Total Health: Paul Lunter of HydroMassage On How We Can Optimize Our Mental, Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual Wellbeing

I think meditation can certainly help. It requires you to cut out any distractions around you, allowing you to focus entirely on what you’re doing, which can lead to spiritual wellness. Keeping a journal can also help. As mentioned before, writing things down is a great way to cut out some of the noise in your life so you can focus on what’s going on in your head. I also think there’s a lot to be said for volunteering and helping others. You get a certain sense of satisfaction knowing you’ve done something that positively impacts someone else.

Often when we refer to wellness, we assume that we are talking about physical wellbeing. But one can be physically very healthy but still be unwell, emotionally or mentally. What are the steps we can take to cultivate optimal wellness in all areas of our life; to develop Mental, Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual Wellbeing?

As a part of our series about “How We Can Cultivate Our Mental, Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual Wellbeing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Lunter.

Paul Lunter is the Founder and CEO of HydroMassage, a company that designs a complete suite of advanced hydrotherapy products meant to help people recover physically and mentally. Paul founded HydroMassage in 1989 and is focused on building innovative, high-quality health and wellness products that can be found in fitness centers, chiropractic offices, hotels, and tanning salons and spas worldwide.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

I grew up in a middle-class family in Chicago. My father was a very hard-working man. Whenever my friends would ask if I could come outside and play, my dad would tell my friends, “Paul has work to do right now. He has the rest of his life to have fun.” That work ethic mentality was instilled in me from a young age, and I carried it forward throughout my childhood and into adulthood.

What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.

I was always captured by this idea that there’s always a way to help makes things better, physically, emotionally or just in general. There’s always an opportunity to improve on everything. That mindset was what propelled me into becoming the founder and CEO of a company. I’ve always been on this quest to make things better, and I think that’s what’s led me to where I am today.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?

I truly believe everybody has something to offer and everyone is an expert on something. That perspective helps me lean on different people for help whenever I’m entering into an area I’m not quite familiar with. I enjoy listening to the thoughts and advice of others who are more knowledgeable than I am in any given space so that I can increase my knowledge.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?

One interesting lesson I’ve learned over the years is the importance of testing what you think is a great strategy before implementing it fully. For the first half of our company’s history, most of our sales were to the medical markets, and given that our customers saw nice success with our products, we thought (incorrectly) that we could transfer some of those sales strategies and lessons learned into new markets. As an example, in the fitness industry specifically, it took us several years and many failed attempts to understand that the ways our products were marketed to end users required a completely different approach to be successful, and as it turns out, one of our customers gave us one of the best strategies we implemented to help us grow. So, we can all have our own preconceived notions about how things may work and what may resonate with customers, but until you test those ideas in the marketplace in front of customers, you’ll never have the full picture.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. That book really showed me the importance of actually fixing the root cause of the problem rather than fixing the after effect. The example I always like to bring up is that it’s nice to see a sign on the road while you’re driving that says “bump ahead,” but why doesn’t the bump just get fixed instead? This same concept applies to the human body and its ailments, and that was my biggest takeaway from the book. It falls right in line with what our company and products can hopefully do for people.

Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?

There are two quotes that come to mind for me. One of them isn’t so much a quote as much as it is a process we like to go through at HydroMassage. It’s called the Red Faced test, and the purpose is to give us guardrails to make sure everything we do on a day-to-day basis is done the right way, without taking any shortcuts. It works like this: If you have a particular issue, and you’re considering different options on how to get it resolved, start by asking yourself if any of the potential options would make you feel embarrassed, or become red in the face if you had to explain to someone why you chose to take that route. If the answer is yes, then cross that option off the list. It’s not the right approach for your company, your employees, or your customers.

