Franchise Success Pulled from the Ashes

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Relax The Back Franchisee, Entrepreneur Magazine

Michael Dean, Relax The Back Franchisee featured in Entrepreneur Magazine

It was just a few weeks before Christmas and Relax The Back franchisee Michael Dean faced the unthinkable. His Tulsa store had been devastated by a nearby fire, leaving the location in shambles and much of the inventory soaked in water and soot.

With the benefits of a strong will, loyal staff, and sympathetic landlord, he was able to recover and still have a successful holiday season. He then went on to become the #2 franchise in the country!

Get a peek into how he did it in this article from Entrepreneur Magazine: Three Survival Stories From the Franchise World.

We’re proud to say that his story was featured both online and in the January 2012 print magazine. In the same issue, Relax The Back was named one of Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500!

The year is off to a great start for Relax The Back – all thanks to to our wonderful customers and franchisees!

 

Get in Shape for the New Year!

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FitBALL® Exercise Gym Ball

When it comes to losing a few pounds in the New Year, sports are a great way to have fun and stay fit. But don’t let your New Year’s resolutions land you in the doctor’s office. To protect your joints and muscles, follow the below guidelines before exercising or heading out to the ball field.

 

  1. Stretch – Give yourself a good 10-15 minutes of proper stretching before getting in the game. For the back, try extension stretches with a Fitness Ball or Lumbar Extender to loosen up your muscles. Time on a Mastercare Inversion Table is also an excellent way to stretch your upper and lower back while increasing blood flow to your spinal discs. For the lower body, stretch your quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, and piriformis (hips) to help prevent injury.
    
    
  2. Hydrate- Your body, like any other machine, needs fuel. Try water, sports drinks, or various flavored and fortified waters to maintain a proper fluid intake. One word of caution – the sweeter the drink, the more it should be consumed in moderation. But whatever your preference, staying adequately hydrated before, during, and after exercising will help stave off soreness and/or injury.
    
    
  3. Wear protective gear- Helmets, mouthpieces, goggles, face guards – use the appropriate protective gear for your sport or activity. Although equipment like this does not guarantee freedom from injury, it can go a long way to protect your life and limbs.
    
    

The next time you exercise or enjoy some healthy competition, take care to follow the above guidelines. They can help keep you on the field and out of the infirmary.

3 Keys To a Good Night’s Sleep: Finding the Best Mattress, Pillow and Sleep Position for You

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If you ever wake up with back pain, joint stiffness, muscle tension or just generally feeling unrested, you could open up a new world of deep and restful sleep with the 3 keys of MPP: Mattress, Pillow, Position.

Here’s a handy guide that can help. Click to learn more about different types of mattresses and pillows, as well as how to best accomodate your sleeping position and any health conditions.

 

 

Don’t Shop Till You Drop: 4 Quick Tips for a Pain-Free Shopping Season

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Top Tips for Pain-Free Holiday ShoppingThe holidays are here, and so is the shopping frenzy. Although strolling through stores can be fun, lugging heavy shopping bags or hunching over to wrap gifts can strain your back or neck. Before you head to the mall, follow these quick tips to avoid soreness in your joints or muscles.

 

  • Make an organized list – Don’t wander aimlessly around the store until your feet and back hurts. Create an itemized list and go after them. Also, don’t hesitate to ask staff where to find a particular item. It will save you time, energy, and wear and tear on your joints and muscles.

 

  • Wear comfortable shoes – Walking around the mall for hours in high heels or crumbling running shoes is not good for your feet or your back. Wear comfortable clothes or walking shoes in good condition. When you’re crossing the parking lot loaded with retail bounty, you’ll appreciate a pair of quality footwear.

 

  • Take advantage of free wrapping – If free wrapping is offered with your purchases, take it. It will save you time and help you avoid hunching over to wrap your gifts later.

 

  • Gift wrapping tips – If you do decide to wrap gifts yourself, create a “wrapping station.” Keep wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, scissors, tape, cards, pens, and anything else you need within an arm’s length. That way you can comfortably wrap gifts without having to reach, which can strain your back or neck. For best results, wrap your gifts while standing at the kitchen table. Standing promotes movement and good posture.

 

If you’re still experiencing pain or just want extra comfort during the holiday season, please stop by one of our stores or visit us online at www.relaxtheback.com. Because even Santa’s helpers can use a little help!
Happy Holidays!

