The Benefits of a Chair Massage at Work
Chair massage at work is a great way of not only relaxing people, but also to help them emotionally and physically in terms of their well-being. More and more companies are realising that investing in chair massage at work for their employees actually pay dividends.
What is chair massage?
It is a seated massage on a specific chair that will be supplied by the company you engage. Typically, the massage is a short one, lasting between 10 and 15 minutes (this is the timeframe that research from institutes across the globe say has an amazing and immediate impact on the person receiving the massage).
It focuses on the back, shoulders, neck and arms, the 4 areas that we tend to carry tension, without really being aware of it until someone massages it away! This type of work-based massage is done over clothes and involves no oils or other accoutrements.
The process
For this seated massage, the recipient is seated facing into the chair, with arms resting in a cradle and looking down towards the floor. The back and neck is, as a result, completely relaxed as the chair effectively ‘takes your weight’; this in itself has an amazing effect of releasing tension.
The masseuse gives the massage following a Swedish style massage moves that involves kneading and the compression of muscles and soft tissues. This style of massage does not involve the use of oils and so this makes it perfect for a work-based setting.
Not just work-based
Chair based massage is also offered in places that are considered high stress, or where people need to be relaxed in order to enjoy an upcoming experience more.
For example, this type of massage using Swedish techniques are offered at airports; many an anxious or nervous passenger have enjoyed the calming benefits of massage prior to a flight. This will not only calm any nerves or quell anxiety, but an important additional effect is that many people they find they sleep on the flight too – perfect if flying is not your thing.
A perk on offer!
Many companies have also realised the potential if chair based massage as being an activity that they can ‘give away’ at corporate events. There are many examples of companies and global organisations buying in the services of chair based massage therapy companies to offer such an activity.
The cost and is it really cost-effective?
The cost of providing chair-based massage therapies at various sized companies and businesses is not as expensive as you may think.
But, add to this the fact that the benefits your employees feel as a result of a 10 to 15 minutes massage will also have a positive knock-on effect for your business.
For example, studies carried out in America and Australia highlight that companies who regularly and consistently invest in various activities for employees, including work-based massage, have a far happier and stable workforce in terms of retention.
The important aspect of keeping hold of employees means that your business has a stable platform on which it can grow and evolve; employees will stay with a company when they feel valued and nurtured, in a variety of ways.
Looking after the emotional and physical well-being of your employees is one way of showing your workers that you value them within your organisation. All too often, people come and go to and from work, but there may be little interaction between peers and colleagues.
Massage at work is known to help workers get to know each other and this is for one simple, yet powerful reason: relaxation and calmness. Many companies and institutes across the world who offer a range of therapies, including massage, highlight that the ‘power of touch’ is a great healer.
Other benefits
One large global organisation found that, through the provision of massage at work (some of which they paid for, and some that their employees offered to pay or contribute towards) help in decreasing absenteeism rates by up to 25%. This means that the company lost less days through illness than ever before and the impact of this on any business, or any size, can be huge.
Employees were also more likely to be healthy and happy in work too; the instances of stress-related injuries and ill-health also decreased significantly. Therapists know that this is from the power of massage, helping the lymphatic system to work better, the production of endorphins in the bran rather than stress-related hormones and chemicals as well as the mobility of joints and soft tissues being improved.