Relaaaaaax! RecWell’s new Well-Being Lounge features two luxury massage chairs

By Haley Tenore

Just in time for finals this semester, RecWell has unveiled the Well-Being Lounge, a new outlet for Virginia Commonwealth University students who want to melt away some stress. Its highlight: a pair of state-of-the-art massage chairs.

The Well-Being Lounge is located in Cary Street Gym, and its features include a white noise machine, noise-reducing wall panels and light therapy lamps. The room's lighting aims to create a calm getaway - and its seating takes the vibe to the next level.

A pair of Fujiiryoki Cyber Relax Performance massage chairs offer a head-to-toe experience in a 25-minute session. They fully recline, giving the user a zero-gravity experience and encapsulating them in a pod of relaxation. Six settings are available - recovery, relaxation, vigorous, stretch, upper body and lower body - which can serve patrons who are winding down from a tough workout or who are feeling wound up after a long study session.

"We know that our students deal with stressors regularly, and through our research, we know that stress is one of the biggest issues that they say impacts their academic success," said Trisha Saunders, Ed.D., senior associate director for programs and assessment at Recreation and Well-Being. "We wanted to provide a low-barrier, easily accessible option for students to help manage their stressors."

There are up to 40 appointment slots per day for the chairs, and users can book one half-hour slot per day. Appointments are free for anyone with a RecWell membership. (To book, visit the Well-Being Lounge webpage, which also can be accessed from the RecWell homepage and selecting the "Thrive" pull-down tab.)

RecWell previously had a massage therapy program, and the new chairs expand access to the benefit.

"With our massage therapy program, we could only service one person at a time for that entire hour. And here, the chairs allow us to meet more students," said Tanika Santos MacSwain, assistant director for fitness.

The Well-Being Lounge also offers free earplugs and notecards so that users can write affirmations for others to read.

Along with an April 22 ribbon-cutting for the space, RecWell invited students to celebrate wellness at its DeStress Fest, which included campus organizations and resources focused on mental health. Activities focused on calmness and included stretch break sessions, making friendship bracelets and decorating journals.