15 Workout routines to Strive Now for MT Self-Care

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The type of repetitive motions that massage therapists engage in often leads to chronic pain, which can surface in just about any area of the body, from the feet and ankles to the upper back and neck. The great irony of being a massage therapist is that the very physical work you do every day can sometimes lead to the same type of chronic pain you are helping your clients overcome. You’re on your feet all day, performing forward-reaching movements in the sagittal plane—think of moving forward and backward through a doorway without touching the frame—and using your body weight to produce considerable force. Whether you’re currently experiencing chronic pain or are trying to ward off future complications, the strategies and exercises presented here will be a great addition to your routine. Preventive Strategies Pain prevention is always a better option that pain management. So, let’s start with some preventive strategies that you can use to reduce the likelihood of developing or exacerbating chronic pain as a massage therapist. The first involves analyzing the ergonomics of your massage table and making sure it is at the right height to allow you to bend from the hips rather than with your back. Bending from the hips will allow you to activate the glutes and hamstrings while sparing the smaller postural muscles in your back keeping the spine in a relatively neutral position. If your table is too low, you might find yourself reaching with your arms and rounding your shoulders and upper back, which over time can potentially lead to pain in the back, shoulders, neck and head. Few things are as debilitating to a massage therapist as chronic hand pain, so it’s important to learn a variety of techniques so that you are not solely relying on your fingers and hands to do all of the work. Another way to prevent overworking your hands is to get training on the use of tools like thumbsavers, rollers, hot stones and cryotherapy. Proper footwear is also vital, so be sure to do your research. Common options include a variety of slip-on shoes designed for standing work, as well as running and walking shoes. It may take some trial and error, but finding comfortable, supportive footwear may save you a lot of trouble down the road. Another key element of preventing foot pain is working in a proper stance. A split stance, where the feet are hip-width apart and one foot is in front of the other, provides the most stable base for a massage therapist. It may seem like a minor issue but beginning your work from a stable base is essential for proper technique and pain prevention. Of course, the best way to overcome an injury is to never experience it in the first place, so identifying the potential causes of pain before the pain actually surfaces is vital. So, evaluate your setup, technique and stance, perhaps with the help of a colleague, and address any concerns that you think may have the potential to cause future pain. Choosing the Right Exercise Before we get to a list of exercises that all massage therapists should consider incorporating into their exercise programs, it’s important to note that these should be part of a well-balanced program that includes at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory training and two resistance-training sessions each week. By combining cardiorespiratory, resistance and flexibility training, you will reap the countless health, fitness and wellness benefits of a balanced exercise program. The suggestions below are not meant to represent a full-body, comprehensive training program. Instead, they are suggestions for the types of exercises that massage therapists should consider adding to their workout regimen in an effort to prevent, reduce or manage pain. The focus of an exercise program for massage therapists should be on developing a strong posterior chain (i.e., the muscles on the back of the body), which includes the hamstrings, glutes and back muscles. A strong, balanced core is also essential, as stability and strength through the core will help protect the lumbar spine and prevent low-back pain. Stretching in an Exercise Program In addition to strengthening the posterior chain and core muscles, the exercise program should include stretches for those muscles on the front of the body (i.e., the anterior chain). For example, strengthening the upper back (on the posterior), in combination with lengthening the muscles of the chest (on the anterior), will help alleviate any discomfort you may experience in your upper body. One final tip associated with flexibility: It’s a great idea to incorporate some basic stretches into your daily routine, including one- or two-minute breaks between clients and a 10- or 15-minute stretching routine at the end of the day. This will go a long way toward alleviating the tightness many massage therapists feel throughout their workday. Rotational Exercises in an Exercise Program Your exercise program should also include rotational exercises to counter the fact that massage therapists work almost exclusively in the sagittal plane. Rotational movements will help build strength in the abdominal obliques and allow freer movement through the spine. In addition to muscular strength, there is a muscular endurance factor related to standing over a client for long periods of time and holding that position. Therefore, muscular endurance must be developed to prevent fatigue. Muscular endurance can be achieved by performing sets with a high number of repetitions, as opposed to shorter sets with heavier weights, which target muscular strength. 15 Exercises to Prevent Pain The exercises listed below are great choices if you are trying to prevent future pain or manage occasional discomfort as the result of your work. If you are experiencing acute or chronic pain that is inhibiting your ability to work or is heavily localized, seek out the expertise of a physical therapist or personal trainer who can collaborate with you to create a personalized exercise program. Be sure to carefully read through the exercise descriptions and modifications so that you—or your personal trainer—can develop a workout regimen that meets your needs and aligns with your goals. Also, note that these exercises use a variety of equipment and may need to be modified based on the types of equipment you have available. Visit the American Council on Exercise (ACE) Exercise Database and Library to see additional exercises and build a workout that meets your needs. Strengthening the posterior chain: • Deadlift (Note that this is an advanced exercise and should not be done unless you are experienced with weight training or are exercising with the guidance of a personal trainer.) • Seated row or single-arm row • Lunge • Hip hinge • Prone hamstrings curl Core exercises: • Supine pelvic tilts • Supine dead bugs • Glute bridge • Bird-dog (Hold for 3–10 seconds in the arm/leg raised position.) Stretching the anterior chain: • Supine snow angel (wipers) • Kneeling hip flexor stretch • Side-lying quadriceps stretch Ankle and foot flexibility: • Standing ankle mobilization Rotational exercises: • Half-kneeling hay baler • Standing wood chop • Standing trunk rotation • Seated medicine ball trunk rotations Take Care of You, Too All pain cannot be avoided. After all, massage therapy is a physically demanding job that requires you to be on your feet all day. That said, the creation of an ergonomically sound workspace, along with proper technique and a targeted exercise routine, may help you keep future pain at bay or reduce any discomfort you are currently experiencing. Many clients view a massage therapy session as a form of self-care, so don’t overlook the fact that you need to take care of yourself as well, not only to better serve your clients but also to stay as healthy and pain-free as possible so that you can have an active and healthy lifestyle, now and into the future. About the Author Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, FACSM, is president and chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise. He stewards ACE's development of strategies to deliver exercise-science and behavior-change education in ways that are engaging and compelling, recruiting more people to become exercise professionals and health coaches and equipping them for growth in their respective fields.

