Who is the StressChecker Pro intended for?
The StressChecker Pro has been developed for doctors, physiotherapists, (sports) psychologists, (sports) trainers and personal trainers, work-life balance and stress counselors, dieticians and masseurs, etc. They use the StressChecker Pro to provide their clients with objective information about their sensitivity to tension.
What is the StressChecker Pro?
The StressChecker Pro is a modified version of the StressChecker for consumers. It contains:
1. An additional finger cap with infrared sensor, specially designed to work under bright/artificial lighting conditions and also fits larger fingers.
2. A handbook for health professionals and (sports) trainers and coaches in Dutch.
Why use the StressChecker Pro?
The StressChecker Pro enables professionals to easily and objectively test the condition of the autonomic nervous system of their clients or patients. This product shows how work, family, lifestyle and thinking habits influence a person’s stress level.
The StressChecker Pro can be used during the consultation/training. However, it is also possible that the product is (temporarily) made available to clients. Clients are then able to take measurements at times of their own choosing. They can then print the measurement results and take them with them for discussion or make a PDF of them and send them in advance to their therapist/trainer/coach. They can then objectively determine at any time of the day, at work or at home, how stressful they are and/or whether they can cope with any overload.
System requirements
- OS: 20 MB free disk space.
- For PCs Windows 7, 8 & 10 (32/64 bits), for tablets Windows 8 & 10
- 20 MB-1.5 GB free disk space depending on Windows update level
- VGA-monitor (800×600) 16 bit
- Internet connection, required for activation
Attention! The StressChecker Pro measurements may produce unreliable results in people who suffer from heart disease, frequent heart rhythm disorders or have a pacemaker, or in people who are currently taking medications that affect the heart rhythm.
USE FUNCTIONS
The most important applications are described below.
Function 1. Periodic Measurement
On the one hand, the Periodic Measurement is intended as a preventive measure to ensure that your client’s daily life does not have a negative impact on his/her vitality.
On the other hand, if your client’s ability to recover is under some pressure, you can use the Periodic Measurement to determine whether a certain change in his lifestyle is having the desired positive effect.
Details of the measurement
In order to correctly assess the measurement results, it is important to carefully examine the measurement details each time. These details demonstrate the extent to which the average HRV score is affected by one or more excessive fluctuations. Such fluctuations can be caused by severe mood swings, sudden movements, breath holding or irregular heartbeat, and these can negatively affect the reliability of the measurement results.
The images below show the measurement results of people of the same age and gender compared to the average values (indicated by the yellow lines). Ideally, your client’s measured heart rate (blue line) should be at or below the yellow line. Meanwhile, your client’s measured HRV (blue line) should be at or above the yellow line. The higher the average HRV, the better your client’s autonomic nervous system works. The HRV measurement usually gives a slightly wavy line.
Progress Relax Index
All measurement results are saved and the progression over time can be viewed under ‘Relax Index Progress’.
Function 2. Experiment
You can discover how easy or difficult it is to influence your client with the ‘Specific Measurement’ and ‘Free Experimentation’ functions.
Function 2a. Experiment freely
In the case of ‘Free Experimentation’ you can gain a real-time insight into your client’s stress level.
Unlike the Periodic Measurement, you don’t have to wait three minutes to learn the score. Instead, you can see how your client’s stress level continually responds to how tense he or she is at that moment. This function allows you to determine the direct effect that, for example, a gentle breathing technique has on your client or the effects of meditation or positive thoughts.
Function 2b. Specific measurement
In the case of a “Specific Measurement”, your client takes a number of three-minute measurements under different conditions and/or after certain activities and compares his/her scores with other specific measurements.
For example, your client may want to explore how different situations – such as a walk in the woods, a tough meeting at work or a relaxing massage – affect his/her well-being
Therapists/trainers/coaches can monitor the effectiveness of their guidance aimed at improving the fitness/physical health of their clients.
Profiles
The results of the various measurements are stored under your own name. Unlimited client profiles can be created.