Review: Tempur-Pedic RhapsodyBed

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We recently bought a Tempur-Pedic mattress for our master bedroom. We replaced our traditional, coil mattress, which we had for 10 years. Before purchasing one, we tried Tempur-Pedic’s entire line at our local Relax The Back. We went up and down the row of mattresses, comparing each one’s characteristics. At the end of day, we chose The RhapsodyBed by Tempur-Pedic, known as one of the firmer mattresses by the Swedish company.After a month, we can say that it was an excellent decision.

The difference between sleeping on a traditional coil mattress and sleeping on a Tempur-Pedic mattress is dramatic. The Tempu-Pedic RhapsodyBed cradles every contour of my frame. Instead of tossing and turning to get comfortable, the bed conforms to me. My lumbar, shoulders, and back are fully supported, but without the pressure points. After a while you wonder how you slept on anything else.

The most surprising thing we’ve noticed is that we wake up in the same position we went to sleep. Because of the Rhapsody’s contouring qualities, there’s a lot less fumbling around, trying to find a comfortable position.

The Rhapsody, like all Tempur-Pedic mattresses, is temperature sensitive, so you reach full comfort after it’s absorbed some of your body heat.  It takes a little getting used to. When you’ve slept on a traditional coil mattress your entire life, making the switch to a high-quality, ergonomically friendly mattress can be a little jarring. But in a good way, like switching from bologna to filet mignon. When we lie down on the Rhapsody, we can feel the difference, as the mattress conforms to our bodies.

To complete the experience, we also purchased a pair of Tempur-Pedic’s ClassicPillows. As someone who usually needs 2-3 pillows to get comfortable, it was a bit of adjustment sleeping on it. Over the last few weeks however, I have gradually stopped using the other pillows. It comes as a surprise to me, but the ClassicPillow provides so much support for my neck and head that I no longer feel it is necessary to sleep on more than one pillow.

Taken together, these features create a sleep experience that leaves us fully refreshed, reassuring us every morning that we made the right purchase.

Aaaaahhh… A Visit to Relax The Back

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Have you ever been to one of our stores?

Great Day St. Louis recently came by our Chesterfield, MO location, and we wanted to share their experience.  As one of the hosts said,

It’s like an adult amusement park spending the day in that store.”

During their visit, they got the full Relax The Back experience, trying out everything from office chairs to mattresses. A camera man with a slipped disk even tried an inversion table and announced that he felt better instantly!

They also took advantage of a lesser-known secret that anyone visiting our stores can enjoy: an 8-minute custom massage in one of our heavenly massage chairs!

They featured a number of products in-studio, including going head over heels on our Mastercare Back-A-Traction® Inversion Table and having a full, zero gravity recline in a Human Touch® Silhouette Perfect Chair®.

Have a look at the video here, and stop by one of our stores anytime for your own back-relaxing amusement park experience!

4 Weeks to Better Back Health: WEEK 4 (Strength Conditioning)

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Congratulations!

You have now successfully reached the final stage of your whole body conditioning process. Strength conditioning benefits the muscles, ligaments, discs and bone.  It also benefits the mind by diminishing fear of activity and promoting the ability to do more in your daily life.

To be most effective, strength training must be incorporated a minimum of three times per week, and should be performed after aerobic and flexibility exercises.  If time is limited, a minimum of five minutes of aerobic activity should precede strength conditioning.

General Considerations Regarding the Different Exercise Methods Recommended:

FLOOR:  Floor exercises employ the body’s own weight as resistance against gravity.  Wrist or ankle weights may be used to increase resistance even further.

ELASTIC BANDS:  Bands are convenient for travel and home use.  Bands are available in various forms. Bands that offer greater resistance are employed as your strength increases.

WEIGHT MACHINES:  Weight machines permit greater resistance with limited freedom of movement.  Machines safely guide and limit movement to the exercise intended.

FREE WEIGHTS:  Free weights best simulate real world movements.  However, the risk is greatest as there is potential for movement in any place.

But don’t forget to limit your risk factors to ensure that the conditioning is effective….

In general, the following has a negative effect on musculoskeletal health:

  1. An inordinate number of health complaints of multiple systems.
  2. Smoking, which diminishes circulation to tissue.
  3. Substance abuse.
  4. Lacking a significant other
  5. Job dissatisfaction.
  6. The belief that your health and well being depends on powerful others or powerful medicine.
  7. The belief that one cannot influence his/her health and well-being by one’s own actions.