The second is, “Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody is watching,” which is often attributed to C.S. Lewis.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

There are lots of things I’m working on that really excite me. HydroMassage recently released two new products; RelaxSpace Wellness Pods and CryoLounge+ Chairs. The Wellness Pods are a bit different than the products we’ve released in the past, which utilize water massage technology to help aid in recovery and rejuvenation. The primary focus for the Wellness pods is mental relaxation and recovery, while our other products are focused on physical recovery. Each pod has a 44” vertical screen in front of it that shows relaxing videos, like sandy beaches, gorgeous mountain views or cities from around the world. The Wellness Pods also feature scent infusion, meaning users can choose smells like fresh pine or tropical coconut to take in during their session. They allow for meditation and breathing exercises, heart rate monitoring, heat therapy, and also provide healthy living and self-improvement tips like advice on proper nutrition, the benefits of exercise and healthy ways to become more physically fit. They provide an incredible service to people looking to get the most out of their mental and physical relaxation at a time when more people are prioritizing overall wellness. Life can be stressful, and the Wellness Pods help make it less stressful even if it’s just for a quick 15-minute session.

The second new product we recently developed is our CryoLounge+. This was developed as a better solution to deliver the benefits of cold and heat. Various forms of cold and heat are used in countless training rooms and physical therapy offices around the world, but most solutions aren’t very practical, comfortable, or efficient for use in commercial settings like fitness clubs. CryoLounge+ Chairs solve that issue, by providing targeted cold and heat for anyone with aches & pains, or members who need recovery after a workout, without the hassles of ice packs, cold tubs, or heating pads. One of the differentiators of the product is that you can receive cold and heat in different areas of the body at the same time. Members start by targeting areas with cold where they might be experiencing sore muscles or aches & pains, and use the heat in other areas to keep warm, resulting in a “comfortable cold” experience.

Especially with the increase in demand for wellness and self-care, we’re had a lot of great feedback and response for both of these products, which has been really exciting to see.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. In this interview series we’d like to discuss cultivating wellness habits in four areas of our lives: Mental wellness, Physical wellness, Emotional wellness, & Spiritual wellness. Let’s dive deeper into these together. Based on your research or experience, can you share with our readers three good habits that can lead to optimum mental wellness? Please share a story or example for each.

As the founder, I’m a big believer in using HydroMassage products for physical and mental relaxation, and our new product, RelaxSpace Wellness Pods were built specifically for this purpose. Throughout the development process, the more we learned about meditation and mindfulness, the more we understood how helpful it can be even if you only have a few minutes each day. I’ve definitely noticed it in my life. Some people have a mental image of meditation as a really involved, serious lengthy process, and for some it can be. However, personally, I’ve noticed how much more calm and productive I can be even if I take a few minutes to focus and be mindful about what it is I’m doing at that moment, blocking out all the other distractions we all have each day.

Do you have a specific type of meditation practice or Yoga practice that you have found helpful? We’d love to hear about it.

Meditation plays a huge role in my life even though it didn’t when I was younger. My wife was introduced to it almost 24 years ago, and now it’s a big part of my life. I even have a room dedicated to meditation that has nothing electrical at all in it. It’s a place where I can go to get away and reset my mind. HydroMassage’s products are a big part of that as well. It’s important to focus on one thing at a time and give it 100% of your attention.

Thank you for that. Can you share three good habits that can lead to optimum physical wellness? Please share a story or example for each.

Our company has a lot of experience in the fitness industry, and it’s been exciting to see all the developments over the past several years in regards wellness and recovery technology. It’s pretty amazing to think that a few decades ago, you could see pictures of football players smoking in between plays on the sidelines. Now we’ve all seen what athletes like Tom Brady have done, and how his focus on total mind and body wellness allowed him to extend his career as long as he did. Gone are the days of the “no-pain, no-gain” approach. Exercise is a big part of overall health, but now people are also including a major emphasis on nutrition, sleep, and recovery. Plus, the conversation is now shifting to include mental wellness, with athletes like Michael Phelps and Simone Biles talking much more candidly about the important role it plays in their life.

With the increase in awareness and demand for all forms of wellness & recovery, we’re now seeing wellness spaces being included in most all gyms that are being built. Beyond our HydroMassage, RelaxSpace, and CryoLounge units, we’re also seeing technology like Therabody percussion therapy guns and compression boots, which are great for muscle recovery, along with a variety of other really innovative new innovations in this space.

