Massage Therapy Training What Does It take?

Massage therapy is growing in popularity because of the many health benefits that it contains. However, we the realization of the benefits is not something that is recent. As a matter of fact, massage therapy has been used for approximately 2,400 years. It was actually Hippocrates who noted that friction has certain health benefits. In modern times, massage therapy is being used for treating tired muscles, reducing stress, taking care of painful ailments, and even in physical therapy as a tool to rehabilitate after an injury.

The massage therapist massages the soft tissues of the body in order to improve circulation. This improvement in circulation removes waste from the muscles. Anytime there is any sort of waste product in the muscle, the muscle doesn't work properly. Administering massage therapy does take a special type of training, which is not hard to acquire.

The training

There are almost 2,000 massage therapy programs within the United States today. They exist within post secondary schools and in colleges. There are many career centers that offer massage therapy courses. Students can acquire financial aid to take the classes or they can pay out of their pocket. The cost of the class is usually not as much as your traditional college course. This is because massage therapy programs do not last as long. There are some programs which last as little as 10 months to a year. The focus is just on massage therapy and the curriculum that is required to prepare for it.

The curriculum includes learning anatomy, the organs and tissues, and the physiology of the body. Massage therapists also learn business ethics and they study body mechanics and motion.

Learning massage therapy is also very hands on. In order to properly learn the techniques, the student must practice frequently. This is usually done with their fellow students before taking their newly learned techniques on the road. Many massage therapy schools will take their students to sporting events, such as marathons, to give massages to the marathon runners at the end of the event. This helps speed up muscle repair and makes the runner feel much better.

What does it take?

Now that you know that finding a school is easy and that getting in is fairly easy, you simply have to have a drive to learn. As stated before, the classes do not last that long. This means you have to learn a lot in a short period of time. With the proper motivation, you can do that.

In the end, you do have to take the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. This is an exam given by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and they do have their own criteria that must be met.

There are several areas that are covered by this exam. They are: kinesiology and physiology, pathology, therapeutic massage assessment and application, anatomy, ethics, professional standards, and legal and business practices.

Once this exam is passed, you can run with the world. This is because you can be employed within a chiropractor's office, a fitness club, another type of doctor's office, or you can have your own business. If you can acquire your own massage therapy equipment, then you will make the highest salary by having your own business. This is because people will pay a lot of money for a quality massage.

So if you don't think you have what it takes, know that you are wrong because you do. Find a school, enroll for the class, take the class, take the exam, and then decide what it is you want to do from there. There are many career possibilities, so run with them.

About the Author

Source1 Medical provides home health care products & massage therapy supplies including massage chairs and tables, as well as providing information for consumers and healthcare professionals.

3 Ways To Use Bodyweight Calisthenics To Burn More Fat Than Your Regular Workout

There is some debate among fitness professionals about the best way to burn fat. Some say long, slow, aerobic exercise is best. Some say high intensity interval training is the way to go. But bodyweight calisthenics? Until now, nobody considers the fat burning power of high intensity bodyweight workouts.

Let's look a three ways you can use bodyweight routines to burn more fat than your regular workout. If you have tried long, slow cardio you probably didn't get the results you wanted. And for some, the more effective interval training is too intense for their fitness level. But bodyweight calisthenics are a great choice for the beginner and advanced exerciser.

Do Morning Calisthenics To Boost Metabolism

First of all, metabolism refers to the chemical reactions of breaking down food into energy. And when you are sleeping your metabolism slows down. After all, you are not eating anything or exercising during your sleep (or at least you shouldn't be).

So to kickstart your metabolism you should exercise. And the most accessible and useful forms of exercise in the morning is bodyweight calisthenics. So, when you wake up, a couple of quick circuits of bodyweight exercises and calisthenics gets your metabolism rolling and sets the pace for the rest of the day.

Important: the other thing you want to do to get your metabolism rolling is to eat breakfast.

Use Bodyweight Interval Training Instead Of Boring Cardio

Traditionally, many people turn to boring aerobic exercise to burn fat. If you've ever jogged on a treadmill or use an exercise bike for 20-30 minutes you know what I mean. Even though interval training is commonly held to be better at burning fat, many people still think aerobic cardio best.

But what if you combined your boring cardio with bodyweight intervals? Not only would your break up the monotony of the cardio workout, but you would burn more fat as well!

Here is what I mean. Suppose you are going to ride the exercise bike for 20 minutes. Every 5 minutes jump off the bike and do a quick circuit without rest of a lower body, upper body and core bodyweight exercise. Then get back on the bike and repeat for the full 20 minutes.

What this does is break up the breathing patterns and effort levels of your workout, making it harder. Harder work means more calories burned.

I would also contend that using your full body for your cardio actually builds a better, more muscular body. Plus, it is just more fun!

Juggernaut Training

First of all, Juggernaut? Yea, a Juggernaut refers to an unstoppable crushing force. And that is what you will become when you do these type of workouts. Plus, you'll burn a ton of fat.

Much like the Bodyweight Interval described above, you are going to COMBINE resistance training with cardio training. But instead of just doing this for the "cardio" portion of the workout, you are going to do this for the ENTIRE workout.

Think of doing circuits of different bodyweight exercises alternated with traditional cardio. You end up doing strength exercises when under cardiorespiratory stress, and cardio exercises when under muscular stress. This make one tough workout. And also, the tougher the workout the more fat is burned.

If burning fat is a concern of yours, I think you can see bodyweight calisthenics are a great tool. Unfortunately, most people overlook bodyweight exercises as a fat burning tool, and end up never reaching their goals. I hope this article has shown you some quick ways to incorporate bodyweight calisthenics into your workout and reach your fat loss goals.

About the Author

Coach Eddie Lomax helps you get the best at home workouts with the Ultimate Gymless Workout. If you think you know everything about bodyweight calisthenics workouts, check out the Above And Beyond Package.