The kind of repetitive motions that therapeutic massage therapists have interaction in usually results in continual ache, which might floor in nearly any space of the physique, from the ft and ankles to the higher again and neck.  

The nice irony of being a therapeutic massage therapist is that the very bodily work you do each day can generally result in the identical kind of continual ache you’re serving to your shoppers overcome. You’re in your ft all day, performing forward-reaching actions within the sagittal airplane—consider shifting ahead and backward via a doorway with out touching the body—and utilizing your physique weight to supply appreciable power.

Whether or not you’re at the moment experiencing continual ache or are attempting to keep at bay future issues, the methods and workout routines offered right here can be an important addition to your routine.  

Preventive Methods 

Ache prevention is at all times a greater possibility that ache administration. So, let’s begin with some preventive methods that you should use to cut back the probability of growing or exacerbating continual ache as a therapeutic massage therapist.

The primary entails analyzing the ergonomics of your therapeutic massage desk and ensuring it’s on the proper top to permit you to bend from the hips somewhat than together with your again. Bending from the hips will permit you to activate the glutes and hamstrings whereas sparing the smaller postural muscle tissue in your again protecting the backbone in a comparatively impartial place.

In case your desk is just too low, you would possibly end up reaching together with your arms and rounding your shoulders and higher again, which over time can probably result in ache within the again, shoulders, neck and head. 

Few issues are as debilitating to a therapeutic massage therapist as continual hand ache, so it’s vital to study a wide range of methods so that you’re not solely relying in your fingers and palms to do the entire work. One other technique to stop overworking your palms is to get coaching on using instruments like thumbsavers, rollers, sizzling stones and cryotherapy.  

Correct footwear can also be very important, so make sure you do your analysis. Frequent choices embrace a wide range of slip-on sneakers designed for standing work, in addition to working and strolling sneakers. It could take some trial and error, however discovering snug, supportive footwear might prevent plenty of bother down the highway. 

One other key ingredient of stopping foot ache is working in a correct stance. A cut up stance, the place the ft are hip-width aside and one foot is in entrance of the opposite, gives probably the most steady base for a therapeutic massage therapist. It could appear to be a minor difficulty however starting your work from a steady base is important for correct approach and ache prevention. 