Do you have any particular thoughts about healthy eating? We all know that it’s important to eat more vegetables, eat less sugar, etc. But while we know it intellectually, it’s often difficult to put it into practice and make it a part of our daily habits. In your opinion what are the main blockages that prevent us from taking the information that we all know, and integrating it into our lives?

I think the primary solution to eating better is simple — moderation. People may lean toward wanting fried, sugary, and processed foods because it not only tastes good, but it’s so widely accessible. But avoiding these foods completely isn’t always realistic, so I believe finding a balance that suits you is the sweet spot. Buying everyday items that you can easily slip into your daily routine is a great start, but keep in mind you don’t have to limit yourself completely. The key is to eat foods that give your body energy, keep your mind clear and make you feel good overall. And if that means keeping your Saturday night ice cream runs, that’s ok! As long as you practice balance.

Can you share three good habits that can lead to optimum emotional wellness? Please share a story or example for each.

I really think there’s a lot of value in spending time with loved ones. Whether it’s family members, close friends or even coworkers, quality time with these people can lead to emotional wellness. I’ve noticed a lot of unhappy people are the ones who tend to isolate themselves from others. I think the pandemic also led to an overall drop in emotional wellness among many people since they weren’t able to spend time with people close to them. Whether it’s a night out at dinner with your parents or siblings or just a quick stop by a close friend’s house to say hi, this time together can really help. Another strategy to help with emotional wellness is practicing gratitude. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily stresses of work, life and family, but I see a lot of value in starting and/or ending your day by thinking about what you’re grateful for. It can be simple things like a roof over your head or it can be other things like landing a promotion. It can also help to write these down. Lastly is practicing affirmations. This is similar to gratitude but focuses more on your own personal self-empowerment. Emotionally, individuals can be really hard on themselves. So, incorporating verbal or written affirmations can really shift the way you think about yourself, and in turn give you more confidence and a new way to present yourself to the world. This positive mental attitude is healthy and can help manifest great things.

Do you have any particular thoughts about the power of smiling to improve emotional wellness? We’d love to hear it.

I’ve read articles that say smiling can essentially force your psyche to be happy. I think smiling is a great tool that can really transform an attitude. You attract the energy you put out, so the more you smile, the more you’re going to feel happy, which ultimately leads to emotional wellness.

Finally, can you share three good habits that can lead to optimum spiritual wellness? Please share a story or example for each.

I think meditation can certainly help. It requires you to cut out any distractions around you, allowing you to focus entirely on what you’re doing, which can lead to spiritual wellness. Keeping a journal can also help. As mentioned before, writing things down is a great way to cut out some of the noise in your life so you can focus on what’s going on in your head. I also think there’s a lot to be said for volunteering and helping others. You get a certain sense of satisfaction knowing you’ve done something that positively impacts someone else.

Do you have any particular thoughts about how being “in nature” can help us to cultivate spiritual wellness?

There’s certainly something special about being in nature, but to cultivate spiritual wellness, I think it requires being in nature away from outside distractions. Sure, if you go hike a trail, it’s fine to bring your phone, but a lot of people will hike trails as they’re staring at their phone scrolling through social media. To get the most out of being in nature, I think it requires truly embracing and experiencing nature rather than simply walking around in a place that happens to be away from more populated areas.

Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

The biggest change I’d like to see in the world is a major shift in the school system that focuses on getting mental health help for kids at an early age. I think too often we see people realize the importance of taking care of their mental health as they get older. I would love to see a sweeping change that prioritizes mental health for kids in school so they can graduate as people who are confident, happy and well-rested mentally.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

There are lots of interesting people I would love to meet, but I try not to put any specific person up on a pedestal, because we are all human beings. As I mentioned before, I like to learn from everybody, because everyone has some knowledge or experience that you might not have.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

They can connect with me on LinkedIn, and they can find out all the latest happenings of HydroMassage by going to www.hydromassage.com or following us on our social channels

Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.