more exhausted at the end of the day!
Sitting Arrangement
* Use a chair that is the proper height, meaning your feet should rest flat on the floor.
* It is important that your thighs are parallel to the floor, if not get a new chair or use a folded towel or chair padding to even the seat bottom. You knees should not be higher (or lower) than your hip joints. Sitting in a chair seat that slopes backwards will create a lot of tension in your lumbar spine and can shorten your hip flexor muscles.
* Leaning forward on your desk can create tension in the spine. Use a small lumbar support and lean against the back of the chair while working. You can either purchase a lumbar support (half moon or round) or use a rolled up towel. The support should rest on top of your hip bones.
* If your chair has armrests, make sure the armrests aren't too high or too low, they should support your arms comfortably.
Computer Monitor/Mouse * Adjust your monitor so it is at eye level, you create neck and shoulder tension if you have to look up at the screen all day.
* Placing the mouse and keypad as close to your body as possible also helps to relieve neck and shoulder tension.
* The support pad should be underneath your hands, not your wrists! If possible, invest in a foot mouse, so you aren't straining your wrists and hands.
* Avoid having to turn your body or head to type, make sure the keyboard is right in front of the monitor so you face forward. If you have to look at something to type from, try to have it as close to your monitor so you don't have to strain your neck muscles by keeping your head in a turned position for long periods of time.
* Your desk or keyboard should be at a height that you can keep your arms parallel to the floor while typing.
Phone and Lighting
* When using a phone, a headset is ideal as it prevents neck and shoulder strain from holding the phone with your head and shoulder.
* Make sure you have adequate lighting and minimal glare on the monitor.
Getting Up & Out
Our bodies were built for movement, not sitting in one place all day! If you can, use a break timer that monitors your key strokes and will alert you when it's time to get up and walk around or stand up and do some light stretching. You can also set your clock/cell phone alarm to alert you every hour to get up and move about for five to ten minutes.
|
| |
|
Creating a Relaxing Space for the Office
Tips for keeping you rejuvenated at work
Here are some easy and inexpensive tips to help make your workspace more relaxing and conducive to creating quality work!
Even the most focused person needs a break at least twice daily. A great way to eliminate stress and recharge is to go outside for a ten minute walk. Walking will also get the blood and lymph system flowing. If you can't go outside, then walk within the parameter of the inside of the building.
Music
The right music can promote emotional well-being and cognitive skills. If you share an office with others, keep in mind that some people will find music annoying, especially if it's too loud or inappropriate for the workplace. Soft, uplifting music can be helpful to provide mental stimulation while performing monotonous tasks.
Lighting
Studies suggest that natural lighting increases human productivity and reduces fatigue and stress. If you can't have natural light in your office, try replacing those fluorescent bulbs with full-spectrum tubes. Full spectrum lighting emits a natural spectrum of light that is the closest you can get to real sunlight.
Plants
Did you know that NASA did a study and found there are ten plants* that are effective for removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air? Those chemicals are found in carpeting, paint and other objects found in an office workplace. Most of these plants can be purchased at Home Depot, you may recognize that some of them are in my office!
- Bamboo Palm (Chamadorea Seifritzii)
- Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema Modestum)
- English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
- Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera Jamesonii)
- Janet Craig (Dracaena "Janet Craig")
- Marginata (Dracaena Marginata)
- Mass cane/ Corn Plant (Dracaena Massangeana)
- Mother-in-Law's Tongue (Sansevieria Laurentii)
- Pot Mum (Chrysantheium morifolium)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
- Warneckii (Dracaena "Warneckii")
One plant will clean up to ten feet circumference of air.*
Massage
Although you may think that getting a chair massage at work will just make you sleepy, studies have shown that ten to fifteen minutes of chair massage during a work break has improved productivity in the office. The studies also show that employees took less time off work for sick days.
If you want to bring chair massage in to your work, check out this link for Infinite Massage. Infinite Massage is a nationwide company that provides qualified chair massage therapists to your office. If you want some copies of the research so you can bring to the table to promote your idea to the boss, or if you ARE the boss give me a call at 619-964-5821 and I can fax them to you!
|
| |
|
 "Soothing
touch, whether it be applied to a ruffled cat, a crying infant, or a
frightened child, has a universally recognized power to ameliorate the
signs of distress. How can it be that we overlook its usefulness on the
jangled adult as well? What is it that leads us to assume that the
stressed child merely needs "comforting" while the stressed adult needs
"medicine"?"
(Job's Body by Deane Juhan) |
| |
|
Package Rate Special
In
order to get to most out of your massage, regular sessions are
recommended. Most of my clients prefer regular appointments and
make use of my on-going massage pkg special. Whether you want to come in weekly, bi-weekly or monthly;
after just a few sessions you will notice improvements in your mental
and physical health.
Here are your savings when you choose the pkg rate for massage sessions:30 min. series for $270 -- you save $7 per session
60 min. series for $480 -- you save $12 per session
90 min. series for $660 -- you save $16 per session
There are two advantages when you purchase a series. You are saving money and you are more likely to come in regularly to take advantage of the healthful
benefits of massage. |
| |
|
Therapeutic Massage by Rajam Roose, HHP
www.RajamRoose.com
619-964-5821
|
|
|
