Did you know that winter offers more employee call-offs than all other seasons combined? The combination of cold and flu season with the miserable weather conditions and possibilities of slip and falls on icy walkways or slippery entrances has given winter this “honour” and we feel it’s time we did something about it.

Although there isn’t much you can do about the cold, snowy conditions, you can help your employees boost their immune systems to help stave off those wintertime colds that seem to spread quickly. How? By creating a massage wellness programme through RTG Corporate.

Recent studies have shown that getting a massage not only helps you relax, it also increases your immunity helping your body fight off colds. In a study conducted by researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, patients who received a 45 minute massage showed an increase in their white blood cells (lymphocytes) which help the body fight disease.

The 45 minute massage showed other physical changes including lower levels of cytokines, which play a key roHle in inflammation. Why is inflammation bad? High levels of inflammation can cause certain conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease and depression.

And if that wasn’t enough, the massages also show an improvement in the patients’ hormone levels. This included decreased levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone, and vasopressin, which is the hormone known to cause aggressive behaviour.

What does all of this mean? It shows that a regular series of massages can help keep the body healthy by regulating important hormones, inflammation causing molecules and white blood cells. A healthy body means a stronger immune system and less chance of catching the common cold which could lead to employee absenteeism this winter.

Contact the team at RTG Corporate to learn more about how setting up a massage wellness programme can keep your staff healthy and at work.