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Buyer Beware
PRODUCT SAFETY
DECEMBER 2014 •
PPB
• 55
Let’s Have A
Good Time
PROMOTIONS
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63
AN BERN-
STEIN, M.ED.,
is a 25-year vet-
eran of the pro-
motional products industry,
specializing in health and well-
ness programs through his dis-
tributorship, Albany, New
York-based Personal Health
Designs (UPIC: P600809).
Before this, he was a health
educator and consultant,
developing wellness programs
for Empire Blue Cross and
Blue Shield and teaching office
staffers with carpal tunnel syn-
drome how to manage their
discomfort through proper
ergonomics.
What he learned while
helping clients overcome
carpal tunnel led him to
develop one-minute-workout
cards that help workers self-
manage the factors that put
them at risk for repetitive
strain injuries. They’re called
FitStrips, and they’re
designed to stay on workers’
desks as permanent bill-
boards, advertising both
brand messages and healthy
work habits.
Now Bernstein works as
both a distributor and a sup-
plier of FitStrips. He spoke
with
PPB
about his invention
and what it’s like to play both
sides of the field.
PPB
How do FitStrips
work?
Bernstein
We have 30-plus
different FitStrip titles that
address all aspects of comfort
at the keyboard. Our classic
FitStrips are double-sided
and constructed of sturdy
laminate. In addition, we
have repositionable FitStrips
with sticky backs that let
recipients put them where
they’ll see them most fre-
quently. Most people stick
them on their keyboard or
monitors. We encourage
them to use the 30-30 rule,
which means after 30 minutes
of non-stop sitting you should
stand and stretch for at least
30 seconds.
PPB
What other opportuni-
ties are there in the health
and wellness market? Where
do you see it headed?
Bernstein
First, schools are a
huge, untapped market. The
next generation is particularly
vulnerable to overuse injuries
as they started
using technology
much sooner
than our genera-
tion and the use
is much more
widespread in
terms of texting
and surfing the
web. Unless we
intervene early,
this generation
will suffer earlier
and longer than
our generation.
It is important that we get
this message in the computer
labs at schools and homes. At
present we have a FitStrips
for kids and we will continue
to develop more products for
schools.
Secondly, as a wellness
educator, fitness is a huge
part of my personal life and
my mission at work.
Teaching proper ergonomics
to office workers is the per-
fect opportunity to discuss
the value of bringing a fit
body to work. This naturally
leads to discussions about
healthy eating and exercise.
Fitness and wellness staff
should be involved in key-
board comfort training as a
way to reach people with
this good health message
and open doors to other
aspects of an overall healthy
lifestyle.
PPB
What are some of the
challenges of being both a
supplier and distributor?
What are some benefits?
Bernstein
As a distributor,
I’ve done business with
nearly 100 suppliers over the
past 25 years. I try to model
myself after the ones that
have exemplary customer
service and know what dis-
tributors need to be suc-
cessful.
D
Five Minutes With
Dan Bernstein, M.Ed.
President Of Personal Health Designs, Inc.
Dan Bernstein, M.Ed.
66
Meet The
Millennials
FEATURE STORY
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