Avoid these common detriments during the 4 weeks of musculoskeletal health building and you will soon see and experience positive results.

Happy conditioning!

4 Weeks to Better Back Health: WEEK 3 (Flexibility Conditioning)

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After previously working the muscles vigorously through aerobic exercise, we cannot forget this crucial stage. Flexibility refers to the property of being able to bend without breaking.

Flexibility conditioning promotes pain-free motion and prepares the joints to “bend” within and beyond the usual range they are accustomed to. Loss of flexibility results from adaptive shortening of tissues that have not be subject to periodic stretch.

Lack of flexibility in one area of the body can place greater stress on that and other areas of the body. Screening for flexibility conditioning is accomplished by strategically exploring the ability of body parts to move through their full range without discomfort. Normal flexibility is accompanied by a “stretch” discomfort at the end of full range that does not indicate a problem. Bend your finger back to experience what a normal stretch feels like.

Remodeling inflexible tissue into flexible tissue requires frequent repetition of stretching during the day. Stretching should be performed daily, at least four times a day to affect a change. Stretching should be taken to the point of slight discomfort and held for 5 seconds. DO NOT BOUNCE!! Changes in joint flexibility may take as long as six weeks to appear.

For more on stretching, visit our friends at Spine Universe or find an article about it here.

4 Weeks to Better Back Health: WEEK 2 (Aerobic Conditioning)

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Last week, we began to address posture. The next stage in the conditioning pyramid is aerobic conditioning. Although this stage can be more demanding than focusing on posture alone, it is a powerful part of the conditioning process.

During the exertion of aerobic conditioning, heart and respiration rates increase, promoting the exchange of oxygen and other blood nutrients to the tissues of your body.  Aerobic exercise results in a more efficient heart, in lower resting blood pressure and heart rate, and a positive mental attitude.  When you are aerobically conditioned, the heart returns to its resting rate much quicker.

It is estimated that for every hour you perform aerobic exercise, you get that hour back, plus one extra hour of life. All this can start with as little as 15 minutes per day, 3 times a week.

Although aerobic exercise can sometimes be a challenge for those with back pain and injuries, there are ways to work around it. This and other articles from our friends at Spine Universe may be able to help: Aerobic Exercise for a Healthy Back.

Full-Body Conditioning Series: 4 Weeks to Better Back (and Overall) Health – WEEK 1

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Conditioning is the adaptation to physical or mental exertion, and practicing it can significantly reduce pain and improve your overall health and wellbeing in a way that is natural and long-lasting.

For this reason, we are bringing you a four week Full-Body Conditioning Series. This program occurs in stages that represent a logical progression and will build upon one another for real results.

Postural Conditioning is addressed first so that body parts are in proper relation to one another other and the other forms of conditioning can move forward smoothly.  Aerobic Conditioning comes next, which increases the circulation of blood nutrients to the tissues of the body.  Maintaining proper posture maximizes the efficiency of aerobic conditioning and all other forms of conditioning.  Flexibility Conditioning follows to promote flexibility and full range of motion.  When joints can move through their full range of motion, Strength Conditioning is optimized and you have a great foundation for long-term health.

We will cover all of these types of conditioning in one-week increments. For the best results, practice each for a week and carry them through so that you’re building towards a natural mastery of all four.

Week 1: Improve Postural Conditioning

The Base of the Pyramid

Posture is the relationship of body parts to one another.  Postural awareness is the building block upon which safe and efficient aerobic, flexibility, and strength conditioning is built.  Proper posture minimizes the stress of maintaining positions or performing activities. Postural deconditioning leads to undue stress upon joint structures.

In modern life, the most common postural stress results from activities that cause the neck or back to be bent forward.  Activities that commonly result in a flexed or “bent” spine include sitting, sleeping, reading and bending from the neck or waist.

The view from the side Whether you are standing, sitting, or lying, a straight line should run from the center of the ear, through the shoulder, and hip.  When standing, this line should continue through the ankle.

The view from the front – When standing, the body’s weight is distributed to both legs equally.  A straight line should run from the nose through the navel, terminating midway between the ankles.

First and foremost, postural conditioning involves increasing your awareness. In general, the goal is to assume neutral postures that minimize the forward bending of the neck and back when maintaining positions or performing activities.

Focus on your posture this week, and next week we will begin to explore Aerobic conditioning.