Ulla Anneli's The Break(TM) Targets Workplace Stress, Carpal Tunnel and Other Common RSI's

Health professional, Ulla Anneli, in conjunction with Workplace Stress Solutions, today announced the launch of Ulla Anneli's The Break, an innovative, interactive CD-ROM that brings brief, easy-to-follow stretching routines to your desk, pairing the mental and physical benefits of yoga with today's computer age. Trial versions of the software are available for free download from the Web site www.takethebreak.com.

(PRWEB) November 1, 2005 -- Ms. Anneli, the Los Angeles-based registered nurse and Hatha yoga teacher, anti-aging and holistic health expert behind the therapeutic disk, says that she designed The Break to help relieve and prevent most of the problems associated with computer and desk work, including stress, headaches, eye strain, neck and shoulder tension, lower back stiffness from prolonged sitting and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).

Now Ms. Anneli's simple exercises for bringing wellness to the workplace and everyday computer users are just a keystroke away.

"Many people spend five hours or more in front of a computer or sitting at a desk every day," says Ms. Anneli, also an author and television personality. "But the mind and body need a break every couple of hours. The Break provides a means through simple audio and video instruction to replenish your energy with stretching exercises and renew your mind and body with slow breathing."

Ms. Anneli says a stressed-out employee can be disengaged, unfocused and unproductive, leading to potentially serious physical problems for the employee and damaging financial and efficiency issues for the employer. Stress can cause workers to suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, insomnia, chest pain, palpitations, stomach and bowel problems, breathing difficulties and depression. Employers lose out because stressed-out employees use more sick days, can make critical mistakes and spend much more in health care costs. "Less stress results in healthier workers who are more productive," Ms. Anneli says.

A 2001 Gallup study showed that unproductive workers made up nearly two-thirds of the work force and cost the U.S. economy between $292 billion and $355 billion a year in uncompleted work. The study also found that these workers used an average of 3.5 more sick days per year than other employees. Health care expenditures are nearly 50 percent greater for workers who report high levels of stress, according to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Ms. Anneli, who has spent many years integrating her medical training and yoga teachings to emphasize the benefits of preventative medicine, says The Break is the best, most effective answer for both employer and employee.

Dr. Joyce Patenaude, a Los Angeles psychotherapist, agrees. "Prolonged daily stress leads to most physical and mental illness. Prevention is the key. Ulla Anneli's The Break is an easy-to-follow method of stress reduction that takes only minutes a day. I highly recommend it."

Each of Ms. Anneli's yoga and breathing exercises is explained thoroughly and simply and can be done while you are seated at your desk. The program can also be used effectively on airplane trips, in hotel rooms and anywhere a laptop is used. Included with The Break are two 3-Minute Vacations that take workers visually out of their offices and transport them to idyllic settings for a quick, easy and relaxing escape from daily stress and strain.

The Break software features five different routines led by five different instructors in a total of 90 minutes of high quality video. The user has the option of mixing in audio instruction and selections of relaxing music and nature sounds in more than 3,000 possible combinations. Breathing exercises are integrated to calm and focus or to restore energy levels needed to get through the long workday.

The disk is easy to install and it's simple to program timed breaks using a unique scheduler that allows users to set reminders to take Breaks as needed. The Break can be customized to a users desired combinations of exercises.

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