It seems that in these modern times that stress is just part of the landscape. We seem to be under more pressure whether at home or a work. The major shift of stress seems to be from physical stress to mental stress. Our fore fathers were in much more under stress from physical dangers. We on the other hand, seem to be under much more mental stress. We react to both mental or physical stress in much the same way: the fight or flight reaction. Our source of stress has certainly changed, but not our reaction to it.

When we come under stress our bodies prepare us for action in the following ways: Adrenaline is released to boost the energy and strength of the body. This increases our heart rate and breathing. Our major organs will direct their efforts to only those that immediately serve supporting physical action. This adrenaline rush causes us to feel tension and perhaps nervous as we anticipate taking some type of action. There is a great release of chemicals and a redirection of bodily activity to support our reaction to stress.

Stress management is learning how to cope with stress, redirect its energy and release it from the body. We may not be able to eliminate stress from our lives, but we can have strategies to deal with it positively. If you could take the heightened affects of being under stress and put it to positive pursuits, then we are working stress management. The toughest element of stress management is to release it physically.

When we are under stress, our bodies are primed for taking physical action. When we take physical action, then we are releasing out the increased energy out our bodies physically. If we do not have a physical outlet, one excellent method is massage therapy. Massage therapy helps loosen up muscle tension, it releases toxins trapped in our muscle tissue and it helps us to mentally relax. Some massage treatments also can reverse the tension in the major organs via the trigger points in our hands and feet.

Receiving massage therapy from a masseuse is an excellent method to help you relax. It may not always be convenient, so another method is with a massage chair. The massage chair recliners on the market today are very advanced. They offer all the top massage techniques like Shiatsu, deep tissue, Swedish, sports, reflexology and many others. All of these techniques relieve tired, aching and sore muscles. They can target specific areas like your neck and shoulders where stress seems to build up. They will improve your circulation of the blood and lymph systems. These systems remove the chemicals that build up in our body which are in need of periodic flushing.

Stress comes from our environment and is subject to our interpretation and built up set of reactions. These cannot be eliminated entirely. Massage therapy is an essential tool in our stress management toolbox. Massage chairs are one of the most convenient and effective ways to receive massage therapy. These recliners have full body capabilities and have many additional features beyond massage. Many have stretching, music therapy and heat. These additional features compliment the massage and help to induce total body relaxation.

Imagine the convenience of having your own massage chair recliner at home. You start to come under stress situations. You can just sit down and let the massage chair work you over. Your body starts to feel better and your mind starts to clear. You now are in a better frame of mind to come up with better ways to overcome the problems at hand. You now have a powerful stress management tool, your massage chair recliner at your disposal.

Sanyo has a full range of massage chairs in their product line. We are going to take an in depth view of the entry level model for Sanyo. The model SR 1000K is the subject of this product review. Our reviews are systematic and we judge any massage chair is five critical areas. We give a point rating of up to twenty points per area for a total possible score of 100. This is the SR-1000K massage chair recliner by Sanyo.

Warranty Coverage & Customer Service: We know you want to jump right into the features and functions, so we will put this first. The warranty coverage for the SR 1000 is very good for an entry level chair. The reason is Sanyo gives the same warranty for all their chairs. That is positively great for the SR1000. You get the following warranty: 3 years on the roller mechanism, 1 year parts and labor and 1 year of in the field technician service. Customer service is improved with a national call center. We rate this chair a 19 in this category.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Quite simply, a massage chair needs to be comfortable to sit in. We have seen some chairs that could not be used other than when the massage is running. Sanyo has figured this out and the SR1000 is a comfortable chair. The controller is well laid out and easy to figure out. The main power is to the side which takes a short training period to remember. The foot massager takes getting use to flipping out which is somewhat cumbersome. We give this chair a 17 for comfort and ergonomics.

Ease of Use: This is perhaps a category because it is a pet peeve of ours. Let’s face it our world is getting more complex and so are the devices in it. It is the responsibility of the maker of these items to keep it simple. We found the remote to have too many steps to get what you want compared to other massage chairs. This was surprising given that it was a Sanyo. But nevertheless, it is what it is. We rate the SR-1000 a 16 for ease of use.

Key Features: One of the interesting things with this model is that it has many technologies handed down from the higher level massage chairs in the Sanyo line. This is great for an entry level massage chair. Take for instance, the stiffness detector. The stiffness detector is found in Sanyo’s high end model. This device is gripped with the hand. It monitors your pulse and sweat. It knows (somehow) where these changes are coming from and it actually targets those areas. Another electronic gadget integrated is the shape sensor. The shape sensor checks your body position in the chair and changes the massage to where you are. Interesting stuff, we give it an 18.

Massage Therapy: The Sanyo SR 1000 massage chair has the capability to massage your back, neck, shoulders, calves and feet. We consider a full body massage chair one that also has a seat massage which the SR1000 lacks. The SR 1000 comes with 2 automatic programs. One is for a more soothing massage and the other targets you after more vigorous activity. There are 3 manual massage techniques and there are 3 manual courses. The manual courses enable you to target a particular area with a massage treatment. You also get your calves and feet via the leg rest. The SR 1000 rates a 17 for massage therapy.

So how does the Sanyo SR1000K rate overall? In our review it gets an 87/100 points. We like the warranty and that gives you confidence that it will last. The electronic features are interesting, but they seem to be at the expense of more massage treatments. There are only 2 automatic programs, which seem a bit light compared to other massage chairs. The look of the chair is a little different, because the main power is located on the side. The aesthetics are nice otherwise. This is an interesting massage chair and is worth checking out.