New and cool @ HFB: Sae Arc

In addition to our continuing coverage of product and retail trends from this year’s Health and Fitness Business Expo, SNEWS is shining the spotlight on new and cool brands and products that caught our eye on the show floor at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. 

Sae Arc
Ada Wells
Physical therapist and pilates teacher
Brea, Calif.
www.SaeArc.com

After a long day, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as stretching your back and getting a neck massage.

Now you don’t need a masseuse — or any other human being, for that matter — to help you with those things. You can do it all on your own with products from the California-based company Sae Arc, which offers handcrafted chiropractic products.

The products from Sae Arc were a big hit at last month’s Health and Fitness Business Expo. Physical Therapist and Sae Arc Spokesperson Ada Wells said it’s because these sorts of stretching movements are key to maintaining youth.

“What I always say is, the fountain of youth is mid-back extension and hip extension,” Wells said. “When you have those two things then you’re younger you’re able to stand taller, maximize your ability to move and prolong your ability to be active.”

These types of relaxation and stretching products are popular these days simply because everybody wants to feel younger, Wells said. Plus, healthy hips and backs are essential for athletes and fitness professionals.

There were three home-use products showcased at HFB: the 4-in-1 Adjustable Wooden Pillow; the Two-in-One Back and Lumbar Stretcher; and the Back Flex and Posture Device.

We admit we drank the Kool-Aid and bought the three products at the show and have been using them nearly every night since.

The most amazing one is the 4-in-1 Adjustable Wooden Pillow, which is a wooden arched pillow with two wooden magnetic planks that has several uses. One use is as a neck massager — put the pillow attached to both wooden planks underneath your neck as you’re laying down and roll your head from side to side, getting a massage as good as any other.

You can also massage your feet by standing on the pillow alone, rolling from ball to heel, without the planks. This stimulates pressure points and improves circulation.

You can use the pillow alone on your lower back, laying down with the product under your lower back and rolling side to side for a deep massage.

The 2-in-1 Back and Lumbar stretcher is a wooden arch that is about as long as the back with a repurposed piece of yoga mat for softness. You place one end at the top of your butt, lay down on it and stretch your arms upward for an amazing lower back stretch. You can also move the product up higher, so the arch is at your shoulder blades and reach arms upward for an upper back stretch.

Wells does physical therapy and teaches Pilates to professional golfers and football players. She found Sae Arc products at a physical therapy conference and started using them in her practice, making videos so her patients could use the items at home. The videos caught attention of Sae Arc President Hanna Kim and soon Wells was making videos for the company itself.

Even if there weren’t videos on how to use the products, they are very intuitive and don’t need a lot of instruction, Wells said.