After all, one of the best ways to beat an harm is to by no means expertise it within the first place, so figuring out the potential causes of ache earlier than the ache really surfaces is significant. So, consider your setup, approach and stance, maybe with the assistance of a colleague, and handle any issues that you simply suppose might have the potential to trigger future ache. 

Selecting the Proper Train

Earlier than we get to an inventory of workout routines that every one therapeutic massage therapists ought to think about incorporating into their train packages, it’s vital to notice that these ought to be a part of a well-balanced program that features no less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory coaching and two resistance-training classes every week. By combining cardiorespiratory, resistance and suppleness coaching, you’ll reap the numerous well being, health and wellness advantages of a balanced train program.  

The options beneath will not be meant to signify a full-body, complete coaching program. As a substitute, they’re options for the kinds of workout routines that therapeutic massage therapists ought to think about including to their exercise routine in an effort to forestall, cut back or handle ache.  

The main target of an train program for therapeutic massage therapists ought to be on growing a powerful posterior chain (i.e., the muscle tissue on the again of the physique), which incorporates the hamstrings, glutes and again muscle tissue. A robust, balanced core can also be important, as stability and power via the core will assist shield the lumbar backbone and stop low-back ache.  

Stretching in an Train Program

Along with strengthening the posterior chain and core muscle tissue, the train program ought to embrace stretches for these muscle tissue on the entrance of the physique (i.e., the anterior chain). For instance, strengthening the higher again (on the posterior), together with lengthening the muscle tissue of the chest (on the anterior), will assist alleviate any discomfort you might expertise in your higher physique. 

One ultimate tip related to flexibility: It’s an important thought to include some primary stretches into your every day routine, together with one- or two-minute breaks between shoppers and a 10- or 15-minute stretching routine on the finish of the day. It will go a great distance towards assuaging the tightness many therapeutic massage therapists really feel all through their workday. 

Rotational Workout routines in an Train Program

Your train program must also embrace rotational workout routines to counter the truth that therapeutic massage therapists work virtually solely within the sagittal airplane. Rotational actions will assist construct power within the belly obliques and permit freer motion via the backbone. 

Along with muscular power, there’s a muscular endurance issue associated to standing over a consumer for lengthy durations of time and holding that place. Due to this fact, muscular endurance have to be developed to forestall fatigue. Muscular endurance may be achieved by performing units with a excessive variety of repetitions, versus shorter units with heavier weights, which goal muscular power. 

15 Workout routines to Stop Ache

The workout routines listed beneath are nice selections if you’re attempting to forestall future ache or handle occasional discomfort as the results of your work. If you’re experiencing acute or continual ache that’s inhibiting your potential to work or is closely localized, hunt down the experience of a  bodily therapist or private coach who can collaborate with you to create a personalised train program.

You should definitely fastidiously learn via the train descriptions and modifications so that you simply—or your private coach—can develop a exercise routine that meets your wants and aligns together with your targets.  

Additionally, notice that these workout routines use a wide range of tools and should must be modified based mostly on the kinds of tools you’ve accessible. Go to the American Council on Train (ACE) Train Database and Library to see further workout routines and construct a exercise that meets your wants. 

Strengthening the posterior chain: 

Core workout routines: 

Stretching the anterior chain: 

Ankle and foot flexibility: 

Rotational workout routines: 

Take Care of You, Too

All ache can’t be prevented. In any case, therapeutic massage remedy is a bodily demanding job that requires you to be in your ft all day. That stated, the creation of an ergonomically sound workspace, together with correct approach and a focused train routine, might enable you to maintain future ache at bay or cut back any discomfort you’re at the moment experiencing. 

Many consumers view a therapeutic massage remedy session as a type of self-care, so don’t overlook the truth that you have to maintain your self as nicely, not solely to raised serve your shoppers but additionally to remain as wholesome and pain-free as potential to be able to have an lively and wholesome life-style, now and into the long run. 

Cedric X. Bryant

In regards to the Writer

Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, FACSM, is president and chief science officer on the American Council on Train. He stewards ACE’s growth of methods to ship exercise-science and behavior-change schooling in methods which can be partaking and compelling, recruiting extra folks to grow to be train professionals and well being coaches and equipping them for progress of their respective fields.