Tackling Tech Woes
Author: Julie Keller
August 2007
Columns
In many ways, modern technology has been a blessing—
high-speed communication, global access and mobile offices are just a few of the vast benefits of being part of a BlackBerry, cell phone and tech-happy society. But there is a bit of a backlash, particularly when it comes to our bodies. Sore hands from rapid-fire text messaging, kinked necks from hours in front of the computer and clogged skin from cell phones constantly pressed onto the face are just a few of the ails that plague today’s business person and meeting-goer. At your next meeting, consider helping attendees soothe these afflictions by offering them a host of midmeeting treatment options that get them back in sync. Take a hint from several spas that are attacking the troubles of tech woes, and you may find yourself with a room full of happier, more productive participants.
“Business travelers and meeting-goers are especially susceptible to stress,” says Maureen Schumacher, spa director at LeSpa at Sofitel, a new relaxation retreat at the Sofitel Los Angeles. “These treatments, especially the ones that can get you in and out in under an hour, are great for relieving stress pre-, post- or even midmeeting.”
PDA PERILS AND TECH NECK
According to Schumacher, overuse of PDAs can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis in the hands. To battle this burden, LeSpa offers the Taming Technology Manicure. This treatment, which is great for both men and women, features a signature manicure and a 15-minute hand and forearm massage designed to relieve the tension caused by modern living.
Spa Marquis at the Marquis Reforma (Mexico City, Mexico) features the Carpal Tunnel Hand Massage, which helps improve circulation in the hands via a pressure-point massage technique. The spas at several Hyatt properties have addressed this same issue with the BlackBerry Balm Hand Massage. This treatment incorporates acupressure techniques designed to relieve stress and tension due to rigorous typing and texting. This therapeutic massage focuses on counteracting tension in the hand and arm muscles, most specifically thumbs and overworked wrists. “We saw our resort guests busy on the BlackBerrys, Treos and PDAs,” says Ann H. Lane, senior director of advertising and public relations for the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch (Scottsdale, Ariz.). “Once they were in our massage rooms, our therapists recognized the ‘blue thumb’ and tenderness that they were experiencing. The BlackBerry Balm Hand Massage was born from concern for our spa guests who had these symptoms, as well as for those who would inevitably develop them.”
The Red Hat Society, a social organization for women over 50, recently hosted a meeting at Gainey Ranch with 500-plus attendees and offered the BlackBerry Balm Hand Massages in the meeting room as a break option. According to Lane, the attendees absolutely loved it.
While PDAs can wreak havoc on the hands, hunching over a computer is equally exasperating for the neck and shoulders. Another treatment you might consider offering your meeting-goers is one that battles “tech neck.” Agua Serena Spa at Hyatt Grand Champions Resort (Indian Wells, Calif.) offers a Thai massage that is perfect for this issue and great for all attendees. Clients wear loose-fitting clothes for the session, which is ideal for those who may feel uncomfortable disrobing in the spa, and the treatment is chock-full of stretching and breathing exercises that help loosen knots and tension around the neck.
The same goes for the So You Massage at LeSpa. That treatment allows guests to customize a massage that specifically addresses their needs without incurring any additional cost or add-ons. “My favorite blend for ‘tech neck’ is stress-relieving aromatherapy, hot stones and long, smooth and deep strokes to the back and neck,” says Schumacher. “If left untreated, tech neck can develop into more serious, chronic conditions such as compressed nerves, compressed vertebrae and even arthritis.”
Wedging into tight airplane seats for multiple-hour flights is also tough on the body. Spa Marquis’ Jet Lag Body Treatment ($165, 100 minutes), a rigorous and stimulating treatment to combat jet-lag symptoms, starts with a glass of a vegetable and fruit energy-boosting remedy made from calcium- and magnesium-rich broccoli, cabbage, dates, figs and raisins. While soaking the feet in a eucalyptus-infused bath, guests then sip hot herbal
tea. An exfoliation with mineral salts follows, and a purifying bath that treats skin suffering from undesirable climate changes and exposure to tobacco, smog and air conditioning is next. The body is then covered in a hydrating milk wrap, which leaves it purified, oxygenated and ready for the business ahead.
CELL PHONE SNAFUS
Estheticians at several spas have recently noticed a new skin-problem trend that has emerged—breakouts and clogged pores along their clients’ chins and jaw lines. Once again, it appears technology is to blame. Constant cell phone use (and the deposit of the dirt and oil that the phone accumulates through the course of the day) is the culprit. It is for this reason that offering a cleansing facial makes a great meeting break that can pay dividends in the long run—attendees gain more confidence when they aren’t battling breakouts, and clean, clear skin is attractive to the people they interact with back in the office.
LeSpa offers the Balanced Beauty Facial for women and the Energy Facial for men, both of which are focused on lymphatic drainage, a technique that helps eliminate the toxins in the skin that can lead to breakouts and puffiness. The Indian Clay Facial ($175, 80 minutes) at Aqua Serena Spa also uses a mask that draws toxins from the skin and helps with irritation and breakouts. It’s also not a bad idea to encourage your convention-goers to invest in a hands-free earpiece and to clean their phones regularly with alcohol to keep the skin clear.
Finally, after you help your clients, particularly your female attendees, cure the ails of their tech woes, consider helping them accessorize with PDA- and cell phone-matching polish selections. Nails Bar, a chain of nail spas in Spain, helps clients match their BlackBerry Pearls with a coat of black polish, white nail tips and a tiny pearl glued to the spot where the colors meet, a style basically any spa with nail services can emulate. Talk about modern-day inspiration!
RESOURCES
